Murder charges against a Danville man have been dismissed. 34 year old Christopher Echols has spent the last 16 months in jail for the killing of 35 year old Jose Pacheco.
 

Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said on Thursday that she dismissed murder charges against Echols because newly discovered evidence suggests that he was not responsible for the shooting death of Pacheco. The Danville man was found wounded Jan. 18, 2021, in a yard in the 400 block of Avenue A. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Echols had been charged nine months after the killing and was arrested in Joplin, Mo., in December 2021. He’s been jailed ever since.
 

Lacy says that during the preparation for trial with the Danville Police Department, new evidence in this case was discovered, which prevents the prosecution of Echols at this time. So the murder charges against him have been dismissed. She says when a prosecutor knows of new, credible, and material evidence creating a reasonable likelihood that a defendant did not commit the offense charged, the prosecutor must remedy the circumstances. Once new evidence is discovered, justice requires that the prosecutor in cooperation with the police evaluate the new evidence and determine if the prosecution can move forward to a trial.
 

Lacy says the newly discovered evidence is being assessed and reviewed by the Danville Police Department and her Office.