Officer Tied To Wrongful Conviction Of 'Outcry' Football Star Resigns From Force

One of the pivotal figures in the wrongful conviction of a Texas high school football star has resigned from his position — just a day after city officials asked for an investigation into his conduct.

Cedar Park Police Officer Chris Dailey led the controversial investigation into Greg Kelley when the high school student was accused of molesting two children inside his friend Johnathan McCarty’s home, an in-home daycare. The case and its trials became a divisive force within the community as supporters rallied for Kelley's freedom following his conviction.

The resignation comes shortly after the premiere of the Showtime docuseries "Outcry" which focuses on Kelley's wrongful conviction and exoneration.

“The City of Cedar Park can confirm that today Officer Chris Dailey resigned from the Cedar Park Police Department, effective immediately," city spokesperson Jennie Huerta told Oxygen.com on Thursday. 

Cedar Park Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale and City Council member Mike Guevara “sent a letter and a criminal complaint to Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick seeking an investigation into Officer Dailey’s alleged misconduct” on Wednesday, Huerta said.

“The City believes the goal of the criminal justice system should be to seek truth and justice, and it expects the dedicated men and women of the Cedar Park Police Department who serve and protect our citizens to act with a high level of professionalism as they work to keep our community safe,” she said. 

Kelley was a popular football star for Leander High School with a college scholarship when he was accused of molesting a boy at McCarty’s home in 2013. A second boy also came forward but later recanted his accusation against Kelley.

As Showtime's new docuseries “Outcry” shows, Dailey didn’t seem to bother to investigate other suspects because the victim described his assailant by name. However, McCarty and Kelley were known as lookalikes and McCarty himself later went on to be accused of multiple sex crimes, including sexual assault and possession of child pornography. 

Dailey has been criticized for allegedly feeding the child accusers leading questions and for not building an adequate rapport with them. The second boy initially said he wasn’t even abused, but changed his tune after apparent prodding by Dailey. Dailey could be seen interviewing the child with a gun visible from his hoister and in full police garb.

The docuseries noted that the officer seemed determined to prove that Kelley was guilty.

Dick told Oxygen.com last week that police did a "truly deficient" job in the investigation. He said that the district attorney's office has since requested a top-to-bottom audit of the situation and noted that the police department had displayed noticeable improvement since Dailey’s alleged misconduct.

“We’ve had a much better relationship with the Cedar Park Police Department over the last couple of years and they have been doing a lot better work and work closely with our office,” he said. “I do think it’s made some changes [...] and I’ve been pleased with the steps.”

Kelley's 2014 conviction of super aggravated sexual assault, and his 25 year sentence without parole, was officially overturned last year. Dick stated publicly that justice had failed Kelley in 2017, The Austin American-Statesman reported that year.

Kelley was released on bond that same year. He filed a lawsuit against Cedar Park earlier this year for his wrongful conviction, the Statesman reported in March.