Crime
Missouri judge overturns murder conviction of man sentenced to more than 30 years in prison
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri judge on Monday overturned the conviction of Christopher Dunn, who spent more than 30 years in prison for a murder he long said he didn’t commit.
The ruling will likely free Dunn from prison, nevertheless it was not immediately clear when that will occur. He is serving a life sentence without the chance of parole.
Saint Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser’s decision got here weeks after he presided over a three-day hearing on Dunn’s fate.
Dunn, now 52, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1990 shooting death of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. St. Louis District Attorney Gabe Gore filed a motion in February to overturn the conviction. A hearing was held in May.
Sengheiser wrote in his ruling that “the district attorney presented clear and convincing evidence of ‘actual innocence,’ which undermines the basis for Dunn’s conviction because, in light of the new evidence, no juror acting reasonably would have voted to find Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Dunn’s attorney, Midwest Innocence Project executive director Tricia Rojo (*30*), said she was “overjoyed” with the judge’s decision.
“Chris now looks forward to spending time with his wife and family as a free man,” (*30*) said in an announcement.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office opposed the trouble to overturn Dunn’s conviction. Lawyers for the state argued at a hearing in May that the initial statements of two boys on the scene who identified Dunn because the shooter were correct, although they later recanted them as adults.
“This verdict was correct and should be upheld,” Deputy Attorney General Tristin Estep said on the hearing.
Spokeswoman Madeline Sieren said the Attorney General’s Office will appeal.
The decision in Dunn’s case got here days after Sandra Hemme was free of a western Missouri prison after serving 43 years for murder that a judge found unconvicted. Bailey’s office also opposed Hemme’s release.
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A Missouri law passed in 2021 allows prosecutors to request hearings once they see evidence of a wrongful conviction. While Bailey’s office doesn’t have to oppose such actions, he also opposed one other motion in St. Louis that led to Lamar Johnson’s release last yr after serving 28 years for a murder case in which a judge ruled he was wrongfully convicted.
Rogers was shot May 18, 1990, when a gunman opened fire while he was with a bunch of other teenage boys outside a house. DeMorris Stepp, 14, and Michael Davis Jr., 12, each initially identified Dunn because the shooter.
In a taped interview played on the trial, Davis said he lied because he thought Dunn was related to a rival gang.
Stepp’s story has modified several times over the years, Gore said on the hearing. Most recently, he said he didn’t see Dunn because the shooter. Gore said one other judge had previously found Stepp to be “a completely unreliable witness” and urged Sengheiser to ignore him entirely.
Dunn said he was at his mother’s house on the time of the shooting. Childhood friend Nicole Bailey testified that she spoke to him on the phone that night and that he was on the phone at his mother’s house.
Estep, the deputy attorney general, said the alibi was not credible and Dunn’s story had modified again and again over the years. Dunn didn’t testify on the trial.
The 2021 law led to the discharge of two men who had spent many years in prison. In addition to Johnson, Kevin Strickland was freed in 2021 after more than 40 years for 3 slayings in Kansas City, after a judge ruled he was wrongly convicted in 1979.
Next month shall be the subsequent trial for Marcellus Williams, who narrowly escaped lethal injection and now faces one other execution.
St. Louis County District Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in January to overturn Williams’ conviction in the 1998 fatal stabbing of Lisha Gayle. Bell’s motion stated that three experts determined Williams’ DNA was not on the handle of the butcher knife used in the slaying.
Williams was hours away from execution in 2017 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens halted it and appointed a commission to investigate his claim of innocence. The commission never issued a ruling, and Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican like Greitens, disbanded it last yr.
This month, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that Parson had the appropriate to dissolve the board and set a brand new execution date of Sept. 24.
The federal sexual process of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose extremely successful occupation was dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York with the alternative of a jury, which was briefly detained when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a bit nervous” and needed a break in the bathroom.
Three dozen potential jury was questioned by judge Aruna Subramaanian about their response to the questionnaire, which is also to help determine whether or not they is perhaps honest and impartial at the trial through which violent and sexual movies will appear. Opening declarations and the starting of the testimony are scheduled for the next week.
The judge gave a possible sworn to a transient lived description of sexual trade and a conspiracy from tribute to Combs, telling them that he didn’t plead guilty and it was thought that this was not innocent.
At the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size, because some were excluded for personal reasons, resembling the inability to economically endure the process anticipated for two months or because their opinions or previous experience would threaten their objectivity.
The next thirty potential jurors were to be questioned on Tuesday. The jury was not going before Wednesday.
Throughout Monday, Combs, 55 years, sat along together together along together together together along together along together along along together together together together together together along together together along along together along together together together together along along together along along along together along together along along along along together together along together along together together together together together together together along together together together along along together together together together together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together together together along together along together together together along along along together along along along together along along together along together together together along along along together together along together together together along along along along together together together together together along together along together along together along together along along along along together together together together together together together along along along together together together along together along along along together along together along along together along along together together along together together along together together along along along together together together together along along along together along together together together together along together along along together together along along along together together together together together together along along along along together along together together along along together together along along along together together together along together together together together together along along along along together together together together along together along along together together along together along along along together together together along together together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along together together together along along together along along together together along along together along along together together together together together together together together together together together along along along along along together together with his lawyers in a sweater above a white shirt with a collar and gray pants that the judge allowed as a alternative of prison clothes. Since his arrest, it took place in a dismal federal blockade in Brooklyn. His hair and goat were almost fully gray because the dye is not allowed in prison.
Unlike the other latest loud celebrity processes, the Combs case won’t be broadcast live, because the federal courtroom doesn’t allow electronic recordings in the middle-what signifies that the artists of the sketch of the courtroom are the eyes of the public in the courtroom.
If he is convicted of all the allegations, he could face the maximum life in prison.
Several potential jury indicated that they saw press reports containing key evidence on this matter: a video with a hip-hop tycoon striking and kicking one amongst his prosecutors in the corridor in the hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. One potential juror described a stationary picture that she saw from the film as “condemning evidence.” This woman was rejected from the consideration.
After releasing one other juror, Combs asked for a break in the bathroom, telling the judge: “I’m sorry your honor, I’m a bit nervous today.”
One potential juror said that she published a “similar” film in social media by a comedian who joked about large amounts of oil for infants found by law enforcement agencies in one amongst the houses of Combs. Has not been released.
The 17-page indictment against Combs-which appears like an accusation document against the mafia leader or the head of the drug gang-he is confirmed that Combs have been involved in twenty years of racketeers of behavior towards women and others, with the help of people in his funeral and employees from his network of corporations.
Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and every group sex was compatible. They say that there was no effort to force people to do it, and nothing that happened was a criminal rocket.
Prosecutors say that girls were manipulated in sexual ends in sexual results with sexual men, which the Combs called “freaks”. To keep women in a queue, prosecutors say that Combs used a mix of influence and violence: he suggested that he would increase their entertainment occupation in the event that they did what he asked – or breathe or not.
And when he didn’t get what he wanted, the indictment says that Combs and his colleagues resorted to violent deeds, including beating, kidnapping and arson. Once, in accordance with the indictment, he even hung someone from the balcony.
One of the 4 alleged victims of the testimony against Combs may not finally take the position of a witness, on Monday he revealed the assistant to the US prosecutor Maurene Comey. She told Subramanian that a lady’s lawyer had personal problems and it was difficult to get and it was clear if the woman would also appear.
“There is no special number that requires her testimony so that we can bear our burden,” said Comey.
Combs recognized one episode of violence, which is considered a key element of the prosecutor’s case. In 2016, the security camera recorded him that he defeated his ex -girlfriend, R&B Cassie singer, in the corridor of the hotel in Los Angeles. Cassie filed a lawsuit at the end of 2023, saying that Combs gave her years abuse, including beating and rape.
Associated Press normally doesn’t call individuals who claim that they were sexually abused, unless they report in public as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
(Tagstotransate) Diddy
Smokey Robinson was accused of sexual assault by four former employees.
On Tuesday, May 6, a state of $ 50 million was filed within the Supreme Court in Los Angeles against an 85-12 months-old singer by four Jane, accusing him of a sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, genital violence and making a hostile work environment.
In accordance with court documents obtained by People magazineIN The New York PostAND DiversityEach of the explanations was employed as housewives.
In his criticism, the primary Jane Doe claims that his wife, Frances Robinson, had “full knowledge about his earlier activities of improper sexual behavior” and “did not take appropriate repair actions” to forestall his “unnecessary rewind” even after the previous cases of previous cases of sexual assault with other women.
He also claims that the primary sexual assault she experienced took place in March 2023 and that she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her.
The second Jane Doe, who said that she worked for a pair in 2014-2020, claims that she was forced to depart after she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her, which, he claims, began in 2016.
Jane Doe #3, who said that she worked as a Smokey hostess from 2012 to 2024, also claims that she was forced to resign attributable to repetitive incidents “sexual assault and sexual harassment” as in accordance with the criticism. In addition, he claims within the criticism that Smokey “raped her” from behind “at least 20 times” after forcing her to “lying face down” in a towel.
The fourth hostess within the criticism, who worked for the accused in 2006–2024, said that she was forced to resign after “multiple sexual assault and sexual harassment”, which began in 2007.
The plaintiffs who’re represented by the law company Harris & Hayden are searching for compensation of USD 50,000,000.
At a press conference in the middle of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, lawyer John Harris described Robinson as a “serial asaulter” NPR Reported. The lawyer added how the Celebrity of the Motown Legend threatened women to silence, especially since they were employees with low salaries “live with payments.” In addition to break, women ask for a trial.
(Tagstranslat) news
Crime
Former NFL player Kevin Ware Jr. Sentenced to 30 years for the murder of a former girl in 2021
The former NFL player pleaded guilty in Harris in Texas and agreed to a 30-year sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and for accusation of manipulation and medicines, in accordance with Houston’s Fox 26.
Kevin Ware, Jr., former footballer of the University of Washington, who appeared in 16 matches for each commanders from Washington (at a time after they were referred to as Redskins), in addition to San Francisco 49ers in 2003 and 2004, accepted the contract in reference to the murder of his former leading Taylor Pomaska.
Pomaski was recently seen at the party in her spring in Texas on April 21, 2021. According to peopleThe Harris Sheriff Department didn’t have any tips about its disappearance, but later found human stays in a ditch in the northern part of the Fountain at the end of 2021. The stays were identified as Puppet in April 2022.
According to court acts, Ware allegedly told one other woman that he cut the throat of the pomaski and burned her body. In the charging documents, Ware was accused of using a knife and suffocation, amongst others to murder Pomaski.
The agreement approved by Ware applies to 30 years for murder and manipulation of evidence, in particular the corpse. Just five days before the disappearance of the pomaska, Ware was arrested for having drugs and the intention to provide a controlled substance. In this case, he took a separate agreement on the allegations and received 15 years, which can serve concurrently with a sentence for murder.
(Tagstranslate) crime
