All articles tagged with #murder conviction
A judge voided the murder conviction of Karl Jordan Jr., one of two men found guilty in the killing of Jam Master Jay, citing insufficient evidence of motive, while the conviction of the co-defendant Ronald Washington was upheld. The case remains significant in the hip-hop community and legal proceedings are ongoing.
A federal judge in Brooklyn overturned the conviction of Karl Jordan Jr., who was previously found guilty of murdering Jam Master Jay in 2002, citing insufficient evidence of motive, while another man remains convicted and a third awaits trial.
A federal judge overturned the murder conviction of Karl 'Little D' Jordan Jr., who was accused of killing Jam Master Jay in 2002, citing insufficient evidence of motive related to a drug deal, while other charges against him and a co-defendant remain unresolved.
Donna Adelson was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation of murder in the 2014 killing of Florida law professor Dan Markel, after a lengthy trial revealing her involvement in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated to influence her daughter's custody dispute. She faces a likely life sentence.
The U.S. rescued 10 Americans from a Venezuelan prison, including Dahud Hanid Ortiz, an American-Venezuelan convicted of triple homicide in Spain in 2016, raising questions about his release and transfer to the U.S.
A New York appeals court has overturned Pedro Hernandez's conviction for the 1979 kidnapping and murder of Etan Patz, ordering a retrial or release, citing improper jury instructions that prejudiced the verdict. Hernandez, who confessed to the crime, has been in prison since 2017, but his conviction is now under review due to legal errors in his trial. The case, which helped launch the national missing children’s movement, remains unresolved as Patz's body has never been found.
Erin Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents and attempting to murder another with death cap mushrooms, after a lengthy trial that explored her motives, actions, and the tragic deaths caused by her poisoning scheme.
Derrick Thompson was found guilty of third-degree murder and criminal vehicular homicide for a crash that killed five young Somali women, with the jury deciding he deserved a sentence above Minnesota guidelines. The case, which deeply affected the Somali community in Minnesota, involved a high-speed chase and reckless driving, and brought justice for the victims and their families.
Former Ohio police officer Adam Coy has been found guilty of murder in the shooting of Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man. The incident, which occurred in December 2020, involved Coy responding to a non-emergency call and subsequently shooting Hill, who was holding a cellphone. The case has drawn significant attention to issues of police accountability and racial justice.
Chad Daybell was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of his first wife and two of his current wife Lori Vallow Daybell's children, in a case that gained significant attention due to the couple's "doomsday" religious beliefs. Lori Vallow Daybell was previously sentenced to life in prison. The jury also convicted Chad Daybell of conspiracy to commit murder, grand theft, and insurance fraud.
Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife Laci and their unborn child, is seeking a new trial with the Los Angeles Innocence Project, claiming to have new evidence. His lawyers have requested potential witnesses' names to be sealed, citing fear of retribution. Peterson's conviction was previously overturned from death row to life in prison without parole, and his latest bid for a retrial focuses on alleged evidence withholding by police and a nearby robbery. A hearing regarding new evidence is scheduled for May 29.
Scott Peterson, convicted of the murders of his pregnant wife and unborn son, appeared in court to withdraw a motion to seal a document in his case after prosecutors noted that most of the information is already public. He is seeking a new trial with the help of the Los Angeles Innocence Project and is focusing on new DNA testing on evidence linked to the case. Peterson's defense believes this evidence could clear his name, while he maintains his innocence in the killing of his wife.
After spending two decades in prison for the murder of her husband, Jane Dorotik's conviction has been overturned following new evidence testing, including blood found in the couple's bedroom. Dorotik, who has always maintained her innocence, had been convicted in 2001 but continued to fight for her freedom. The case involved suspicions around the circumstances of her husband's death, with the defense presenting an alternative suspect during the trial.
DNA from a discarded chewing gum led to the arrest and conviction of Robert Plympton for the 1980 murder of Barbara Tucker in Oregon. Tucker, a college student, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and beaten to death. Genetic genealogy and a "snapshot phenotype prediction" helped identify Plympton as the suspect. Swabs from Tucker's autopsy and DNA from the gum matched, leading to Plympton's arrest. Witnesses had seen a distressed woman around the time of the murder. Plympton's attorneys intend to appeal his convictions, and his sentencing is scheduled for June.
Robert Arthur Plympton was found guilty of the 1980 murder of Barbara Mae Tucker after DNA from a discarded piece of chewing gum linked him to the crime. Tucker, a 19-year-old college student, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and beaten to death on the Mount Hood Community College campus near Portland, Oregon. The case had remained unsolved for over four decades until the DNA evidence led to Plympton's conviction.