Missouri Judge Releases Man Wrongfully Convicted of Murder after 30 Years of Prison; Was a Teen when Convicted
In a surprising turn of events, a Missouri judge has decided to overturn the conviction of Christopher Dunn. Dunn, who has maintained his innocence for over three decades, has finally been granted justice.
The ruling is expected to result in Dunn’s release from prison, although the exact timing is still uncertain. He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser recently made a ruling following a three-day hearing on Dunn’s fate.
Dunn, who is now 52 years old, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 1990 shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. In February, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore filed a motion to vacate the guilty verdict. There was a hearing in May.
In his ruling, Sengheiser stated that the Circuit Attorney has presented compelling evidence of ‘actual innocence’ that challenges the foundation of Dunn’s convictions. The new evidence casts doubt on whether any reasonable juror would have found Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.
Dunn’s attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, the Executive Director of the Midwest Innocence Project, expressed her immense joy in response to the judge’s ruling.
According to a statement by Bushnell, Chris is now excited to enjoy quality time with his wife and family as a free man.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office objected to the attempt to overturn Dunn’s conviction. During the May hearing, lawyers representing the state affirmed that the initial testimony provided by two boys who identified Dunn as the shooter was accurate, despite their later recantation as adults.
“The verdict was accurate and should be upheld,” stated Assistant Attorney General Tristin Estep during the hearing.
According to spokesperson Madeline Sieren, the Attorney General’s Office has plans to appeal.
In a recent development, Dunn’s case reached a resolution shortly after Sandra Hemme’s release from a prison in western Missouri. Hemme had spent 43 years behind bars for a murder that a judge ultimately concluded she was innocent of. Bailey’s office was against Hemme’s release as well.
In 2021, Missouri implemented a new law that allows prosecutors to request hearings in cases where there is evidence of a wrongful conviction. Although Bailey’s office is not obligated to oppose such endeavors, he did express opposition to a similar initiative in St. Louis. This particular initiative led to the release of Lamar Johnson last year, after he had served 28 years for a murder case in which a judge determined he was wrongly convicted.
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Rogers was shot on May 18, 1990, when an assailant fired at him while he was in the company of a group of other teenage boys outside a residence. DeMorris Stepp, 14, and Michael Davis Jr., 12, both initially identified Dunn as the person responsible for the shooting.
During the hearing, a recorded interview was played where Davis admitted to lying. He claimed that his reason for lying was because he believed Dunn was associated with a rival gang.
According to Gore, Stepp’s story has undergone several changes over the years during the hearing. He recently stated that he did not witness Dunn as the shooter. Gore mentioned that a different judge had previously deemed Stepp as an untrustworthy witness and advised Sengheiser to disregard his testimony entirely.
Dunn claims he was at his mother’s residence during the incident. Nicole Bailey, a childhood friend, testified that she had a phone conversation with him that night while he was at his mother’s house.
Estep, the assistant attorney general, expressed doubts about the reliability of the alibi and noted that Dunn’s account has changed on several occasions throughout the years. Dunn did not provide testimony during the hearing.