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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 ❚ NEWS-LEADER.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK pages and a historic
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SUICIDE OR
Lisa
and Brad
Jennings
had been
married
18 years.
SUBMITTED
MURDER
PHOTO
CONVICTED BY BLOOD
THE CASE OF BRAD JENNINGS
WRONGFUL CONVICTION?
THE DEATH OF LISA JENNINGS
Steve Pokin to the head. They did not see a weapon,
Springfield News-Leader according to court records.
USA TODAY NETWORK
Outside, Brad and the children sat in
Amanda’s red Tahoe.
It was a troubled marriage that over Amanda knew her mother was dead.
18 years had been soured by too many But Dallas sat next to her, repeating over
angry words and too many shouting and over: “She will be OK. She will be
matches. OK.”
But Brad and Lisa Jennings, thus far, Laci Deckard returned. Amanda had
had managed to stay together. told her on the phone their mother was
It was 2006, Christmas Eve. dead.
They finished dinner at the small, According to court records, Laci
brick home of Brad's mother, where they asked Brad, "What did you do?"
had exchanged gifts. Medical personnel confirmed Lisa
The couple left for home between 8 was dead from a gunshot to the head.
p.m. and 9 p.m., with their three chil- Law enforcement waited. They
dren in tow: son Dallas, 11; daughter would not re-enter the house until a
Amanda, 16; and Lisa's daughter Laci judge signed a search warrant. Among
Deckard, 19. their questions: Where was the gun?
It's a 15-minute drive to their four- Hours later, with search warrant in
bedroom home north of Buffalo. hand, the deputies and sheriff entered
The house sits unseen off a two-lane the house. They were accompanied by
country road. It requires a short, bouncy Amanda Jennings was home the night her mother died. She glanced into her Wayne Rieschel, the Dallas County
ride past a stand of trees to view the parents’ bedroom and saw her dad kneeling over her mother. prosecuting attorney, and Bret Viets,
house, which is on 160 acres of family NATHAN PAPES/NEWS-LEADER long-time county coroner.
farm homesteaded by Brad’s great- When Viets moved Lisa’s body, the
great-grandparents. gun — a .38-caliber revolver with a bar-
Lisa and Brad helped build this rel less than 2 inches long — was re-
house. Lisa laid tile and helped paint it. vealed. It was under her legs.
This night, she would die in it. To law enforcement, this indicated
The house was a reflection of their fi- that if Lisa killed herself, someone had
nancial security. The couple did well. to later move the body. But Brad already
Brad sold cars; he owned Jennings’ Auto had told deputies he moved it when he
Sales in Buffalo. cradled her to him.
He was a crackerjack mechanic, too, It fell to Deputy Rice to take photos of
according to his sister, Marsha Iler. the crime scene, including the entry and
“When Brad was 14 years old, he was exit wounds in Lisa’s skull. He took a
rebuilding cars,” Iler said. photo of the bullet, which was found in
Lisa worked at PIP Internet Services, the closet. He took a photo of her right
in Buffalo, as a computer technician. hand.
On Christmas Eve, once home, the In all, Rice snapped 73 photos, in-
children played board games. cluding those of blood stains on the
Lisa was nearby at the island counter wall, in the closet and on the carpet.
in the kitchen or in her study off the That night, Rice also administered
kitchen. She was on her computer. gunshot residue tests to Brad, Lisa and
Many in Buffalo knew Lisa from a Laci.
hair salon she once owned and operated This was standard procedure. A gun-
in the late 1990s with her two sisters, shot residue test, often called a GSR, is
Shannon and Shawn. It was called A used by law enforcement to test for the
Family Af ’Hair Salon and was in Louis- presence of certain materials that are
burg, north of Buffalo. likely to be on the hands and clothing of
Lisa relished Christmas and its prep- someone who recently fired a gun.
arations. She typically hosted the cele- The tests went to the Missouri State
bration at her home. Her sisters and A single blood drop is on the right hand of Lisa Jennings. FROM THE CASE FILE Highway Patrol and a month later Rice
their families would come by on Christ- received the results. They were negative
mas Day. on both of Brad’s hands and both of La-
Brad, typically a man in motion, was it was stupid for them to fight on Christ- News-Leader reporter who visited the ci’s hands.
busy in the attached garage, as well as mas,” she told the News-Leader. home in order to hear the story in rela- The test was positive on the right
his garage/work place, which is de- “My mom was drinking and I guess tion to the layout of the house. hand of Lisa, who was right-handed.
tached from the house. It’s where he had stayed up late watching TV 'til about Amanda said she heard her father It appeared Lisa fired the gun and
a small office and where he was free to 1:30-1:40 in the morning,” Amanda said. yelling and crying. She walked halfway took her own life.
smoke cigarettes. In the house, he was Amanda tried to ignore the fighting, down the stairs. From there, she could An autopsy was performed the next
relegated to a spot near the stove's ex- hoping it would blow over. see the door to her parents’ bedroom. It day by Dr. Keith Norton, who deter-
haust fan. “I fell asleep for maybe a minute or was only partially open; she could not mined the cause of death was a contact
Dallas did not know it but his father two when I was woke up by my sister see her parents but heard her father. gunshot wound to the head — meaning
was moving to the garage the boy’s main yelling at my mom for fighting with my According to Amanda: “My dad was the muzzle was making contact with Li-
Christmas present — a four-wheeler to dad on Christmas," Amanda said. "My on the phone — upset and hysterical. He sa's head when the gun was fired.
roam the farm. mom seemed very upset and was cry- was shouting on the phone ‘Get here It also revealed that Lisa’s percent-
The family would open presents in ing. At this time I believe my mom went quick! Get here quick!’" age blood-alcohol level was .152 per-
the morning. The Christmas tree was in into her room or wherever. I went down- (Records from the Dallas County 911 cent, which is nearly twice the legal lev-
the living room, with wrapped presents stairs to put my mom and dad’s presents Dispatch Center indicate Brad Jennings el for intoxication when driving.
underneath. The stockings hung off the in their stockings.” called at 2:06 a.m.) Brad was not tested for possible in-
mantle above the faux fireplace. Little brother Dallas followed her “I hear him in there. He is crying. toxication.
In Lisa's stocking was a special sur- downstairs. Very, very upset. I come around the Weeks later, the gunshot residue test
prise from her husband. Brad Jennings would later tell a crim- stairs there and I just kind of pushed the results came back and Coroner Viets
It had been a pleasant evening, inal investigator that he argued with Li- door open like this. And I see her laying ruled the death of Lisa Jennings a sui-
Amanda would recall. The family was sa over why she had not come to bed, there. Everything goes blurry. As soon cide. Her intoxication was listed as a
enfolded in holiday tradition. which made it difficult for the children as I open the door like that — I noticed “significant condition.”
But once home, Lisa and Brad started to put presents in her Christmas stock- my dad is kneeling, right in front of her. The gun was never checked for fin-
drinking, which often foretold a bumpy ing. She is laying along the wall there. gerprints. It was soon returned to Jen-
road ahead. Lisa preferred wine and Brad told the investigator that he “As soon as I open the door he jumps nings, who did not want it. He gave it to
Brad liked his Bud Light. drank three or four beers and that Lisa up … pushes me out of the room so I a friend who sold guns in Buffalo, who
Amanda eventually went to bed and had several glasses of wine and might don’t see anything else, see anything cleaned and polished it.
Laci and Dallas headed upstairs where have been drunk. more. He is hugging me right here in the The family did not stay in the house
they watched TV until about 1 a.m. According to Brad, when Laci came hallway. He’s crying. I’m crying.” that night or the next several nights. In-
That's when they, too, went to bed. downstairs she told them to “act like Again, her little brother had tagged stead, they lived temporarily in the
The house has three bedrooms up- adults and grow up.” along. home of Brad’s mother.
stairs; Brad and Lisa had the master Frustrated, Laci went back upstairs Dallas Jennings told the News-Lead- Eventually, they opened their Christ-
downstairs. and gathered her belongings to leave. er he caught a glimpse into the room but mas gifts. Lisa never got to see what was
Brad, too, eventually went to bed. Li- Only recently had she moved from the did not really know what he saw. in her stocking. Brad had bought her a
sa stayed up, watching a movie in the family home to a Buffalo apartment. Within minutes of Brad Jennings’ $3,500 diamond for her wedding ring.
living room. On the way out, she passed her par- call, Dallas County Sheriff Mike Rackley Amanda and Dallas were with their
Soon after, the silent night was shat- ents’ bedroom and exchanged what and two deputies arrived. father when he bought the stone in early
tered by the angry sounds of Brad and would be her final words with her moth- A third deputy, Scott Rice, with cam- December 2006. The children helped
Lisa yelling at one another, something er. era in hand, joined them at 2:20 a.m. pick it out.
that happened far too often, according They told each other "good night." According to court records, Brad told Days after Lisa's death, Iler, who is
to Amanda. After Laci left, Brad exited the house Deputy Kyle Heidler that he entered the Brad's sister, her husband and a few
It woke up Laci at about 1:30 a.m. She to cool down in his sanctuary, the de- bedroom and found Lisa on the floor close friends tackled the horrific job of
headed downstairs to play peacemaker. tached workshop. with a gaping gunshot wound to her scrubbing away the blood and skull
Laci Deckard, now 30 years old, de- When he returned, Amanda was head. Brad said he did not hear the gun- fragments in the master bedroom.
clined to be interviewed for this series of stuffing stockings for Christmas morn- shot probably because he was in the de- Lisa was laid to rest on Thursday,
stories. She was raised by Brad and Lisa ing. tached workshop. The couple had kept a Dec. 28, 2006, next to her mother Judy
from a young age. Brad told her and Dallas to go to bed. handgun in the bedroom closet for secu- Sample at the entrance to Maple Lawn
But her recollection of that night is Tomorrow would be a busy day. rity. Cemetery on Ash Street in Buffalo.
available through public court docu- Brad told Heidler that he and Lisa had On the day she was placed in the
ments reviewed by the News-Leader. ‘Something bad had happened’ argued and that when he found her in ground, her death was considered a sui-
According to those records, Laci said the bedroom he held her bloody body in cide.
her mom was watching a “sad movie.” According to court documents, after his arms before calling 911. But that would change.
“And she had a few glasses of wine, so Laci left the house, Amanda was again The deputies asked Brad and the Lisa's younger sister did not believe
she was crying. And he (Brad) had awakened. children to leave the house while they her sister had killed herself. She be-
woken up and you know, asked her: “By my dad yelling and crying from did a quick visual search to ensure no lieved Lisa had been murdered.
‘Why aren’t you in bed? And why are you downstairs. … I knew something bad one was in danger. And although the blood was
crying?’” had happened so I went downstairs.” They observed the body of Lisa on scrubbed away, the crime scene was
Amanda, too, was awakened by her Amanda has told the story of what the floor of the master bedroom. Her tor- preserved in all those photos Deputy
parents arguing. happened that night many times. so was inside the closet. Rice snapped the night Lisa Jennings
“Nothing unusual, although I thought She told it again 11 years later to a She apparently died from a gunshot died.
K1 NEWS-LEADER.COM ❚ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 ❚ 5A
JENNINGS TO DETECTIVES:
Attorney:
To read previous installments, go online to
News-Leader.com/ConvictedByBlood.
Trial tough
for mother
of Hailey
Harrison Keegan Springfield News-Leader
USA TODAY NETWORK
S
present. hawn Powell did not believe her younger
But on Thursday morning, when a sister Lisa Jennings killed herself in the
jury convicted Wood of first-degree early hours of Christmas 2006.
murder for the February 2014 abduc- Powell’s suspicion that her brother- About this series
tion, rape and killing of 10-year-old The stories in this series are based substantially on court
in-law murdered Lisa was so strong that documents. A copy of the prosecution’s case file — as hand-
Hailey, her mom was front and center
in the courtroom. in late February or early March 2007, she asked the ed over by prosecutors to defense lawyers — was given by
Missouri State Highway Patrol to review the case. defense lawyers to McNiel, a private investigator working
“Basically a big relief,” said David for the defense. ❚ McNiel, in turn, released it to the News-
Ransin, Herman’s attorney. “It’s been By then, the Dallas County coroner already had Leader. ❚ The newspaper independently requested the case
three and a half years and she’s been concluded Lisa, while intoxicated, shot herself in file from the Missouri State Highway Patrol through the
looking for the end of the tunnel. She’s state’s open records law. The patrol denied the request on
the head in the couple’s Buffalo home. the grounds that an appeal is pending. ❚ In addition, the
almost there.” In February 2007, Wayne Rieschel, Dallas Coun- newspaper reviewed the 915-page transcript of the trial of
Herman is uncomfortable speak- Brad Jennings; the 225-page transcript of the appeal of
ty prosecuting attorney, told the Buffalo newspa-
ing in front of TV cameras, but she Jennings’ conviction; and conducted multiple interviews
asked Ransin to speak to reporters on per there was “zero evidence” to show it was any- with family members, attorneys and others.
her behalf Thursday while she stood thing but a suicide.
by his side outside of the courthouse. More inside
See JENNINGS, Page 4A 10 key points in the Brad Jennings case, Page 5A
See TRIAL, Page 3A
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4A ❚ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 ❚ NEWS-LEADER
Jennings
Continued from Page 1A
Continued from previous page ed in court. The uncertainties associat- he was sure his wife had committed sui- No evidence was introduced at trial
ed with bloodstain pattern analysis are cide. that Lisa Jennings was having an affair
Test results showed not just blood on enormous.” “I advised Jennings that it was my in the months preceding her death.
the robe — as would be expected, since At trial, Jennings’ defense attorney understanding he was being represent- In addition, according to the trial
Jennings told investigators he had held called one witness — Shannon Bryan — ed by legal counsel and I could not ask transcript, Rogers also told Jennings:
his wife’s bloody body — but a partic- who testified that Jennings is right- him any questions. “Well, Dallas was sitting on the couch
ular kind of blood pattern. handed. The attorney brought this out “Jennings stated several times he un- and I think he saw you do it.”
It was “atomized blood that was not in the hope that the fact no blood or derstood his rights and he made his own There was no evidence of that, either.
visual with the human eye,” Nash wrote blow-back was found on the robe’s right decisions, not his lawyer. I advised Jen- Dallas Jennings told the News-Leader
in a report. sleeve would undercut the state’s the- nings if he wished to talk, we would give he did not see his father shoot his moth-
“During inspection of the lower right ory that Jennings shot his wife. him that opportunity.” er and is convinced his father was
quadrant of the robe, several stains Once testing of the bathrobe was Jennings called Deputy and informed wrongfully convicted.
were located that tested positive for complete, Nash submitted a probable him he had just been arrested for murder. Law enforcement investigators are
blood. This quadrant overall and the cause statement and Jennings was “Upon ending the telephone conver- allowed to lie to suspects in an attempt
right upper middle quadrant also tested charged. sation, Jennings advised he wished to to get them to incriminate themselves.
positive for atomized blood.” Jennings was driving his pickup talk with us. Sergeant Rogers asked Jennings told Rogers that his son saw
Nash testified in 2009 that he con- home from work to check on the chil- Jennings what advice his lawyer had no such thing.
cluded the “atomized blood” could not dren at 9:30 a.m. July 27, 2007, when he provided and Jennings stated, ‘Not to According to Rogers’ report:
have come from a “transfer” blood stain, was pulled over and arrested for mur- talk to you guys.’ “I asked him why Lisa would want to
such as when Jennings held Lisa’s body. der. “Jennings then stated, ‘He is my law- kill herself. He said he didn’t know.
Nash would also testify he believed The arresting officers were Nash, yer, but I make my own decisions and I “... I told Jennings if Lisa had shot
the “atomized blood” of Lisa Jennings Sheriff Rackley and Sgt. Michael Rog- want to talk with you guys.’” herself, there should be blood all over
was on the bathrobe because her hus- ers, with the highway patrol’s criminal Jennings signed a Miranda-rights the hand she had the gun in. He agreed
band was next to her when he shot her investigation division. Rackley read waiver. with me. I then told him there was no
in the head. Jennings his Miranda rights. Rogers filed a report on his interroga- blood at all, except one small drop on
Blood-spatter analysis, also called Since Buffalo is a small town, Jen- tion of Jennings that day. her right hand. He said he couldn’t ex-
bloodstain pattern analysis, is the inter- nings’ cousin — Pam Freeman — hap- “I asked Jennings if he knew Lisa was plain the lack of blood on her hand.
pretation of bloodstains at a crime scene pened to be driving by and saw the ar- in the process of renting an apartment “Throughout the questioning, Jen-
in an attempt to re-create the actions rest at the intersection of Victory and to move into when she died. He said he nings repeated several times that, ‘I
that caused the bloodshed. Analysts ex- New Hope roads. did not,” Rogers wrote. know the truth.’
amine the size, shape, distribution and “Call my mom and tell her to get the A blank rental application had been “When I asked him what it was, he
location of the bloodstains to form opin- kids!” Jennings shouted, according to mailed to Lisa at work, according to trial repeatedly said, ‘You’re trying to get me
ions about what did or did not happen. Iler. testimony from Laci Deckard, who said to admit to something I didn’t do.’”
The National Academy of Sciences According to Nash’s arrest report: her mother never filled it out. Rogers wrote that investigators told
did a wide-ranging examination of fo- “While transporting Jennings to the Rogers also said to Jennings: “I asked Jennings the evidence from the bath-
rensic sciences, including blood-spat- jail, he continued to make unsolicited if he knew she was having an affair. He robe he wore that night showed he must
ter analysis, and released a report in statements about the death of his wife, said she had an affair years ago and he have been standing next to Lisa when
2009 that concluded: Lisa Jennings. Jennings stated that we suspected her again and had asked her she was shot in the head.
“... Extra care must be given to the must have the wrong guy, that we were sometime in the recent past, but she de- Jennings responded:
way in which the analyses are present- making a mistake. Jennings then stated nied it.” “‘The evidence is lying.’”
Webb City cruises to next
round of state playoffs This historic News-Leader
CONVICTED BY BLOOD
THE CASE OF BRAD JENNINGS
Mother: I’ll be at
peace with life or
death for Wood
UNCERTAINTIES
The News-Leader’s five-day series, Convicted By Blood, continues through Monday. Coming tomorrow:
Harrison Keegan Springfield News-Leader Arguments made – and not made – at the trial of Brad Jennings
USA TODAY NETWORK
To read previous installments, go online to News-Leader.com/ConvictedByBlood.
The mother of Hailey Owens said Fri-
day she is looking forward to having clo-
sure.
Over the last three and a half years,
Stacey Herman has attended dozens of
court appearances as the case of her
daughter’s killer, Craig Wood, has
moved through the court system.
Sometime in the next few days, a jury
will sentence Wood.
“We’re very, very close to getting
done with the trial and everything,”
Herman said. “And she’ll finally get her
justice that I have been waiting for.”
The jury has two options — sentence
Wood to the death penalty or give him
life in prison without the possibility of
parole for killing 10-year-old Hailey in
February of 2014.
Herman said Friday she is OK with ei-
ther sentence.
“At least I’ll know what the final say
is,” Herman said.
In early April, Herman had asked
Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patter-
son to accept a plea deal in the case to Steve Pokin Springfield News-Leader A blood-spatter analysis by the Missouri State
avoid a trial. USA TODAY NETWORK Highway Patrol led to the conviction of Brad Jennings
Now that the trial is almost over, Her- in 2009. PHOTO FROM THE CASE FILE
A
man said she trusts the jury. record number of U.S. prisoners
were released in 2016 because they
See MOTHER, Page 5A were wrongly convicted, often after
being locked away for decades based on
false or misleading forensic evidence, ac-
cording to research compiled by the Na- About this series
tional Registry of Exonerations. The stories in this series are based substantially on
Last year,168 people were exonerated. court documents. A copy of the prosecution’s case file
Daylight saving In 1989, the first year the registry kept a — as handed over by prosecutors to defense lawyers —
time ends tomorrow tally, there were 23. was given by defense lawyers to McNiel, a private in-
Some are cleared too late. vestigator working for the defense. ❚ McNiel, in turn,
Turn your clocks back one hour, and Mark Collin Sodersten was exonerated released it to the News-Leader. ❚ The newspaper in-
don’t forget to check the batteries in 2007, a year after he died at age 48 in dependently requested the case file from the Missouri
in your smoke detectors. Corcoran State Prison in California. State Highway Patrol through the state’s open records
It was discovered that prosecutors and law. The patrol denied the request on the grounds that
law enforcement authorities never dis- an appeal is pending. ❚ In addition, the newspaper
closed to defense attorneys that there reviewed the 915-page transcript of the trial of Brad
were tape-recorded statements from two Jennings; the 225-page transcript of the appeal of
key prosecution witnesses that contained Jennings’ conviction; and conducted multiple inter-
inconsistent statements, as well as ad- views with family members, attorneys and others.
missions of lying and the coercive interro-
gation of a witness.
More inside
See JENNINGS, Page 4A 10 key points in the Brad Jennings case, Page 4A
GETTY IMAGES
Wood
Continued from Page 1A
Mother Thursday.
On Friday, the penalty phase of the
for her to sit through.
In the afternoon, Herman was in the
Herman said she is looking forward
to not being in court anymore. She said
trial began. After opening statements, courtroom as the defense began calling she wants to honor Hailey’s memory
Continued from Page 1A prosecutors called several of Hailey’s witnesses, including Wood’s father and throughout her life, but she also has to
family members to the stand in addition a close friend. move forward.
The jury, which traveled to Spring- to the girl’s fourth-grade teacher. The penalty phase of the trial will “I am not going to forget about her,”
field from Platte County, convicted Herman skipped that testimony. She continue Saturday and is expected to Herman said. “I want to keep her memo-
Wood of first-degree murder on said she feared it would be too difficult wrap up early next week. ry alive.”
Continued from previous page cessful attorney with a budding career. sentenced to 30 years in prison.
They used a little known Texas law that Jim Varnon, one of the officers who
Horinek said he was innocent and allows private citizens to bring evidence responded that night, was convinced an
told police his wife killed herself. She to a grand jury. innocent man went to prison because of
died from a gunshot to the chest. They did that and Horinek was in- a misinterpreted blood stain that car-
According to a 2010 article in the Tex- dicted. ried far too much weight.
as Observer, Horinek said the flecks of The local prosecutor refused to pur- Varnon enlisted the help of two
his wife’s blood found on his white T- sue the case, so the judge ordered two blood-spatter analysts who signed affi-
shirt came from chest compressions he private attorneys to act as special prose- davits that CPR on someone with a col-
administered doing CPR while trying to cutors. The dead woman’s parents hired lapsed lung — due to a gunshot — could
save her life. Bevel. also have caused the misty blood on the
Like in the Jennings case, the couple A blood-spatter analysis by the In a bizarre role reversal, the regular T-shirt. One of the analysts had been
had been drinking. Horinek had Missouri State Highway Patrol led to prosecutor, the police investigator and Bevel’s teacher.
downed at least 11 Coors Lights and he the conviction of Brad Jennings in the medical examiner testified for the At the appeals hearing, the jury fore-
sounded intoxicated when he called 911. 2009. FROM THE CASE FILE defendant. man said he and fellow jurors were in-
On the tape, he can be heard applying According to the Texas Observer, clined to find Horinek not guilty — until
CPR. Bevel testified — as Nash did at Jen- they heard from Bevel.
The police, medical examiner and cording to the Texas Observer story. nings’ trial — that the specks of blood The appeal failed.
prosecutor believed he was innocent for The parents of Horinek’s wife were must have come from a “high velocity Horinek remains in prison, according
various reasons. convinced she would not have killed occurrence” such as a gunshot. to Dave Mann, who wrote the story and
Horinek initially was not charged, ac- herself, in part because she was a suc- Jurors believed Bevel; Horinek was is now with Texas Monthly.
MSU defeats
SIU for 2nd
straight win The News-Leader is celebrating its 150th
anniversary. See historic pages and a
historic masthead every Saturday.
SPORTS, 1D
CONVICTED BY BLOOD
THE CASE OF BRAD JENNINGS
DEFENSE MADE NO
OPENING STATEMENT
The News-Leader’s five-day series, Convicted By Blood, continues through Monday. Coming tomorrow: Missing evidence is key to a last-chance hearing for Brad Jennings.
To read previous installments, go online to News-Leader.com/ConvictedByBlood.
See JENNINGS, Page 4A More inside 10 key points in the Brad Jennings case, Page 4A See ATTEMPT, Page 5A
Daylight saving
time ends today
Turn your clocks back one hour, and
I am an American
don’t forget to check the batteries
in your smoke detectors.
We are One Nation
Each week, this series will introduce you to an exceptional American
who unites, rather than divides, our communities. In this installment,
read about Lisa Lee of Reno, Nevada, who works to house the home-
less, empower the vulnerable and fix inequities. Pages 5-6E
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4A ❚ SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017 ❚ SUNDAY NEWS-LEADER
Continued from previous page ness backed out after concluding he At the post-conviction hearing, gernails. Well, it was on both hands.”
could not refute the state’s blood-spat- Wampler criticized Deputy for not call- This would mean that, contrary to the
❚ He issued no subpoenas. ter evidence. ing Scott Rice as a witness. prosecutor’s supposition that Jennings
❚ He did not hire a criminologist to Wampler wrote: “Dr. (Edward) Frie- Rice was a Dallas County sheriff ’s had washed his hands — cleaning them
assist in investigating the case. dlander had driven from Kansas City to deputy who went to the Jennings’ home of gunshot residue — a reasonable infer-
❚ He filed no pretrial motions. Buffalo on the third day of trial and un- on the night of Lisa’s death and is now ence could be made by Deputy that Jen-
❚ He did not visit the crime scene. explainably (sic) had changed his mind Dallas County sheriff. That night, Rice nings had not washed his hands and the
❚ Two children were in the home or opinion and Deputy decided not to administered the gunshot residue tests. reason there was no gunshot residue on
when Lisa Jennings died, and Deputy call him as a witness at the last mo- According to Wampler: “Scott Rice them was because he had not fired a gun.
failed to interview either one. ment.” had told the defendant that he would During Deputy’s closing argument —
❚ Deputy failed to object when Sgt. But Wampler also noted that Deputy testify favorably for the defendant but the only time Deputy spoke directly to
Mike Rogers with the Highway Patrol “had no correspondence or any notes Deputy failed to call Scott Rice as a wit- jurors — he did not mention this.
testified in front of jurors that because whatsoever concerning any conversa- ness.” Despite his apparent failings, Deputy
Lisa Jennings had a lot of clothing and tions” with this expert witness. Rice’s testimony could have been vi- raised an important question in his
accessories, she was a happy woman At the October 2011 post-conviction tal. closing argument. It involved the test-
and therefore would not have killed her- hearing, Deputy testified that Friedlan- First, he knew Lisa Jennings had ing of Jennings’ bathrobe for blood.
self. der arrived, as planned, on the third day tried to kill herself in high school. He He asked: Why didn’t the Highway
❚ Deputy received no curriculum vi- of the trial: “He stated that he couldn’t had dated her when they both attended Patrol also test the bathrobe for gunshot
taes or resumes from any of the state’s help us. ... His position was that after he Buffalo High School. residue?
expert witnesses and failed to challenge looked at the evidence, and had gone Second, according to the trial tran- “I would have gone out and got the
their status as forensic experts. through it again, and looked at every- script, Mike Rackley, then the Dallas black robe,” Deputy told jurors. “... I
In particular, Wampler argued, Dep- thing, he thought that Mr. Jennings was County sheriff, testified under cross-ex- would have done a gunshot residue test
uty failed to challenge Nash’s expertise. guilty. amination about a report compiled by on that black robe.
“Sgt. Daniel Nash, MSHP, was not “I was surprised.” Rice. “... Now the State of Missouri had
identified as an ‘expert’ but was allowed Wampler responded that a defense Rackley said Rice had talked to Brad that robe for two years. No tests. Why?
to study photographs, formulate a crime attorney in the middle of a murder trial Jennings outside the house on the night “... They could have substantiated
scene reconstruction solely based on should never be in a position to be that of Lisa’s death. This was after police and whether there was any gunshot residue
photographs and testify as to the causal surprised. medical personnel had arrived. on that robe or not. And they didn’t do it.
events without objections.” Friedlander now works in Mississip- Rackley told jurors that Rice said he It was not done.”
According to court documents, Dep- pi. The News-Leader left phone and saw blood on Jennings’ hands. As it turns out, such a test was done.
uty told Wampler that he had planned to email messages for him. He did not re- At the October 2011 hearing, Rice tes- It just wasn’t shared with Jennings’ de-
call his own expert witness, but the wit- spond. tified: “I observed dried blood on his fin- fense lawyer.
GUNMAN HITS CHURCH
Officials say at least 26 killed, including children,
another 10 injured in small Texas town The News-Leader is celebrating its 150th
anniversary. See historic pages and a
See story, Page 1B historic masthead every Saturday.
SPRINGFIELD HOMELESSNESS
CONVICTED BY BLOOD
THE CASE OF BRAD JENNINGS
‘SMOKING GUN’
MISSING EVIDENCE OFFERS
LAST CHANCE FOR JENNINGS The Rare Breed is located at 301 N. Main Ave.
About 60-80 homeless and at-risk youths
come to the Rare Breed’s evening drop-in
The News-Leader’s series, Convicted By Blood, will continue with coverage of Brad Jennings’ hearing in Rolla tomorrow. center on weekdays. NATHAN PAPES/NEWS-LEADER
To follow the story or read previous installments, go online to News-Leader.com/ConvictedByBlood.
Survey: Most
homeless kids
have stayed in
unsafe places
Jackie Rehwald Springfield News-Leader
USA TODAY NETWORK
A
ttorney Lindsey Phoenix suspect- Jennings for gunshot residue. And it had. common risky be-
ed that highway patrol investiga- PHOTO BY LINDSEY PHOENIX donations so haviors she often
that we can hears about range
tors had not played fair in the
from having to pay
2009 murder trial of Brad Jennings. have properly for shelter with food
As a result, she was careful not to tip stamps, with clean-
them off by writing a letter explicitly About this series trained staff to ing or babysitting
stating what she was really after — the The stories in this series are based substantially interact with services, by having
on court documents. A copy of the prosecution’s sex or being sex traf-
results of a gunshot residue test she be- our youth.”
case file — as handed over by prosecutors to ficked.
lieved was done on the bathrobe Jen- defense lawyers — was given by defense lawyers “Cleaning might
Samantha Sudduth,
nings wore the night his wife died. to McNiel, a private investigator working for the Coordinator for Rare Breed not necessarily be
“I was concerned that if I let them defense. ❚ McNiel, in turn, released it to the Housing & Emergency Shelter risky, but there is no
News-Leader. ❚ The newspaper independently reason we should be
know what I was looking for that it might requested the case file from the Missouri State
not be there,” she told the News-Leader. having indentured servants,” Sudduth said.
Highway Patrol through the state’s open records
law. The patrol denied the request on the “They might be living with someone who is
Instead, Phoenix — one of a series of currently manufacturing and distributing
grounds that an appeal is pending. ❚ In addition,
attorneys hired to prove Jennings’ inno- the newspaper reviewed the 915-page transcript drugs. That is risky behavior.”
cence — asked the highway patrol if she of the trial of Brad Jennings; the 225-page tran- Some key findings in the Point in Time re-
could see all the evidence and exhibits script of the appeal of Jennings’ conviction; and port include:
conducted multiple interviews with family mem- ❚ 75 percent have been abused while
used to convict Jennings of murdering bers, attorneys and others. homeless
his wife six years prior. ❚ 69 percent slept on couch or floor
She did not know if her request would More inside ❚ 62 percent stayed with someone unsafe
be granted. ❚ 58 percent stayed with someone untrust-
❚ Sister is convinced he didn’t do it, Page 4A
worthy
See JENNINGS, Page 4A ❚ 10 key points in the Jennings case, Page 5A
See SURVEY, Page 5A
CONVICTED BY BLOOD
THE CASE OF BRAD JENNINGS
Continued from previous page been presented to jurors, would have re- Canada and is the former executive vice In another excerpt quoted in the mo-
sulted in a different verdict. president of the International Associa- tion, she said:
crime lab,” Davis said. “The legal standard is whether it un- tion of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts. “I had several cases with him, but
The News-Leader asked Davis why dermines the confidence in the verdict,” Ramsey said in legal filings that there was one in particular — and I can’t
Nash would have received other reports he said. Slemko will testify that the highway pa- remember the defendant’s name, but I
from the crime lab — the ones that In his writ, Ramsey wrote: trol made “numerous glaring errors,” in- remember we had met ahead of time. It
helped convict Jennings — and not the “Given the fact that the only evidence cluding incorrectly classifying blood- was for a motion to suppress and I had
one that would have helped show his in- supporting the theory of petitioner’s stain patterns. gone over questions I had for him.
nocence. guilt was the blood-spatter analysis, the “He’d given me the answers. We
Davis said he did not know why. prejudice was heightened by the non- Attack on detective’s credibility talked about the theory of the case,
Davis also said that the blood-spatter disclosure. weaknesses and so forth. Well, then
analysis was not only Nash’s conclu- “The state’s case would have been Ramsey wrote in legal filings that when the hearing came ... I know that
sion, but the conclusion of Sgt. Roger substantially weakened to the point “Nash had his hand in every step of the what he testified to was not the same as
Renken, another investigator with the where a ‘thin’ case became a non-win- investigation of Brad Jennings.” what we had discussed in our office,
highway patrol. nable case.” Attached to the writ was an affidavit which again was consistent with what
Renken wrote a report on March 1, In response, the state contends the from McNiel, the private investigator others in the office had indicated about
2007 and concluded that the fatal gunshot residue test results, although and former Christian County sheriff. An his credibility. But I’d never personally
wound “was less likely self inflicted and not disclosed, were not “material” affidavit is a written statement backed experienced it until then.
more likely inflicted by an unknown enough to make a difference in the jury’s by oath or affirmation, for use as evi- “It was my opinion he lied under
person.” decision to convict. dence in court. oath.”
He also said his conclusion was The prosecutor’s case was strong at According to McNiel’s affidavit, In response, Tim Davis, Nash’s law-
based not just on crime scene and au- trial and the evidence “ample” enough which is part of the court file: yer, told the News-Leader: If Speake
topsy photographs, but on “investiga- to find Jennings guilty even if jurors had ❚ McNiel met in April 2013 with Jo- was so concerned about Nash’s credibil-
tive information provided by Sgt. D. F. known about the test on the robe, ac- seph B. Phillips, a retired Cedar County ity, why did she repeatedly call him as a
Nash,” including that Brad and Lisa cording to Coulter, the assistant attor- associate circuit judge. witness in cases she prosecuted?
“had been involved in a verbal argument ney general handling the case. “Judge Phillips unequivocally stated Davis told the newspaper the fact
for several hours.” “Jennings has not shown a reason- that he believed that Dan Nash had been that McNiel paraphrased his interviews
Court documents reviewed by the able probability that, had the evidence known to perjure himself in Judge Phil- with the two retired judges and two for-
News-Leader show that the argument been disclosed to the defendant, the re- lips’ courtroom and that he believes Dan mer prosecutors should raise “red flags.”
lasted, perhaps, several minutes, not sult of the proceeding would have been Nash is untrustworthy as a witness, at “It is entirely hearsay,” Davis said.
several hours. different,” Coulter wrote in the state’s best.” McNiel could have had them write
response. The News-Leader left two messages their own statements in their own
Evidence withheld: “Nobody is “... Jennings’ also ignores the sub- for Phillips at his home. On Sept. 28 his words, Davis said.
absolved” stantial and compelling evidence wife said the former judge did not plan The bottom line, Davis said, is that
against him that remains.” on responding. Jennings’ lawyer needs to portray Nash
Robert Ramsey, a St. Louis defense That evidence primarily is Nash’s in- ❚ McNiel met the same month with as “a person of bad character” because
attorney who now represents Jennings, terpretation of blood spatter at the retired Judge Raymond T. Huesemann, there is no other way to dispute the fo-
said it legally does not matter who failed scene. from St. Clair County. rensic evidence gathered not just by
to disclose the report — In addition, the state argues that “He made it clear that he was skepti- Nash, but by others at the highway pa-
prosecutor or highway gunshot residue tests are not always cal of any testimony from Dan Nash. He trol, that led to conviction.
patrol — and it legally conclusive. stated that while he was a sitting judge, “Their purpose is to slander Dan
does not matter if it was Nick Gerhardt of the highway patrol at he had directed his prosecuting attorney Nash to deflect the public’s attention
inadvertent or deliberate. trial testified that the reason no gunshot not to bring any criminal cases to his from the strength of the state’s evi-
“Nobody is absolved residue was found on Jennings’ hands courtroom if Dan Nash was the state’s dence,” Davis said.
from this,” he said. the night Lisa died could have been be- primary witness due to Mr. Nash’s lack But Ramsey argued in a September
Robert Ramsey, 69, filed the cause Jennings washed his hands. of credibility.” court filing that recent depositions con-
Ramsey writ of habeas corpus in There was no evidence Jennings The News-Leader contacted Huese- tain further reason to doubt Nash’s
December. washed his hands the night his wife mann, who said this: “He (McNiel) came credibility.
He is well versed in such filings. He died, however. to see me about Dan Nash. He showed Ramsey said that in Nash’s recent de-
worked 13 years to free Mark Wood- Instead, one law enforcement officer up at my door.” position, the detective said he was not
worth, who had been convicted twice of reported seeing blood on Jennings’ He declined further comment. aware Lisa Jennings had tried to take
the murder of a woman near Chillicothe. hands later in the early morning hours ❚ In October 2016, McNiel interviewed her own life.
Through Ramsey’s efforts, Wood- of Christmas Day 2006, when Jennings’ attorney David Healy, a partner with Ap- Yet Scott Rice, now the Dallas County
worth walked out of prison a free man in wife died of a gunshot wound to the pleby and Healy Attorneys at Law, in sheriff, said in his deposition that he in-
July 2014. Ramsey proved that prosecu- head. The Dallas County coroner ruled Ozark. Healy is a former assistant prose- formed Nash not only of that, but also
tor Kenny Hulshof, who would later be- the death a suicide. cuting attorney in Greene County. that Lisa Jennings’ biological father
come a U.S. congressman, withheld cru- Ramsey said there is a far simpler ex- “Mr. Healy stated that it was well committed suicide.
cial information that would have helped planation why no gunshot residue was known that there were a number of According to Ramsey’s September
show Woodworth was not guilty. A ever found on his client’s hands or bath- prosecutors who were suspect of Dan filing:
judge agreed. robe: Jennings never fired a gun that Nash and believed that on numerous “This is the testimony of a state
In the Jennings case, Ramsey has at- night and did not kill his wife. occasions Dan Nash had perjured him- trooper who has been known to lie on
tacked the credibility of Nash and has Ramsey will be allowed to present his self while testifying in Greene County. the stand, have a reputation for dishon-
put the lead investigator under a micro- own blood-spatter expert to challenge “Mr. Healy stated that he personally esty and does not possess the necessary
scope. Court filings indicate Ramsey Nash’s interpretation. stopped legal proceedings in which he credentials or qualifications to give ex-
was able to review Nash’s personnel file The state tried in vain to prevent that, believed Mr. Nash was testifying un- pert scientific opinions on this.”
in camera, meaning in private. contending that while the Brady viola- truthfully while under oath.” The News-Leader contacted Darrell
In his writ, Ramsey wrote: tion is considered “new evidence,” When contacted by the News-Lead- Moore, who was Greene County prose-
“At the time of petitioner’s trial, the blood-spatter evidence is not. er, Healy declined comment. He left the cuting attorney from 1999 to 2011. He
Missouri State Highway Patrol (and Prosecutors argued that Jennings’ prosecutor’s office in 2004. worked in the office from 1983 to 2011.
likely the Missouri Attorney General’s defense attorney at trial had the oppor- ❚ In November 2016, McNiel inter- Moore now heads the criminal divi-
Office) was on notice that Dan Nash had tunity to present an expert but did not, viewed attorney Penny Speake, also a sion in the office of Missouri Attorney
a history and propensity to testify false- making it too late now. former assistant Greene County prose- General Josh Hawley. Moore oversees
ly and to fabricate false evidence in Ramsey prevailed. He said the state cuting attorney. She worked in the office the unit that contests habeas corpus fil-
criminal trials.” gave him a legal opening to call his own 1999 to 2004 and 2008 to 2015. ings.
At Jennings’ trial, Nash was the expert — years after trial — when it “When I questioned Ms. Speake with “We are attempting to depose every-
state’s star witness and its expert on asked the judge to ignore the Brady vio- respect to the truth and veracity of testi- one who is named in the affidavit,”
blood-spatter analysis. lation because of the other “ample” evi- mony by Sergeant Dan Nash, she scoffed Moore said. “We are concerned about
But Nash made no mention of the dence used to convict Jennings. and stated that she had witnessed what the truth.
negative GSR test performed on Jen- Ramsey wants to challenge just how she believed to be perjured testimony “Not everything that is alleged in an
nings’ bathrobe. Neither was he asked “ample” that other evidence really was. from Dan Nash and that, in fact, the affidavit ends up being the truth.”
about it by the prosecutor. He will call his own blood-spatter ex- credibility of Dan Nash’s testimony had Moore later sent an email to the
This lack of disclosure was crucial, pert despite the fact he told the News- been widely discussed in the Green newspaper:
according to Ramsey. Leader “it has gotten to the point that County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.” “... We are always concerned when
“If the jury had known that they did this blood splatter is almost recognized Speake declined to talk to the News- there are claims of actual innocence in
do a test on the robe and it showed nega- as junk science.” Leader. But in September, Ramsey took any case we have before us. We have a
tive results, then all I have to show is that He said his blood-spatter expert is her deposition and attached an excerpt legal and an ethical responsibility as
it was relevant evidence,” Ramsey told different because he is far more experi- to a motion he filed. ministers of justice to ensure that only
the News-Leader. “There is no doubt it enced and has better credentials than According to the motion, during the the guilty are deprived of liberty as a re-
was relevant and it prejudiced him.” Nash. deposition Speake said Nash had a rep- sult of a criminal proceeding where the
Ramsey said he does not necessarily Ramsey’s expert, Joseph Slemko, utation that “he will lie to serve his own defendant’s rights are honored and due
have to prove that the evidence, if it had runs a forensic consulting company in purposes.” process of law followed.”
SLIPPING AWAY
Slow start leads No. 25 UNI past MSU The News-Leader is
celebrating its 150th
anniversary. See historic
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2017 ❚ NEWS-LEADER.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Highlights
from Brad
Jennings
hearing
Steve Pokin Springfield News-Leader
USA TODAY NETWORK
New fire engine for city, Support for Greene Co. hearing was an alleged Brady violation
— a failure by the prosecution to share
evidence with the defense — Jennings’
budget cuts for county tax linked to turnout attorney was able to present testimony
from a blood spatter analysis expert
Will Schmitt Springfield News-Leader | USA TODAY NETWORK Will Schmitt Springfield News-Leader | USA TODAY NETWORK with more experience than the Missouri
State Highway Patrol investigators in-
The success of two tax issues in Tuesday’s election Two recent tax votes were buoyed by relatively volved in the case.
means plans for local public safety projects are going heavy turnout within Springfield city limits, out- This was a major accomplishment for
forward. weighing lackluster showings in rural Greene County, St. Louis attorney Robert Ramsey be-
Voters passed a 1/2-cent general revenue sales tax according to a News-Leader review of election data. cause judges traditionally do not allow
in Greene County and renewed a property tax that The Greene County Clerk’s Office reported that new evidence at what is called a “writ of
pays for various public projects in about 25,000 county residents weighed in last Tues- habeas corpus” hearing.
Springfield. Neither tax has a sunset Inside day on the two measures, which included a new coun- The testimony from the defense’s ex-
date, meaning locals will be paying each ty sales tax and continuation of a city property tax. Of pert is not considered new evidence be-
State
for the foreseeable future. the 24,976 voters cast ballots, fewer than 100 did not cause Jennings’ attorney at trial, Darrell
owes
The flip side: more money for local vote on the county sales tax increase. Deputy Jr. of Lebanon, had the opportu-
$1.8M in
government projects that officials say Turnout was about 14.2 percent of the 176,076 regis- nity to call such an expert but did not.
jail pay-
citizens want. For both the county and tered voters in the county, where about 290,000 peo- The state had argued that Jennings
ments,
the city, this means civic work to in- ple are estimated to live. Most of the precincts with should not be allowed a do-over eight
Page 4A
crease safety. relatively high turnout were in the city, while several years after trial.
Greene County Commissioner Bob large county precincts reported subpar turnout. The defense’s expert, Joseph Slemko,
Cirtin had a hunch residents would back the new tax, Anti-tax sentiment — such as the opposition ex- looked at the same photographs as Nash
and three out of five county voters did just that. pressed by the brother of a county commission — was and Sgt. Roger Renken of the highway
“It is not a surprise to me that this passed,” Cirtin more prevalent outside city limits. patrol and came to the opposite conclu-
sion.
See TAXES, Page 4A See TURNOUT, Page 4A
See JENNINGS, Page 7A
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lowing argument, in gen- testimony of a rumored to complain Nash had
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If the state is going to nings and Scott Rice, who she had said to him in an
NOVEMBER 21 + 28
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ask you, the judge, to dis- in 2006 was a Dallas interview regarding Brad
regard the Brady viola-
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County sheriff ’s deputy.
Rice was the sheriff ’s
and Lisa Jennings.
In addition, Maddux
DECEMBER 5 + 12
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knew the test was even
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other investigators work Jennings’ house soon af-
in the basement. ter Lisa Jennings died.
Nash said no one at the They both concluded the
patrol has the responsi- death was a suicide.
bility of ensuring that But weeks after Lisa
faxes sent to the machine Jennings was buried,
upstairs are delivered to Nash became involved in
the investigators down- the case and took another
stairs. look, focusing on the
Ramsey argues that it blood spatter.
legally does not matter if Nash first decided that
the lack of disclosure was Lisa Jennings’ death was
accidental or deliberate. not a suicide. He subse-
Regardless, he said, it is quently concluded Brad
still a violation of Jen- Jennings killed her.
nings’ rights and the lack Rackley testified last
of disclosure undermines week that Rice did not ac-
confidence in the jury’s cept Nash’s conclusion.
2009 verdict. Rice said as much in
his testimony. He said he
Alleged affairs still believes the death
was a suicide and the
Nash also testified that highway patrol got it
Lisa Jennings was having wrong. Rackley said he
an affair with her boss at still believes it was a mur-
PIP Internet, in Buffalo. der.
Nash said from the Rice resigned in 2007
stand that this informa- and in 2008 challenged
tion came from Jennings’ Rackley in the GOP pri-
boss. mary race for sheriff. Rice
According to court lost.
documents, Sgt. Mike Rice challenged Rack-
Rogers of the highway pa- ley again in the 2016 GOP
SL-0000431942
MISSOURI HOUSE
possible release
to get him to confess as they
told him that blood-spatter
backed Trump
A judge ruled decisively evidence proved he killed
David A. Lieb
Thursday in throwing out his wife. ASSOCIATED PRESS
the 2009 murder convic- In his ruling Thursday,
tion of Brad Jennings in the Judge Robert Beger sided
JEFFERSON CITY – Democrats have
death of his wife, Lisa, who with Jennings.
picked up a Missouri House seat previ-
died in the early morning The judge picked apart
ously held by Republicans in a suburban
hours of Christmas Day the evidence and criticized
St. Louis district that voted overwhelm-
2006. the credentials and compe-
ingly for President Don-
Jennings’ attorney filed tence of two Missouri State
ald Trump in 2016.
a motion Thursday asking Highway Patrol investiga-
The victory by Demo-
that Jennings be released tors in the case — including
crat Mike Revis over Re-
on bond from the South the lead detective.
publican David Linton in
Central Correction Center Jennings’ defense attor-
a close special election
in Licking. ney, Robert Ramsey of St.
Tuesday continued a na-
The death, originally Louis, said he called Jen-
tional trend of Democrat- Donald
ruled a suicide, was in the nings with the news on
ic gains since Trump’s Trump
couple’s Buffalo home. Wednesday.
election, though Republi-
Jennings, now 61, was “I wanted Brad to know
cans held on to three other seats on the
sentenced to 25 years in that there was light at the
Missouri ballot.
prison. Lisa and Brad Jennings were married end of the tunnel,” Ramsey
In all four races to replace Republi-
On the day of his arrest 18 years when Lisa died from a gunshot
cans who had resigned, the Democratic
in 2007, Jennings told de- wound to the head in 2006. SUBMITTED PHOTO See JENNINGS, Page 5A
See SEAT, Page 6A
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News-Leader
wins top awards Released from prison
in APME contest
From Staff Reports
Springfield News-Leader
USA TODAY NETWORK
Brad Jennings shares a laughs with his family after he was released at the Texas County Jail from South Central
Correctional Center on bond Friday. ANDREW JANSEN/NEWS-LEADER
Obituaries
What animals
Name
TODAY’S OBITUARIES AND DEATH NOTICES
Age Town, State Death Date Arrangements
are allowed at
Bushong, Kenneth “Kenny”
Coon, Yvonne
77
82
Brixey
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 ❚ NEWS-LEADER.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Pokin Vandeven
Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A
In March 2007, Sgt. Dan Nash, an in- regularly posted the same notice
vestigator with the patrol, asked Jen- for executive sessions regardless of
nings for the bathrobe he wore on the the actual discussions that took
night his wife died of a gunshot wound place behind closed doors — a vio-
to the head in the master bedroom in the lation of the law, which requires
early hours of Christmas Day 2006. Jen- that meeting postings be more spe-
nings gave it to him. cific. They also argued that the
Prosecutors and highway patrol in- board discussions veered outside
vestigators used blood off that robe to the topics disclosed to the public.
convict Jennings, but Nash never re- The state board, represented by
vealed that another test was done on the Cheryl Ann Schuetze with Attorney
robe — for gunshot residue. General Josh Hawley’s office, con-
The results were negative, making it tends that the board habitually
unlikely Jennings fired a gun, and goes above and beyond the meeting
matching the results of the gunshot-re- disclosure requirements put for-
sidue tests done on Jennings’ hands the ward by the Sunshine Law.
night of the death. They also indicated Schuetze also argued that seeming-
Jennings had not fired a weapon. ly extraneous discussion — about
The right hand of Lisa Jennings — topics such as test scores, dyslexia
who was right-handed — tested posi- Brad Jennings says most people in Buffalo believe he is innocent. and the culture of the Department
tive. The death was originally ruled a su- PHOTOS BY ANDREW JANSEN/NEWS-LEADER of Elementary and Secondary Edu-
icide by the local coroner and local sher- cation — tied back to Vandeven’s
iff. performance as commissioner.
Nash testified in November at a writ Martin prompted the three cur-
of habeas corpus evidentiary hearing — rent members of the board to stip-
a prisoner’s last chance at exoneration ulate that Vandeven’s performance
— that he never received the results of had been exemplary. Schuetze got
the gunshot residue test on the bath- them to acknowledge that any
robe from the patrol’s crime lab. change in leadership involves a pe-
A judge in Rolla set aside Jennings’ riod of transition.
conviction based largely on the fact the The News-Leader reported in
bathrobe gunshot-residue test was not mid-January that Martin based his
disclosed to the defense at trial, under- suit in part on recent testimony
mining confidence in the jury’s deci- from board member Eddy Justice,
sion. who made the motion to remove
The Attorney General’s Office has 120 Vandeven. In the deposition, Jus-
days to decide whether to try Jennings tice described discussions among
again. The office has not said what it will the board in closed session that
do. Martin said should have been held
As it stands now, Jennings is pre- in a public meeting.
sumed innocent and charged with mur- Justice also described meeting
der. with members of Greitens’ staff and
Jennings walked out of prison Friday other board members prior to at-
and went home to the same Buffalo tempts to fire Vandeven. This in-
house he and Lisa had built years ago. cludes a meeting with at least two
About 15 friends and family members other board members the night be-
visited to celebrate Jennings’ release, Jennings spreads out range cubes for his cattle at his home in Buffalo on fore the governor’s appointees
including Shannon Bryan, the older sis- Tuesday. Jennings had been in prison before a judge tossed his conviction. ousted the commissioner.
ter of Lisa Jennings. Callahan, who said at the outset
Shannon Bryan has steadfastly be- he’s “not a Sunshine law expert,”
lieved Jennings was wrongfully con- property. Jennings has no idea if the Missouri took the arguments under advise-
victed. His daughter Amanda, who has been Attorney General’s Office will try him ment and gave the attorneys addi-
Their younger sister, Shawn Powell, living in the house, and sister Marsha Il- again. tional time to review numerous
believes Jennings murdered Lisa. In er have been handling the task for eight If it does, he says, he is confident his pages of depositions. It is unclear
fact, Powell had the Highway Patrol re- years. current attorneys — Robert Ramsey and when he might issue a ruling on
investigate the case. Jennings is soft-spoken and wears his daughter Elizabeth Ramsey, both of Martin’s request for an order void-
Jennings said it hurts to know that the only clothes he still had in the Buffa- St. Louis — will put up a more spirited ing the vote.
Laci Deckard, Lisa’s daughter from a lo house — a shirt and jeans. They still defense than his attorney at trial, Dar- It remains uncertain as to what
prior marriage, still considers him a fit. rell Deputy of Lebanon, who is now re- practical effect such an order would
murderer. He has noticed a few changes in Buf- tired. have. There’s no indication that
Deckard, 31, testified against him at falo — a new Casey’s and a new Dollar Jennings said that, in his view, he Vandeven would come back to her
his 2009 trial and again at Friday’s bail Tree. was given the worst possible legal rep- post. Attempts to reach her Tues-
hearing. He visited a former business ac- resentation at trial and the best possible day night were unsuccessful.
She said she wanted Jennings to stay quaintance in Camdenton, where he representation at November’s hearing. Furthermore, the board current-
in prison. once purchased cars. Regarding Deputy, Jennings said: ly lacks the necessary members to
“I do not believe he is a good person Jennings plans to reopen his car sales “All the way through it, he told me, take any official action, including
and I do not believe it is the right thing,” business in Buffalo. He owns the build- when we get to the end of this, every- any decisions related to her poten-
Deckard said Friday. ing, which has been vacant for years. He thing is going to come together. And tial re-employment.
Jennings said he and his wife raised also will continue to work the beef-cat- then when we got to the end of it, he did Once lawmakers convened in
Laci from the age of about 18 months. tle farm. not say a word.” early January, Greitens withdrew
I messaged Deckard and she declined His chauffeurs since Friday have I left a message for Deputy for com- his appointments and re-submit-
to comment. been his daughter and sister. ment and did not hear back by deadline. ted them for the consideration of
“It hurts,” Jennings says. “I treated He no longer has a driver’s license I ask Jennings if he is bitter. the Senate, which offers its advice
her just like the other kids. We always and has been studying the rules of the “A little bit. I am just glad to be home and consent on gubernatorial ap-
got along good. I don’t know what hap- road in preparation for the test. right now.” pointees. The governor’s maneuver
pened.” I asked if it will be difficult for him in a Life in prison was not horrible, he bought his appointees additional
Jennings says most people in Buffalo town of 3,049 to adhere to a no-contact tells me. time, but they still could be banned
believe he is innocent and that there is list approved by the judge. Medical care was good and he was from the board for life if they fail to
nothing he can do to change the minds The list includes about 15 names — never exposed to violence. win Senate approval before the ses-
of those who don’t. including Deckard and Powell. That’s because he lived in the Honor sion ends.
He tells me his marriage to Lisa was “Most of them I never heard of,” he House with other prisoners who did not Multiple senators have voiced
better than what was portrayed by pros- says. “If I walked in somewhere and violate prison rules, he tells me. their willingness to grind the Sen-
ecution witnesses at trial. They painted they were there, I would not know it. All He says things moved quickly Friday, ate to a halt in protest of Greitens’
a picture of constant turmoil and fight- those Gordons — I do not even know but he managed to say goodbye to appointees, who are expected to
ing and of Lisa repeatedly thinking of who they are.” friends in prison — both convicts and have hearings before a Senate com-
leaving him. Iler tells me Gordon is the last name staff. He considers his cellmate for the mittee in March.
“It wasn’t anything like they were of Shawn Powell’s boyfriend. past three or four years a friend. Martin also argued that the orig-
saying,” he says. I ask Jennings if he feels vindicated, He suspects word of his release inal minutes for the November and
Four days into his release from pris- especially considering he told a detec- spread quickly among the 1,600 in- December meetings contained er-
on, he says, his biggest adjustment is tive on the day of his arrest: “The evi- mates. rors. Attempts to rectify these mis-
simple: It’s how to handle freedom. dence is lying.” “Stuff gets around pretty quickly in takes were only made after Sulli-
“Just getting used to being able to go According to court documents, in- prison,” he says. van’s lawsuit was filed, he said.
anywhere I want to go,” he says. vestigator Mike Rogers told Jennings Despite any clerical mistake or
“I am glad to be home. I have a lot of that blood-spatter evidence gathered by These are the views of News-Leader “scrivener’s error,” Schuetze said,
catching up to do. I missed my family. I the patrol proved he killed his wife. He columnist Steve Pokin, who has been at the board would not have inten-
missed making breakfast every morn- wanted Jennings to confess. the paper six years, and over his career tionally or knowingly broken the
ing. “The evidence is lying,” Jennings told has covered everything from courts and Sunshine Law.
“I have been cooking every meal,” he him. cops to features and fitness. He can be Roger Dorson is serving as in-
says. Jennings says no, he does not feel reached at 836-1253, spokin@gannett terim commissioner. The board had
Sunday night, it was steaks. vindicated. .com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by started searching for a permanent
After breakfast, he says, he feeds the “Not yet,” he says. mail at 651 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO replacement, but since Greitens re-
50 to 60 beef cattle on his 130-acre He could possibly be tried again. 65806. moved the majority of members,
the remaining contingent lacks the
ability to carry on official business.
The News-Leader previously re-
ported that Greitens had been in
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