Current:Home > FinanceA man freed after spending nearly 50 years in an Oklahoma prison for murder will not be retried-InfoLens
A man freed after spending nearly 50 years in an Oklahoma prison for murder will not be retried
View Date:2024-12-23 17:26:22
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma prosecutor says she will not seek to retry a convicted killer who spent nearly 50 years in prison before he was freed earlier this year by a judge who ordered a new trial.
Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna said in a statement Monday that there is no longer physical evidence in the case against 70-year-old Glynn Ray Simmons.
“When considering whether to pursue the case against Simmons again, the district attorney determined the state will not be able to meet its burden at trial and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Simmons was responsible for (Carolyn Sue) Rogers’ murder,” according to the statement.
Behenna’s office also said detectives who investigated the 1974 murder of Rogers and the surviving victims are either deceased or unavailable.
Simmons was convicted of killing Rogers during a liquor store robbery in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond. He has repeatedly said he wasn’t in Oklahoma but rather in his home state of Louisiana at the time of the robbery.
Simmons was released from prison in July after a district court judge vacated his conviction and sentence and ordered a new trial, saying prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence in the case, including a police report that showed an eyewitness might have identified other suspects in the case.
Simmons and co-defendant Don Roberts were both convicted of the murder and initially sentenced to death. Their sentences were reduced to life in prison in 1977 after U.S. Supreme Court rulings related to capital punishment. Roberts was released on parole in 2008.
veryGood! (9556)
Related
- Lala Kent Swears by This Virgo-Approved Accessory and Shares Why Stassi Schroeder Inspires Her Fall Style
- Author Iyanla Vanzant Mourns Death of Youngest Daughter
- Idaho mom Lori Vallow Daybell faces sentencing in deaths of 2 children and her romantic rival
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, July 30, 2023
- Can't afford a home? Why becoming a landlord might be the best way to 'house hack.'
- President acknowledges Hunter Biden's 4-year-old daughter as his granddaughter, and Republicans take jabs
- A North Carolina budget is a month late, but Republicans say they are closing in on a deal
- $1.05 billion Mega Million jackpot is among a surge in huge payouts due to more than just luck
- Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
- San Francisco investigates Twitter's 'X' sign. Musk responds with a laughing emoji
Ranking
- West Virginia governor-elect Morrisey to be sworn in mid-January
- Lady Gaga honors Tony Bennett in touching post after death: 'Will miss my friend forever'
- Tyler Childers' new video 'In Your Love' hailed for showing gay love in rural America
- Sam Asghari makes big 'Special Ops: Lioness' splash, jumping shirtless into swimming pool
- Texas now tops in SEC? Miami in trouble? Five overreactions to college football Week 11
- Teresa Giudice Calls Sofia Vergara Rudest Woman She's Ever Met
- Ukraine again reported bringing war deep into Russia with attacks on Moscow and border region
- President acknowledges Hunter Biden's 4-year-old daughter as his granddaughter, and Republicans take jabs
Recommendation
-
Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
-
NASA rocket launch may be visible from 10 or more East Coast states: How to watch
-
Malala Yousafzai Has Entered Her Barbie Era With the Ultimate Just Ken Moment
-
San Francisco prosecutors to lay out murder case against consultant in death of Cash App’s Bob Lee
-
Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
-
How to protect your car from extreme heat: 10 steps to protect your ride from the sun
-
Lady Gaga honors Tony Bennett in touching post after death: 'Will miss my friend forever'
-
San Francisco prosecutors to lay out murder case against consultant in death of Cash App’s Bob Lee