Lyle Carman

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Manslaughter
Sentence:	90 days and 3 years probation
Years Imprisoned:	0.13
Year Crime:	2012
Year Convicted:	2014
Year Cleared:	2015
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Nebraska
County or Region of Crime:	Lancaster
City of Crime:	Lincoln
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Lyle Carman was wrongly convicted in December 2015 of felony manslaughter in the death on June 7, 2012 of 23-year-old Raven Addy-Cruz in a vehicle rear-ended by the dump truck Carman was driving in stop and go traffic due to construction on Interstate 80 near Lincoln, Nebraska. After Carman's dump truck struck the car it went off the freeway and rolled, killing Addy-Cruz and seriously injuring her husband and year-old daughter. Prior to his trial the judge denied Carman's motion to dismiss the felony manslaughter charge as improper for an unintentinal death caused as the result of a traffic accident. Carman waived his right to a jury trial, and during his trial he explained in his defense that he was unable to stop in time after he looked in his rearview mirror, and then looked ahead to find the car Addy-Cruz was in had completely stopped. The judge relied on two traffic infractions on Carman's record — driving too fast for conditions and following too closely — as the basis to find him guilty of felony manslaughter. The judge sentenced Carman to 90 days in jail and 3 years probation. Carman appealed. On December 4, 2015 the Nebraska Supreme Court reversed Carman's conviction and ordered dismissal of his charges based on the prosecution's failure to introduce any evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt the mens rea (criminal intent) essential element required to find him guilty of manslaughter."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On December 4, 2015 the Nebraska Supreme Court reversed Carman's conviction and ordered dismissal of his charges based on the prosecution's failure to introduce any evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt the mens rea (criminal intent) essential element required to find him guilty of manslaughter."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"State v. Carman, 292 Neb. 207 (No. S-15-167) (Neb. Sup. Ct., 12-4-2015) (Vacating conviction based on prosecution's failure to introduce evidence proving the mens rea element of manslaughter.)"
Information Location 1:	https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/sites/supremecourt.ne.gov/files/sc/opinions/scDec4S-15-167.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Truck driver's felony manslaughter conviction vacated, Associated Press (Omaha, Neb.), The Grand Island Independent, December 4, 2015"
Information Location 2:	http://www.theindependent.com/news/state/truck-driver-s-felony-manslaughter-conviction-vacated/article_52d69d9a-b896-5686-b9ff-4ded0179c408.html
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Lyle Carman

Charge:

Manslaughter

Sentence:

90 days and 3 years probation

Years Imprisoned:

0.13

Year Crime:

2012

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2015

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Nebraska

County or Region of Crime:

Lancaster

City of Crime:

Lincoln

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"State v. Carman, 292 Neb. 207 (No. S-15-167) (Neb. Sup. Ct., 12-4-2015) (Vacating conviction based on prosecution's failure to introduce evidence proving the mens rea element of manslaughter.)"

Information Location 1:

https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/sites/supremecourt.ne.gov/files/sc/opinions/scDec4S-15-167.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Truck driver's felony manslaughter conviction vacated, Associated Press (Omaha, Neb.), The Grand Island Independent, December 4, 2015"

Information Location 2:

http://www.theindependent.com/news/state/truck-driver-s-felony-manslaughter-conviction-vacated/article_52d69d9a-b896-5686-b9ff-4ded0179c408.html

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: