Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Raynella Dossett Leath

 

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

6.33

Year Crime:

2003

Year Convicted:

2010

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Tennessee

County or Region of Crime:

Knox

City of Crime:

Knoxville

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Raynella Dossett Leath was wrongly convicted on January 25, 2010 of first-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband David Leath on March 13, 2003 in their home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Raynella Leath found his body in their bedroom and called Emergency 9-1-1 and reported he committed suicide. In 2008 she was charged with first-degree murder in his death, based on the medical examiner's finding that David had extraordinarily high levels of morphine in his system that would have impaired his ability to function. Leath's defense was her husband committed suicide. Leath's trial in May 2009 ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Her retrial began in January 2010, and on January 25, 2010 the jury convicted her of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 51 years to life in prison Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner. Leath's appeal was denied by the Tennesee Court of Appeal in 2013. Based on new evidence of drug use during her trial by Judge Richard Baumgartner, in July 2015 she filed a filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial that alleged Baumgartner's impairment due to his drug use deprived her of her constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial. In April 2016 Senior Judge Paul Summers granted Leath's petition. She was released on $50,000 bond on May 31, 2016. Her third trial was scheduled for 2017. On May 10, 2017, after the evidence was presented during her third trial, Judge Summers granted the defense's motion for a directed verdict of acquittal based on the prosecution's failure to present sufficient evidence to prove Leath's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. "

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On May 10, 2017, after the evidence was presented during her third trial, Judge Summers granted the defense's motion for a directed verdict of acquittal based on the prosecution's failure to present sufficient evidence to prove Leath's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. "

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

61

Age When Released:

67

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Raynella Dossett Leath trial: Judge tosses first-degree murder case against accused black widow, By Jamie Satterfield, May 10, 2017"

Information Location 1:

http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2017/05/10/raynella-dossett-leath-trial-judge-tosses-out-first-degree-murder-charge-against-accused-black-widow/315785001/

Information Source 2:

"Raynella Dossett Leath posts bond, is released from jail, By News Sentinel Staff, Knoxville News Sentinel, June 1, 2016"

Information Location 2:

http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/crime-courts/raynella-dossett-leath-posts-bond-is-released-from-jail-343ded16-cb93-0378-e053-0100007f5af4-381587671.html

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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