Minnesota man’s murder conviction vacated in wife’s death

A Minnesota gentleman who served practically 25 a long time in connection with his wife’s demise walked out of jail on Friday immediately after authorities vacated his murder convictions and permitted him to plead responsible to manslaughter, citing a trouble with skilled testimony from a physician whose statements in other circumstances have also occur underneath scrutiny.

Thomas Rhodes, who is now 63, was convicted in 1998 of to start with- and next-diploma murder in the death of his 36-year-aged wife, Jane Rhodes, who fell overboard and drowned on a night time-time boat experience with her partner on Inexperienced Lake in Spicer in 1996.

The murder conviction hinged on the testimony of Dr. Michael McGee, who claimed Rhodes grabbed his spouse by the neck, threw her overboard and ran her over several periods, the Legal professional General’s Business office reported in a statement Friday. Rhodes advised investigators his spouse fell out of the boat and disappeared though he frantically searched for her in the darkish.

The Conviction Critique Device in the Attorney General’s Office examined the situation. As element of that investigation, a forensic pathologist uncovered that Jane Rhodes’ loss of life was not inconsistent with an accidental fall, the business stated.

“With the gain of a thorough critique of all the evidence and instances, the CRU uncovered that the professional medical proof utilized in Mr. Rhodes’ conviction was flawed,” the statement stated.

“I look ahead to hugging my sons Eric and Jason, becoming a excellent grandfather to my 6 excellent grandkids, and possessing time to generate new memories with spouse and children and friends,” Rhodes explained to the Mankato No cost Press on Friday.

Messages left Saturday at cellular phone quantities shown for Michael McGee ended up not straight away returned. Attempts to access him by way of social media were not immediately profitable.

The state’s report did not exonerate Rhodes: the Legal professional General’s Place of work claimed there was sufficient evidence to assistance a conviction of 2nd-diploma manslaughter, saying carelessness led to his wife’s death. Having said that, Rhodes has invested nearly 25 a long time in jail, which is far more than twice the greatest sentence authorized for the manslaughter conviction.

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Rhodes drove a small, unstable boat late at night time at top rated pace, recognizing that his spouse could not swim, the assertion explained. She was neither carrying a life jacket nor were being life jackets offered. Also, the boat had no flashlights or a quick way to phone for assistance.

On Friday, a Kandiyohi County judge vacated Rhodes’ murder convictions. The Minnesota Section of Corrections stated the judge then acknowledged a plea to second-diploma manslaughter. Rhodes was sentenced to four decades in prison, and obtained credit for time served, which led to his launch, the corrections division reported.

Rhodes is the initial individual launched in Minnesota since the Conviction Review Device was created in 2021. The device opinions lawful conditions for folks who assert to be harmless.

“He was beaming the complete time,” Hayley Drozdowski-Poxleitner, a spokesperson for the Wonderful North Innocence Task, stated of Rhodes. “This has been a prolonged, extended time coming.”

The Terrific North Innocence Job, which labored with the Lawyer General’s Workplace, reported in a information launch that nine forensic pathologists reviewed the case and observed that Jane Rhodes’ injuries were most very likely triggered by a blow to her head, probably from falling out of the boat or from an accidental strike by the boat as Rhodes searched the drinking water.

None of the forensic pathologists would have known as her death a murder, the firm reported.

Testimony from McGee has been questioned in numerous conditions in modern a long time. In 2021, a federal judge threw out the dying sentence of a gentleman who was convicted of kidnapping in the 2003 slaying of North Dakota higher education pupil Dru Sjodin, in component since of testimony from McGee. That choose stated new proof showed McGee, the previous Ramsey County Health-related Examiner, was “guessing” on the witness stand. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. is envisioned to be re-sentenced, and prosecutors have reported they will continue to seek the loss of life penalty.

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Stafford described from Liberty, Missouri. AP author Amy Forliti contributed to this report from Minneapolis.