COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who served 20 years in prison is enjoying his freedom after he had his sentence commuted by outgoing Gov. Eric Greitens.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that 52-year-old Jessie McKim had been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in the 1997 death of Wendy Wagnon of Kirksville.
Evidence of an inaccurate ruling on the part of a medical examiner, prosecutorial misconduct and witness credibility were all said to be reasons for a new trial. But they were all denied by appeals courts.
In a release Greitens said "six experts have concluded that the cause of death identified at the time was completely wrong" in McKim's case.
Richard Hicks, the prosecutor in the case, maintains that McKim is guilty and says he's concerned the former governor's office never spoke with him about the case.
