Lake County Judge Christopher Stride is hearing testimony in Marni Yang's bid for a new trial, marking the latest development in the 2007 slaying of Rhoni Reuter. Prosecutors claim that jealousy drove Yang, now 58, to kill Reuter, but experts are questioning this narrative.
According to Arthur Borchers, a former Oak Park police officer and forensic expert, Yang's stature makes it impossible for her to have fired the fatal shot. At just 5 feet tall, she would not have been able to reach the trigger on the gun used in the crime. This challenges prosecutors' claim that jealousy fueled Yang's actions.
Defense attorney Jed Stone has presented evidence he believes exonerates Yang, including DNA from an unknown male found on unspent bullet shells at the scene and a report stating the killer was taller than Yang. These findings have sparked doubts about Reuter's height, which was reported to be around 5 feet 9 inches - only one inch shorter than Yang.
Furthermore, expert Cyril H. Wecht has testified that the blunt-force injuries found on Reuter's face occurred two to four days before her death. According to Wecht, these injuries are not fresh and suggest that Reuter had been subjected to violence prior to her murder.
The defense team's arguments have cast a new light on the case, raising questions about the prosecution's theory of jealousy as the motive for Yang's actions. As Stride weighs the evidence presented, it remains to be seen whether Yang will ultimately secure a new trial or see her convictions upheld.
According to Arthur Borchers, a former Oak Park police officer and forensic expert, Yang's stature makes it impossible for her to have fired the fatal shot. At just 5 feet tall, she would not have been able to reach the trigger on the gun used in the crime. This challenges prosecutors' claim that jealousy fueled Yang's actions.
Defense attorney Jed Stone has presented evidence he believes exonerates Yang, including DNA from an unknown male found on unspent bullet shells at the scene and a report stating the killer was taller than Yang. These findings have sparked doubts about Reuter's height, which was reported to be around 5 feet 9 inches - only one inch shorter than Yang.
Furthermore, expert Cyril H. Wecht has testified that the blunt-force injuries found on Reuter's face occurred two to four days before her death. According to Wecht, these injuries are not fresh and suggest that Reuter had been subjected to violence prior to her murder.
The defense team's arguments have cast a new light on the case, raising questions about the prosecution's theory of jealousy as the motive for Yang's actions. As Stride weighs the evidence presented, it remains to be seen whether Yang will ultimately secure a new trial or see her convictions upheld.
I mean, who would've thought that Yang's height could be used against prosecutors? It just goes to show that there are always more layers to a story than what we initially think.
I'm definitely rooting for Yang and hoping that justice will be served. The whole thing just seems so unfair with Reuter having those blunt-force injuries... it's like, what really happened to her before she got murdered?
. If we look at it from Marni's side, she's still gonna be stuck with a life sentence 
. But what if the prosecution's story isn't entirely true? 
If Yang couldn't have fired that fatal shot because of her height, does that mean she wasn't capable of pulling the trigger at all? 
And those blunt-force injuries on Reuter's face... that's some serious red flag stuff 
. Maybe it's time to re-examine the evidence and give Marni a second chance 
.
... if Reuter was like 5'9" and Yang is only an inch shorter, then how did Yang even get away with killing her? It's all a bit suspect to me... I mean, the prosecution is saying jealousy drove Yang to kill, but now it seems like there are so many holes in that theory. And what about those blunt-force injuries on Reuter's face? That's just messed up 
. I'm not saying Yang is innocent or anything, but something doesn't add up here... can't the prosecution come up with a better motive than just jealousy? 
. I mean, come on, if they can't even figure out who killed Rhoni Reuter, how are we supposed to trust the whole thing? It's like, we've got a 58-year-old lady and she's being tried for murder... what if she actually did it because of jealousy?! But then these experts come along and throw everything off track. Like, Arthur Borchers is all "she couldn't have fired the shot" but what about the whole DNA thing? That's some wild stuff 
. And Cyril H. Wecht is all "the blunt-force injuries are not fresh"... like, who even knows when those happened?! It's just too much to keep up with 
. Can we please just have a straightforward trial for once?!
. I mean, take this case for example, the idea that jealousy drove Marni Yang to kill Rhoni Reuter seems super convenient for prosecutors. But what if they're hiding something? 
The fact that Arthur Borchers is saying Yang couldn't have fired the fatal shot just because she's 5 feet tall makes sense, but what about all the other 'evidence' they've presented? Is it really as open and shut as everyone thinks? 
. Arthur Borchers makes some solid points about the stature thing and it's crazy how that could have affected the outcome of the crime. And Cyril Wecht's testimony is super interesting too - who knew she had blunt-force injuries like 2-4 days before her murder? 
. Can we get some new DNA evidence or something to really seal the deal? 
it's crazy how a tiny detail like Yang's height is being scrutinized. like, what if she really did fire the shot and then someone else finished her off? 
. maybe we should hold off on blaming Yang for jealousy just yet 
. need more info on this case before i make any judgments 
.
. Defense team is doing a great job presenting new evidence & casting doubt on the whole jealousy thing 
. Can't wait 2 see what Judge Stride decides! Fingers crossed 4 Yang! 
... remember when Arthur Borchers said Yang couldn't've fired the shot because of her height? Now we got some evidence that Reuter was shorter than thought? Like, what if it was the other way around? 
. I swear, if the defense can just get their act together and present some solid evidence, Yang deserves a new trial in my book 
. This whole thing is getting so messy 
. And now that we know more about those blunt-force injuries on Reuter's face...it's looking like there might be someone else at play here 
. It seems like there are some major cracks in the prosecution's story. I mean, can you believe they're saying jealousy drove Marni to kill Rhoni? That just doesn't add up. And with all these new evidence points, it's clear that her height is being played with. 5 feet 9 inches? More like 5 feet 8 inches, right? 
meanwhile the defense is all like "hey wait a minute, what about this dna evidence?" and now they're questioning reuters height too. this blunt-force injuries thing has me shook too. sounds like theres some more to this story than meets the eye