Judge grants Marni Yang's request to present new evidence in former Bears star's girlfriend's murder
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A judge granted Marni Yang's request to have her lawyers present evidence she says proves she did not kill Rhoni Reuter, the pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bears star Shaun Gayle.
The 54-year-old appeared calm in court, her once black hair now peppered with gray and pulled back into braids. The hearing lasted just minutes, but gave her the answer she had been hoping for.
"It's huge. They've opened the door allowing us to prove Marni didn't do this. It takes a huge burden off or our family," said her father Larry Merar.
Judge Christopher Stride denied several motions by Yang's attorney, but agreed to hear arguments of new evidence, including some DNA samples from shell casings and other material, testimony from a barber who saw Gayle the morning of the murder in 2007, and testimony from scientific experts who say Yang is too short to have fired shots at the angle they hit Reuter.
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"These guys are pros and are firmly convinced Marni did not kill Rhoni Reuter," said her attorney Jed Stone.
In his order, Judge Stride wrote in part, "This court must hear and consider relevant evidence to determine whether defendant can establish her claim of actual innocence based on newly discovered evidence concerning the height of the shooter."
Yang is serving a double life sentence after being convicted of two counts of first degree murder 13 years ago. But her father said he believes there may be a light at the end of the long tunnel of fighting to overturn her conviction.
He said Yang was clearly excited by the ruling.
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"When I saw her sit there and she and Jed hi-5'd one another after he explained stuff to her that made me feel pretty good," Merar said.
There is still a long road ahead of Yang. If her attorney is able to convince a judge the new evidence is sufficient, the judge could then grant her a new trial. That possibility, however, is still a long way off.
