AR Supreme Court affirms lower court’s ruling denying relief for convicted murderer

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The Arkansas Supreme Court has turned down the appeal of convicted murderer Nicholas Roos who was seeking post conviction relief from his life without parole sentence. Roos was sentenced in 2016 for the shooting deaths of an elderly Midway couple, Donald and LaDonna Rice.



Photo: Nicholas Roos

Following the shooting deaths of 71-year-old LaDonna Rice and 75-year-old Donald Rice at their residence on County Road 508, their home was ransacked and set ablaze. It took several days of sifting through the ashes of the large residence before the couple was identified.

Roos had filed a Rule 37 petition with the Baxter County Circuit Court citing ineffective assistance of counsel.

The Supreme Court on Thursday handed down a ruling affirming the circuit court denial of Roos Rule 37 petition.

In late November 2017, Circuit Judge Gordon Webb denied the petition saying he did not find sufficient merit in Roos’ argument claiming he had not been well represented by his original defense team from the State Public Defenders’ Commission.

Judge Webb’s ruling was partly based on testimony taken during a four-hour hearing March 28 last year, in which Roos and the two defense attorneys who represented him through his guilty plea and sentencing were among those who testified.

Roos’ primary contention throughout the appeals process has been that his defense lawyers should have more thoroughly explored his claims of mental problems — including suicide attempts — in order to develop a defense based on mental disease and defect.

Click here to read the original story on Judge Webb’s denial of Roos’ Rule 37 Petition.

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