OMAHA, Neb.—The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction in the case of a college student who went missing in May 2006, saying a murder can be proven even without a body.
In a ruling issued Friday, the high court rejected Christopher Edwards’ request to overturn a jury’s guilty verdict and give him a new trial in the case stemming from the disappearance of his 19-year-old girlfriend, Jessica O’Grady. The Omaha man was sentenced two years ago in Douglas County District Court to at least 80 years in prison for second-degree murder and 20 more years on a weapons charge. He was 20 at the time.
In his appeal, Edwards argued there wasn’t enough evidence to show O’Grady had been murdered.
“To require that the victim’s body be discovered would be unreasonable; it would mean that a murderer could escape punishment by successfully disposing of the body, no matter how complete and convincing the other evidence of guilt,” Judge John Gerrard wrote in the court’s ruling.
Omaha attorney Steve Lefler, who helped represent Edwards in his appeal, said the decision was disappointing.
“It’s like getting hit in the stomach. It knocks the wind out of you and it takes a while to recover,” he said, adding he’s still determining what options Edwards might have.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said the high court’s ruling served the interests of justice.
“Christopher Edwards brutally murdered Jessica O’Grady using a sword and disposed of her body,” Bruning said. “Jessica’s body has never been found, but Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine did an outstanding job achieving a conviction in a very difficult case that was successfully defended on appeal by our office.”
During Edwards’ 2007 trial, prosecutors relied heavily on DNA evidence from Edwards’ bedroom and car. They said O’Grady’s blood was found on Edwards’ headboard, mattress, comforter and bedroom ceiling.
Prosecutors said O’Grady’s blood was found on hedge shears in Edwards’ car and inside his car trunk.
DNA evidence also was found on what investigators say was the murder weapon: a Bangkok battle sword with an 18-inch-long blade. The sword was found in Edwards’ closet.
Prosecutors also pointed to other evidence they said proves that O’Grady didn’t voluntarily disappear and that her death was a result of foul play. She abruptly quit calling and text messaging friends, abandoned all of her belongings—including her cat—and did not pick up her last paycheck or take money from her bank account after she disappeared.
“And obviously, the fact that significant amounts of what was almost certainly O’Grady’s blood were found in Edwards’ bedroom and the trunk of his automobile is highly suggestive of an unlawful killing,” Gerrard wrote.
In his appeal, Edwards also argued that his attorneys were not allowed to present evidence about O’Grady’s past relationships or possible pregnancies. He also questioned testimony by DNA analysts. The high court rejected those arguments.
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