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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of a southeast Missouri man because his attorney didn’t question the character of a murder victim who had child pornography on his computer.
The court acknowledged in its unanimous ruling Tuesday that character evidence about murder victims typically is barred. But the court says relatives of Ralph Lape Jr. testified about his generous character during the sentencing phase of Mark Gill’s murder trial. It says defense attorneys should have then highlighted the porn on Lape’s computer.
