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Friday, July 19, 2024

Ohio Court Upholds Murder Getaway Driver’s Conviction

State appellate judges rejected an appeal filed by a man convicted of participating in the murder of a Zanesville woman.

Appellate judges on the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals, which includes Muskingum County, upheld the conviction of Devon McKnelly in the case State of Ohio v. McKnelly, siding with attorneys from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office

In the case, McKnelly was convicted of aggravated murder in 2021.

McKnelly’s girlfriend, Tristaney Baker, broke into the victim’s apartment and shot her six times, killing her. McKnelly knew of his girlfriend’s plan and gave her the murder weapon, as well as drove her to and from the scene of the crime.

After the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office successfully obtained McKnelley’s conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of of parole after 20 years.

In January 2024, McKnelly filed an appeal of his conviction, claiming the judge incorrectly denied past motions he filed to withdraw his guilty plea.

McKnelly’s appeal also claimed he had received ineffective assistance from his lawyer during the trial because it’s possible that another lawyer could have negotiated a more favorable plea deal.

Additionally, McKnelly’s appeal also claimed he was rushed into deciding to plead guilty by his lawyer, despite telling the judge, on the record, about his satisfaction with his counsel.

Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says he is happy with the ruling by the Fifth District Court of Appeals.

“We are very pleased with this decision,” Prosecutor Welch said.

Prosecutor Welch says McKnelly’s claim that the case was rushed is wrong.

“The argument the defendant was rushed into making a decision is ridiculous,” Prosecutor Welch said. “Most concerns about our justice system deal with how long things are delayed. In this case, law enforcement did an excellent job solving a crime quickly. When the investigation concluded, our office was prepared to charge the defendant. Once the defendant was charged, he and his attorney were quickly informed of the options for resolving this case.”

Prosecutor Welch says justice was delivered fairly and swiftly, unlike in other counties in Ohio.

“This case is the epitome of swift justice,” Prosecutor Welch said. “The defendant committed his crimes on April 27, 2021 and was sentenced on June 28, 2021. There are few, if any, counties in Ohio where results like this can be expected

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