mysteriew
A diamond in process
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2004
- Messages
- 23,811
- Reaction score
- 780
A man acquitted in court nearly 15 years ago of murdering a 2-year-old boy has confessed to police that he was actually guilty of the crime.
But because of double jeopardy meaning a person cannot stand trial twice for the same crime he will walk away without serving any prison time for the homicide.
Michael Lane, now 41, stood trial in 1991 on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Paul "PJ" Eugene Watts. Lane was baby-sitting the boy for his live-in girlfriend, Jennifer Watts, now 32, at her Salt Lake home while she went to church. When she returned, she found the toddler unresponsive in his crib.
In court, the Utah Medical Examiner's Office testified PJ received at least seven blows to his head and died as a result.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635177435,00.html
But because of double jeopardy meaning a person cannot stand trial twice for the same crime he will walk away without serving any prison time for the homicide.
Michael Lane, now 41, stood trial in 1991 on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Paul "PJ" Eugene Watts. Lane was baby-sitting the boy for his live-in girlfriend, Jennifer Watts, now 32, at her Salt Lake home while she went to church. When she returned, she found the toddler unresponsive in his crib.
In court, the Utah Medical Examiner's Office testified PJ received at least seven blows to his head and died as a result.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635177435,00.html