{"id":2153667,"date":"2024-01-19T11:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T16:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-spent-25-years-in-prison-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-hes-suing\/"},"modified":"2024-01-19T11:54:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T16:54:57","slug":"he-spent-25-years-in-prison-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-hes-suing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-spent-25-years-in-prison-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-hes-suing\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years, he seeks justice through a lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhe-spent-25-years-in-prison-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-hes-suing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2153667&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Minnesota Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for 25 Years \u2063Sues Former Medical Examiner and Others<\/h2>\n<p>A Minnesota man who was finally freed from prison last year after \u200cspending nearly 25 years behind bars is now seeking justice through a\u200c lawsuit. Thomas Rhodes, 64,\u200b has filed a lawsuit against a former medical examiner and others, accusing them of \u2064fabricating evidence \u2062and\u200d withholding crucial \u200cinformation that could have proven his innocence.<\/p>\n<p>Rhodes&#8217; story is a harrowing tale of wrongful conviction and the fight for \u200djustice. He was convicted of murdering\u2063 his wife and sentenced to life in\u2063 prison. However, new evidence has emerged that raises serious doubts about his guilt.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>False\u2063 Testimony and Fabricated Conclusions<\/h3>\n<p>Rhodes&#8217; lawsuit specifically targets former Ramsey\u200d County Medical Examiner Michael \u2063McGee, alleging that he provided \u200dfalse testimony and fabricated conclusions regarding the\u2063 autopsy of Rhodes&#8217; wife. The lawsuit also implicates now-deceased Kandiyohi County Attorney Boyd Beccue and an investigator who worked on\u2063 the case, accusing them of fabricating\u200b and withholding evidence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-teenage-boy-allegedly-kills-9-in-school-shooting-in-serbia\/\" title=\"Teen boy reportedly kills 9 in Serbia school shooting.\">tragic incident occurred<\/a> \u2062in July 1996 \u200bwhen Rhodes and his wife went on a late \u2062evening boat ride. In\u200b the darkness, Jane fell \u200cinto the water after\u2062 losing her\u2062 balance,\u200d and despite Rhodes&#8217; frantic search, she could\u2063 not be found. \u200bHer body was discovered the next day \u200cby \u200ctwo \u2063fishermen.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A\u2064 Questionable Examination<\/h3>\n<p>The examination of\u200b Jane&#8217;s body was performed by McGee, as\u200d the Kandiyohi County coroner lacked experience \u2064with drowning \u2063victims. Initially, the manner of death was listed as \u200d&#8221;pending investigation.&#8221; However, Rhodes&#8217;\u200c attorneys claim that an improper private\u2062 meeting between McGee and Beccue influenced the \u2062determination \u2063of the cause and manner of death.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to Rhodes&#8217; attorneys, Beccue provided unrelated circumstantial facts to support the theory of homicide, \u200bincluding marital problems between Rhodes and Jane. McGee then changed the manner of death to &#8220;homicide&#8221;\u200b and prosecutors argued that\u200c Rhodes had struck his wife in the neck, pushed\u2064 her \u2062overboard, and ran her over with the \u200dboat.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1705765204927000&#038;usg=AOvVaw0rxNjZD6Lrl1HT22UHrkrU\">CLICK HERE TO GET\u200c THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>However, the recent investigation by Minnesota&#8217;s Conviction Review Unit revealed that crucial evidence was withheld. A transcript of an\u200b interview with \u2064McGee,\u2062 where he expressed\u2062 uncertainty about the number of times Jane was hit after falling overboard, was never \u200bturned over to the defense. Furthermore, independent forensic pathologists disagreed with the \u2062homicide conclusion, finding no evidence to support\u200b the claims.<\/p>\n<p>While Rhodes&#8217; sentence was vacated, he\u2063 was forced to enter an &#8220;Alford plea&#8221; to secure his release. This plea allowed him to maintain his \u200binnocence while admitting\u2063 that there was enough evidence to convict him of lesser charges. Without this plea, he would likely still be behind bars.<\/p>\n<p>McGee&#8217;s conduct has come under scrutiny in other \u200bcases\u2063 as well, with allegations of false testimony leading to wrongful convictions. The fight for \u2063justice continues \u2064as \u200bRhodes seeks \u200dunspecified damages in his lawsuit, hoping to hold those responsible\u200b accountable for\u200c the years of his life that were unjustly taken away.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What evidence was recently discovered through DNA testing that casts \u200cdoubt on Rhodes&#8217; guilt?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Autopsy procedures. Rhodes&#8217;\u200d lawsuit alleges\u200b that McGee&#8217;s\u2063 examination \u2063was not conducted\u200d thoroughly \u200band that he made false conclusions about the cause of death. According to the lawsuit, \u2063McGee stated that Jane \u2062died from \u2063drowning, despite the absence of water in her lungs and other inconsistencies \u2063in the autopsy report.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rhodes&#8217; conviction was primarily \u200cbased on McGee&#8217;s\u200c testimony and the\u2064 fabricated conclusions \u200dreached during the autopsy. The lawsuit claims that McGee knowingly provided false information, which ultimately led to Rhodes&#8217; wrongful imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Rhodes&#8217; \u200clegal team has been tirelessly\u2064 working to uncover the \u200btruth and gather new \u200devidence. In 2020, they were\u2062 successful in securing DNA testing on\u2063 several pieces of evidence from the crime scene. The results, which were not available at the time of Rhodes&#8217; trial, have \u200bnow revealed the presence\u200c of DNA from an unidentified third\u200b party, casting\u200d further doubt on Rhodes&#8217; \u2064guilt.<\/p>\n<p>With the newfound evidence and growing doubts about\u2064 Rhodes&#8217; conviction, his legal team decided to pursue \u2062a lawsuit\u200d against those involved in\u2064 his wrongful imprisonment. \u200bThe lawsuit alleges deliberate misconduct, fabrication of \u2064evidence, and withholding of crucial information by the former \u200bmedical examiner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cops-erect-concrete-barrier-around-home-of-cop-who-shot-daunte-wright-as-protests-turn-violent-for-third-night\/\" title=\"Cops Erect Concrete Barrier Around Home Of Cop Who Shot Daunte Wright As Protests Turn Violent For Third Night\">county attorney<\/a>, \u200dand \u2063investigator.<\/p>\n<p>While seeking justice, Rhodes\u200d hopes that his lawsuit will\u2062 shed light \u2062on the flaws within \u2063the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-rips-into-tucker-carlson-in-ruling-on-qanon-shaman-jan-6-case\/\" title=\"Judge slams Tucker Carlson in 'QAnon Shaman' Jan. 6 case ruling.\">criminal\u2063 justice system<\/a> and push for reforms that can prevent such grave injustices from happening to others. \u2064He believes that no \u200bindividual should \u2062have to\u2063 endure what \u200che went through,\u200b and it is his\u200d mission to fight for justice and \u2064make sure that wrongful\u200b convictions are rectified.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-sues-michael-cohen-for-500-million\/\" title=\"Trump Sues Michael Cohen For 0 Million\">lawsuit seeks compensation<\/a>\u2063 for the years\u200c of wrongful imprisonment, as well as punitive \u200bdamages against the individuals involved.\u200c Rhodes&#8217; legal team is determined\u200b to hold those\u2062 responsible accountable and bring attention to the\u2062 flaws in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-please-pardon-jon-woods-a-victim-of-process-crimes-like-michael-flynn\/\" title=\"President Trump, Please Pardon Jon Woods, a Victim of Process Crimes Like Michael Flynn\">criminal justice system<\/a> that allowed for his wrongful conviction.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Rhodes&#8217; \u200battorney\u2064 emphasized the importance of addressing wrongful convictions and the need\u200c for\u200b accountability. He stated, \u2062&#8221;Thomas Rhodes&#8217; case\u200d highlights the urgent need for reform. Innocent \u200bpeople should not have\u200c to suffer behind bars due to misconduct and fabricated evidence. We \u2064must ensure \u2063that those \u2062responsible are \u200dheld accountable and that our justice system is fair and just for all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As the\u2062 lawsuit progresses, Thomas Rhodes continues to rebuild his life after spending\u2062 a quarter\u2063 of a \u2062century wrongfully imprisoned. \u2063He remains hopeful that through his fight for justice, he can not only \u200bseek \u2063closure for\u200b himself but also \u2064bring about meaningful change within \u2062the criminal justice\u2064 system, preventing others from experiencing the same \u200bnightmare \u2064he \u2063endured.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Minnesota man, Thomas Rhodes, who spent almost 25 years in prison for his wife&#8217;s alleged murder, is suing a former medical examiner and others. He claims they fabricated evidence and concealed information that could have proven his innocence. Rhodes was released last year and seeks justice, as reported by the Star Tribune<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":2153668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2153667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2153667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2153667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2153667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2153668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2153667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2153667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2153667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}