Crime & Safety
Geneva Man Convicted Of Murdering Wife To Get New Trial
Shadwick King will get a new trial. He was convicted in 2015 of murdering his wife, Kathleen King, and leaving her body on railroad tracks.
GENEVA, IL -- The state's appellate court has ordered a new trial for Shadwick King, 51, of Geneva, who is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence after he was convicted in 2015 of killing his wife and leaving her body on the Unions Pacific railroad tracks, the Daily Herald reports. The appellate court ruled testimony from a former FBI profiler, Mark Safarik, who is now a forensic consultant, should not have been allowed during King's trial.
"Under the guise of expert 'crime scene analysis,' Safarik basically offered his subjective opinion that the state's evidence was sufficient to convict (the) defendant. As the state admitted at oral argument, the purpose of Safarik's testimony was to 'plug the holes' in the state's case," Justice Kathryn E. Zenoff wrote in the unanimous decision. Safarik also testified Kathleen died of manual strangulation, which the panel found "especially egregious," the Daily Herald reports.
"Through Safarik's inadmissible testimony, the state essentially 'broke the tie' by presenting a second opinion ... We hold that Safarik's opinion as to the cause of death was so highly prejudicial that we must reverse the defendant's conviction," the ruling reads.
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Authorities claim King strangled Kathleen after a night of drinking in their Geneva home in July 2014. He then staged her body on the Union Pacific railroad track to make it appear as though she collapsed while out running, according to the Daily Herald.
King's attorney argued Kathleen had a heart condition caused in part by intoxication, lack of sleep and stress, according to the article.
Find out what's happening in Genevafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Past Coverage On Patch
- Shadwick King Sentenced to 30 Years for Murdering Wife
- Geneva Man Enters Not Guilty Pleas in Murder Case
- Trial Delayed for Geneva Man Accused of Killing Wife, Leaving Body on Railroad Tracks
- Prosecution Seeks Cell Phone Records in Geneva Murder Case
- Shadwick King Takes the Stand in Geneva Murder Trial
- Jury Finds Shadwick King Guilty of Murder in Wife's Death
- Attorney for Shadwick King Wants New Trial
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