Judge denies appeal of deceased Minneapolis serial killer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Hennepin County judge has ruled that convicted serial killer Billy Glaze’s appeal for innocence died with him.

Glaze, 72, was convicted of killing three women in Minneapolis in the 1980’s. He died in prison last year.

At the time of his death, attorneys with the Minnesota Innocence Project were trying to free him based on new DNA evidence allegedly pointing to another man, the Minneapolis Star Tribune (https://strib.mn/2fm4lvi ) reported.

Prosecutors moved to dismiss the appeal, saying it was moot. However Innocence Project attorneys argued that not only was Glaze’s reputation at stake, but there was public interest in learning whether the justice system worked fairly.

Innocence Project attorneys also posed the thought of whether the person responsible for the killings is still free.

Judge Toddrick Barnette has sided with prosecutors, saying there’s no “live controversy” to be resolved.

“Finally, nothing in the record supports a finding that (Glaze) was actually innocent or that his conviction was wrongful,” the ruling said.

Satisfied with the ruling was Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

“We cooperated with the Minnesota Innocence Project to review the case. But in the end, the evidence was overwhelming that Glaze was the killer and he rightfully spent the rest of his life in prison,” said Freeman in a statement Thursday.

Defense attorney for Ed Magarian said Glaze’s legal team plans to appeal.

A jury found Glaze guilty of first- and second-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of Kathy Bullman, 19; Angeline Whitebird-Sweet, 26; and Angela Green, 21, in 1989. Glaze long maintained his innocence.

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Information from: Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com