JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a man for the slaying of a mobile home park manager in 1991.
The court on Tuesday rejected claims by Walter Barton that he had ineffective attorneys and that his due process rights were violated when he was convicted of killing 81-year-old Gladys Kuehler, of Ozark.
Among other things, Barton’s attorney argued on appeal that prosecutors improperly failed to disclose that the victim’s granddaughter had been convicted of misdemeanor crimes many years after the slaying. The granddaughter was a witness at the trial.
Barton had twice previously had his conviction and death sentence overturned. His most recent conviction came from a re-trial in 2006. The court was unanimous Tuesday in ruling against Barton.
