HELENA (AP) – The Montana Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Ferndale man convicted of killing his common-law wife after a night of drinking in August 2005.
Lawrence Roedel is serving a 90-year prison term in the shooting death of 36-year-old Dawn Thompson. A jury found him guilty of murder and of using a firearm while committing the crime.
Roedel argued on appeal that there was insufficient evidence to convict him and he received ineffective assistance of counsel. He also challenged the District Court’s decision to admit a tape recording at his sentencing hearing, saying he had not been given a copy beforehand.
The state Supreme Court rejected his claims in a decision handed down this week.