EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A southwestern Indiana man’s convictions on charges of killing his wife and shooting his adult twin daughters have been overturned because the jury forewoman didn’t disclose a prior criminal charge and her history as a domestic violence victim.
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday ordered a retrial for Clinton Loehrlein of Darmstadt, who was serving a 150-year prison sentence for murder and two counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. He was convicted last August of fatally shooting and stabbing Sherry Loehrlein, 52, in January 2017 and shooting their two daughters.
The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, said the juror’s “untruthful and misleading responses on the jury questionnaire constituted gross misconduct.” It said the juror’s misleading answers deprived Loehrlein of the opportunity remove her from the jury before trial.
The juror later admitted she had faced a domestic battery charge that was later dismissed. She also said she had been the victim of repeated acts of domestic violence by her ex-husband.
Prosecutors had no immediate comment on the ruling.
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