Robert Meng Not Guilty First Degree Intentional Homicide
Not Since O.J. Simpson's Trial has a jury been more believing
Honorable George Curry Presiding
Grant County Circuit Judge
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Meng gave police several accounts of what happened on October
8th when Patricia Day Schreiner of Patch Grove was killed in a trailer
on Meng's 300-acre dairy farm.
During the trial, however, Meng told the jury that the shooting
was accidental -- he didn't handle guns very much, and he didn't know
the trigger safety was off. So, Meng said, he burned Schreiner's body
out of fear no one would believe the shooting was accidental. For good
measure, he also burned her car.
Not since the O.J. Simpson trial has a defendant found a
more believing jury. On the charge of first-degree
homicide, the 12 jurors could not reach a unanimous decision. On the
much less serious charge of negligent handling of a dangerous weapon,
the jury found Meng not guilty -- even though he virtually admitted as
much himself.
"The jury believed what Bob Meng told them about the
shooting and that he lied to police when he was arrested," Meng's
attorney, Christopher Van Wagner, said
moments after the verdict was announced. Obviously so.
Wisconsin State Journal.
State of Wisconsin -v- Robert Meng
Charge: First Degree Intentional Homicide
After an accidental shooting, Meng was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. The jury acquitted (found Meng not guilty) of both Murder (1st Degree Intentional Homicide) and negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. Meng's attorney, Christopher Van Wagner, said that the jury believed Meng. The jury sees all of the evidence and hears all of the testimony. Sometimes, a person just needs to be sitting on the jury and hearing the evidence presented in defense of a murder charge to understand a not guilty verdict.
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Homicide | Murder
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