The Idaho Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a man condemned to death row twice for two separate murders.
In the written ruling issued Wednesday, a majority of the Justices agreed that Erick Virgil Hall was given a fair trial and had adequate representation when he was tried and sentenced to death for the kidnapping, rape and murder of flight attendant Lynn Henneman. Two justices dissented with the majority opinion, however, saying they agreed Hall was guilty of the crimes -- but felt there were errors made in the process of sentencing him to the death penalty.
Henneman was on a lay-over in Boise on Sept. 24, 2000, when she took a walk on the Boise Greenbelt. Prosecutors said that’s when Hall kidnapped her, raped her and strangled her with a sweater.
The investigation went without a suspect for three years -- until police investigating the rape and murder of Cheryl Ann Hanlon in the Boise foothills questioned Hall, and realized his DNA sample matched swabs collected from Henneman’s body.
Hall was later also sentenced to death for Hanlon’s murder.
(by Rebecca Boone, Associated Press)
