Kaitlyn Conley Trial Juror- “Yes, I do” Believe She’s Innocent
One of the jurors from the first Kaitlyn Conley murder trial called into the Keeler in the Morning radio program on WIBX on Friday to express her displeasure with the sentence Conley received from Judge Michael Dwyer.
When asked if she felt Conley, of Sauquoit, was innocent, Colleen Jennings said, "Yes, I do." Jennings was a juror on the first trial for the murder of chiropractor Mary Yoder which ended in a hung jury. Conley was sentenced the 23 years in prison on January 11th after the jury in the second trial found her guilty of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter on November 6, 2017.
"It upset me a lot," said Jennings. "This has been on my mind, I mean it hasn't stopped when I was on the jury. It's very upsetting to me."
To say that she masterminded this whole thing herself...no, I don't believe that.
Conley worked for Mary Yoder at Chiropractic Family Care on Oriskany Boulevard in Whitesboro. Mary Yoder, 60, died suddenly on July 22, 2015. It was later determined that the cause of death was colchicine poisoning and then in June of 2016, Conley was charged with giving her a single lethal dose of the drug and causing her death. She was charged withe second-degree murder.
Jennings said she felt if her jury was given the option of a manslaughter charge, they might have convicted because she said the jurors believed she did purchase the colchicine; but, "to say that she masterminded this whole thing herself...no, I don't believe that," said Jennings.
Just prior to sentencing, family members on both sides were given an opportunity to speak. Bill Yoder (Mary's husband) and Adam Yoder (Mary's son) both asked the judged to give the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. When Conley was given the opportunity to speak, she thanked her supporters and family and with tears in her eyes told Judge Dwyer, "I am innocent."
Conley has hired a new legal team to handle her appeal in Appellate Court.
Listen to the complete interview with Colleen Jennings below:
Following the verdict, the prosecution spoke with WIBX's Keeler in the Morning program. Listen to that interview below:
Following the verdict, Mary Yoder's sister, Janine King, spoke to the Keeler Show about why she feels Kaitlyn Conley is innocent.
Mary Yoder's Nephew and Kaitlyn Conley's sisters proclaim Conley's innocence.
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