KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
A Missouri appeals court has overturned the convictions of a man accused of killing a Kansas City-area couple at a Bible store.
Prosecutors said DNA tests linked Kellen McKinney of Kansas City, Kan., to the October 2004 stabbing deaths of John and Mildred Caylor in Raytown.
McKinney was convicted last year of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of attempted escape. He was later sentenced to four life sentences without parole.
The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District on Tuesday threw out the convictions and ordered a new trial. The court said that the escape charge should have been tried separately because it wasn't connected to the killings and may have prejudiced the jury.
The Caylor's youngest son, Rick, told FOX 4 that he's using the news of the overturned conviction to remember the good about his parents, and their store, which was also their home, and not focus on the tragedy of their death.
"No need to get upset, mad sick about it, there's no need for that," said Caylor. "It gives us a chance to remember mom and dad again who had a wonderful following of people who just loved 'em to death."
Caylor says that he's confident that McKinney will be convicted again, whether the case goes to the Missouri Supreme Court or back to trial.
"From my understanding, prosecutors had thought a precedent was already on file to allow them to do it that way," said Caylor. "This guy was convicted clear cut. All kinds of evidence, blood drops that matched his DNA, footprints, fingerprints, bragged about what he did to another inmate."
The bookstore and former home will go up for auction on November 19th. Caylor says that whoever buys the property will do something positive with it. In the meantime, he says that he will focus on the good times in that home.
"(The) flowers that I planted at the back of the house, and the hummingbirds would come into those, plenty of memories," said Caylor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Prosecutors said DNA tests linked Kellen McKinney of Kansas City, Kan., to the October 2004 stabbing deaths of John and Mildred Caylor in Raytown.
McKinney was convicted last year of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of attempted escape. He was later sentenced to four life sentences without parole.
The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District on Tuesday threw out the convictions and ordered a new trial. The court said that the escape charge should have been tried separately because it wasn't connected to the killings and may have prejudiced the jury.
The Caylor's youngest son, Rick, told FOX 4 that he's using the news of the overturned conviction to remember the good about his parents, and their store, which was also their home, and not focus on the tragedy of their death.
"No need to get upset, mad sick about it, there's no need for that," said Caylor. "It gives us a chance to remember mom and dad again who had a wonderful following of people who just loved 'em to death."
Caylor says that he's confident that McKinney will be convicted again, whether the case goes to the Missouri Supreme Court or back to trial.
"From my understanding, prosecutors had thought a precedent was already on file to allow them to do it that way," said Caylor. "This guy was convicted clear cut. All kinds of evidence, blood drops that matched his DNA, footprints, fingerprints, bragged about what he did to another inmate."
The bookstore and former home will go up for auction on November 19th. Caylor says that whoever buys the property will do something positive with it. In the meantime, he says that he will focus on the good times in that home.
"(The) flowers that I planted at the back of the house, and the hummingbirds would come into those, plenty of memories," said Caylor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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