Jackson County man, convicted in wife’s murder more than 30 years ago, denied a new trial
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Blue Springs man, convicted in the 1990 death of his wife, will not get a new trial.
Ken Middleton has long claimed he was innocent. He claimed he was not the one who fired the fatal shot, that it was Kathy who dropped a gun and it misfired.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jackson County man convicted in wife’s murder granted new hearing
Middleton was granted a new evidentiary hearing earlier this year, He argued his rights were violated during his trial because the prosecutor in the case had his assets frozen, and he was unable to obtain counsel of his choice.
His attorneys argued that there was a “perfect storm” of incompetent investigators and lawyers.
This week, a DeKalb County judge denied Middleton’s claim, writing in the order, “Middleton’s sole claim...is meritless.”
The investigation
KCTV5 Investigates did an extensive report on Middleton five years ago and revealed how the case was handled.
Kathy Middleton’s death was the first murder Blue Springs police had investigated in nine years. Private investigators hired by Middelton’s lawyers say it showed. For whatever reason, investigators undressed Kathy’s body at the scene and sent the clothing separately.
In the end, crime scene photos were staged to the best of the investigator’s memory because the original photos didn’t develop. The gun was taken apart and reassembled before testing.
Over the years, Middleton’s attorneys have filed numerous—most were denied. At one point, a Jackson County judge granted a motion for a new trial, but the court of appeals overturned that determination on appeal.
Video from March 2024:
An offer refused
At one point, Middleton was offered an Alford plea. He could have maintained his innocence but itted the prosecutor had a strong case against him. He refused the deal.
In that 2019 report, KCTV5 asked Middleton why he didn’t take the deal.
“Well if somebody else they said I murdered,” pondered Middleton, “but who they were saying I murdered—I just couldn’t do it.”
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