Convicted Murderer Takes Case To Supreme Court

Cheyenne, Wy – James Robert "Bob" Duke is appealing his conviction in the 1996 cliff deaths of his wife and son near Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
In Wyoming Supreme Court arguments today (Tuesday), his attorney argued that Duke's lawyers during his 2002 trial were ineffective and that he should be awarded a new one.
Public defender Marion Yoder also argued jurors were prejudiced against Duke by a model of the 200-foot cliff in the courtroom -- which prosecutors called the murder weapon -- and because Duke was shackled.
Yoder also accused prosecutors of misconduct and said the trial should have been moved due to pretrial publicity in Green River.
The state claimed Yoder had not proven Duke's attorneys were ineffective and that jurors testified the shackles did not influence them. They also said the cliff model was used by both parties during trial.
Duke was convicted of throwing his wife and child from the cliff and soliciting their murders and the murder of his parents.
He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms.