Man’s murder acquittal lifted after 25 years in prison, serious problem found in ‘expert’ testimony

A Minnesota man who served nearly 25 years in connection with his wife’s death was released from prison Friday after authorities cleared his murder conviction and allowed him to plead guilty to manslaughter, citing a problem with expert doctor testimony. whose testimony in other cases is also subject to scrutiny.

Thomas Rhodes, now 63, was convicted in 1998 of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 36-year-old wife, Jane Rhodes, who fell overboard and drowned during an overnight boat trip with her husband. at Green Lake in Spicer in 1996.

The murder charge hinged on the testimony of Dr. Michael McGee, who said Rhodes grabbed his wife by the neck, threw her overboard and ran over her several times, the Attorney General’s office said in a statement Friday. Rhodes told investigators that his wife fell out of the boat and disappeared while he frantically searched for her in the dark.

The case was considered by the investigative group of the Prosecutor General’s Office. As part of that investigation, a forensic pathologist determined that Jane Rhodes’ death was not incompatible with an accidental fall, the office said.

“Through a thorough review of all the evidence and circumstances, CRU has determined that the medical evidence used to convict Mr. Rhodes was in error,” the statement said.

“I look forward to hugging my sons Eric and Jason, being a good grandfather to my six wonderful grandchildren, and having time to make new memories with family and friends,” Rhodes told Mankato Free Press on Friday.

Messages left Saturday on the phone numbers listed for Michael McGee were not immediately returned. Attempts to contact him via social media were not immediately successful.

State report did not exonerate Rhodes: The Attorney General’s office said there was sufficient evidence to support a conviction for second-degree manslaughter, saying negligence led to his wife’s death. However, Rhodes spent nearly 25 years in prison, more than double the maximum sentence for manslaughter.

The statement said Rhodes drove the small, unsteady boat late at night at top speed, knowing his wife could not swim. She was not wearing a life jacket or life jackets. Also, there were no flashlights on the boat, nor a quick call for help.

On Friday, a Kandiyohi County judge overturned Rhodes’ murder conviction. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said the judge accepted a plea of ​​second-degree manslaughter. Rhodes was sentenced to four years in prison, plus time served, which led to his release, the Department of Corrections said.

Rhodes is the first person released in Minnesota since the creation of the Sentencing Division in 2021. The unit handles court cases for people who plead not guilty.

“He was beaming all the time,” said Hayley Drozdowski-Poxleitner, spokeswoman for the Great North Innocence Project, of Rhodes. “It was a long, long time ago.”

The Great North Innocence Project, which has worked with the Attorney General’s Office, said in a press release that nine medical examiners reviewed the case and concluded that Jane Rhodes’ injuries were most likely caused by a blow to the head, possibly from a fall from a height. boat or from being accidentally struck by a boat while Rhodes was looking for water.

The organization said none of the medical examiners would have called her death a homicide.

McGee’s testimony has been questioned on several occasions in recent years. In 2021, a federal judge overturned the death sentence of a man who was convicted of kidnapping in the 2003 murder of North Dakota college student Drew Shodin, in part because of McGee’s testimony. That judge said new evidence showed that McGee, a former Ramsey County medical examiner, “guessed” the witnesses’ testimony. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.’s sentence is expected to be reviewed and prosecutors have said they will continue to seek the death penalty.

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