NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – The second-degree murder conviction of
a North Platte teenager in 2001 has been changed to manslaughter.
Reports are that the judgment against 27-year-old Tyler Keup was set aside in a
decision handed down Tuesday by Lincoln County District Judge John
Murphy. At age 16 Keup had been sentenced to 30-to-60 years in prison for the
shooting death of 18-year-old Maricella Martinez in 2000.
In his latest appeal, Keup argued among other things that his
trial attorney failed to raise the issue of whether Keup’s juvenile
brain was sufficiently developed to form the intent necessary for a
second-degree murder conviction.
In his ruling Tuesday, Murphy agreed that Keup was harmed by the
ineffectiveness of his trial attorney.
Keup’s manslaughter sentencing is set for June 21.