LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected death-row inmate Jeffrey Hessler’s claim that his lawyer failed to properly represent the convicted murderer, kidnapper and rapist at his sentencing.
The court issued a ruling Friday denying Hessler’s request for post-conviction relief. Hessler had argued that his trial-court lawyer should have demanded a competency hearing when Hessler moved to represent himself at his sentencing.
Hessler was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault of a child and use of a firearm to commit a felony in December 2004. He was sentenced to die for the 2003 rape and shooting death of 15-year-old Heather Guerrero as she left her home in Gering.
The high court ruled that Hessler had failed to demonstrate a reasonable probability that he was incompetent at his sentencing hearing.