A convicted murderer, Marvin Haynes, is seeking to overturn his guilty verdict in a Minneapolis flower shop robbery case that occurred in 2004. Haynes, now 35 years old, and his legal team from the Great North Innocence Project argue that he had no involvement in the deadly robbery that took place two decades ago. They are requesting the Hennepin County Judge to dismiss his conviction.
During today’s evidentiary hearing on the initial police investigation, Haynes’ attorneys presented their case, claiming that the state and jury made a mistake in convicting him. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is opposing Haynes’ efforts to overturn his conviction.
The crime in question took place on May 16, 2004, when an armed robbery attempt at Cherry’s flower shop on Minneapolis’s North Side turned fatal. Randy Sheer, a member of the family that owned the popular neighborhood business, was killed during the incident. Haynes and his legal team are focusing on the way the police conducted the original lineups, arguing that it compromised Haynes’ right to a fair trial. They claim that the suspect identification process had several issues, including the fact that Haynes did not match the initial description.
The outcome of the evidentiary hearing will determine whether Haynes’ conviction will be overturned or upheld.
