Murder of Ryan Poston | |
---|---|
Location | Highland Heights, Kentucky, U.S. |
Date | October 12, 2012 |
Attack type | Murder by shooting |
Victim | Ryan Carter Poston, [1] aged 29 |
Perpetrator | Shayna Michelle Hubers [2] |
Motive | Jealousy, obsession |
Verdict | Guilty (both trials) |
Convictions | Murder |
Sentence | Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 20 years [3] (previously 40 years in prison) |
On October 12, 2012, Ryan Carter Poston, an American attorney from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, was shot to death by his on-again off-again girlfriend Shayna Michelle Hubers. After a trial in the Campbell County circuit court, Hubers was convicted of murder on April 23, 2015. She was sentenced to 40 years in the Kentucky Department of Corrections on August 14, 2015, with parole eligibility after 20 years. [4] On August 25, 2016, Hubers' conviction was overturned on appeal when one of the jurors in her murder trial was revealed to be a convicted felon. [5] Hubers was convicted of murder during her second trial on August 28, 2018. [6] On October 18, 2018, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 20 years. [7] [8]
Ryan Carter Poston was born on December 30, 1982, in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, to Lisa Carter and Jay Poston. He had three younger sisters: Alison, Katherine, and Elizabeth Carter. [9] Poston attended Blessed Sacrament School (Fort Mitchell), [10] the International School Manila (Philippines), and the International School of Geneva (Switzerland) during high school. He later attended Indiana University, where he triple-majored in history, geography, and political science, then went to law school at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights. After completing his Juris Doctor degree, Poston began working as an attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio. [9]
In 2011, Poston, who was 28 years old at the time, met 20-year-old Shayna Hubers on Facebook. Hubers was friends with Poston's step-cousin, Carissa Carlisle. Poston and Hubers began dating soon after. [4] At the time they began dating, Hubers was a psychology student at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, approximately 80 miles from Highland Heights. She graduated cum laude and was pursuing a master's degree in school counseling. [11] The couple reportedly had a volatile relationship, and broke up several times over an 18-month period. On the night of his murder, Poston had a date with Audrey Bolte, winner of Miss Ohio USA 2012. [12]
On October 12, 2012, Hubers called 9-1-1 to report that she killed Poston in his Highland Heights condominium. Hubers shot Poston six times, but she continually maintained that the killing was in self-defense. That night, during her interrogation, she alleged that her relationship with Poston had been abusive. Although she was read her Miranda rights, Hubers voluntarily spoke to police. When explaining the details of their relationship, she described Poston as "very vain" and implied that by shooting him in the face she "gave him the nose job he always wanted." She also made other statements, such as, "I don't know if anyone will ever want to marry me if they know that I killed a boyfriend in self-defense." After being left alone in the interrogation room for several hours, Hubers began pacing, dancing around the room, and singing "Amazing Grace". She also said aloud, "I did it. Yes, I did it. I can't believe I did that" and, "I'm so good at acting." [13] Hubers was arrested for murder and was held on a $5 million bond. [14]
Shayna Hubers | |
---|---|
Born | Shayna Michelle Hubers April 8, 1991 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Criminal status | Incarcarated at Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women, eligible for parole on September 16, 2032 |
Criminal charge | Murder |
Penalty | Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole |
Hubers was indicted for Poston's murder on December 20, 2012. [15] On January 16, 2013, she entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charges. [16] Two-and-a-half years after the incident, Hubers' murder trial began on April 13, 2015. [17] She had remained in the Campbell County jail since her arrest, unable to meet her bail. [11]
Prosecutors argued that the motive for the murder was that Poston wanted to permanently end the couple's relationship. Defense attorneys continued with their contention that the shooting was in self-defense and that Hubers was a victim of domestic abuse. [17] As part of their case, the prosecution, led by Michelle Snodgrass, put on text message evidence that showed Hubers' obsession with Poston. Several witnesses, including Poston's family members, Audrey Bolte, and Hubers' former cellmate, testified for the prosecution. [18]
Carissa Carlisle, through whom Poston met Hubers, testified that her cousin was trying to avoid conflict with Hubers, and she read a series of text messages she had exchanged with Poston prior to his death. [12] Poston's stepfather Peter Carter testified that, the day before his son's death, Poston confided in Carter about an upcoming date with Bolte, and was afraid to tell Hubers about it. The date was for the following night, on which Poston was killed. [18] Bolte stated that, on the night of the murder, she and Poston planned to meet at a Milford, Ohio, bar for drinks at 9:30 and that she had been looking forward to it, but that Poston had failed to show up. Hubers' former cellmate, Cecily Miller, also testified, where she said that Hubers bragged about killing her boyfriend, saying that she laughed "about shooting [Poston] in the face and giving him the nose job he always wanted." [19] Miller also said that Hubers discussed legal strategy with her, saying she "was going to plead insanity, but she was too smart because she has the IQ of Einstein. So she was going to plead battered wife syndrome." [18]
Hubers did not take the stand in her own defense, but relied on her police interrogation tape in which she maintained the killing was in self-defense. [11]
On April 23, 2015, after five hours of jury deliberation, Hubers was found guilty of Poston's murder. [11] Following the verdict, the jury recommended a 40-year prison sentence. Hubers' attorneys argued for a new trial, stating that they were not allowed to present evidence and witnesses that would have shown Hubers killed Poston in self-defense. Her attorneys also asked the judge to recognize Hubers as a victim of domestic violence, which would reduce the amount of time she would be required to serve before becoming eligible for parole. [20] Under state law, Hubers would be required to serve 85 percent, or 34 years, of her term before becoming eligible for parole, but her attorneys' motion would require her to only serve 20 percent of her sentence before she could be released. [21]
Four months after being convicted, Hubers was sentenced to 40 years in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years as per the jury's recommendation. The presiding judge also declared that he did not believe that Hubers was a victim of domestic violence and that he had considered a sentence greater than 40 years. [4]
External videos | |
---|---|
New trial for Shayna Hubers delayed until 2018 WCPO.com | ABC9 |
Following her sentencing, Hubers moved for a new trial. It was granted on August 25, 2016, overturning her conviction on the basis that one of her jurors concealed a felony conviction; Kentucky law prohibits convicted felons from serving on juries. [5] Hubers' new trial was set to begin on September 18, 2017, [22] but was delayed for four months to January 16, 2018. Hubers' new out-of-state attorney asked for, and was granted, a six-month delay to allow him time to prepare for the re-trial. Hubers' second trial began on August 8, 2018. [23]
In Hubers' second trial, she gave lurid details of her sexual relationship with Poston. The defense built its case around the assertion that Poston was an abusive boyfriend. [24] After five hours of deliberation, a jury again found Hubers guilty of murder. [6] She was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. Hubers will have to serve 17 years before she can be considered for parole in 2032; [3] she is incarcerated at Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women in Pewee Valley, Kentucky. [25]
Poston's murder has been featured on several television programs, including ABC's 20/20 , [26] CBS's 48 Hours , [11] Oxygen's Snapped [27] and It Takes a Killer . [28]
Marcus Fiesel was an American 3-year-old child who was murdered in Clermont County, Ohio, in August 2006. Fiesel had recently been removed from his mother's care by child protective services, and placed into foster care with David and Liz Carroll in Union Township, where he died from hyperthermia after being restrained and neglected in a closet for a two-day period. On February 21, 2007, Liz Carroll was convicted of murdering him. On February 26, 2007, it was announced attorneys for David Carroll had reached a plea agreement.
Channon Gail Christian, aged 21, and Hugh Christopher Newsom Jr., aged 23, were from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. They were kidnapped on the evening of January 6, 2007, when Christian's vehicle was carjacked. The couple were taken to a rental house. Both of them were raped, tortured, and murdered. Four males and one female were arrested, charged, and convicted in the case. In 2007, a grand jury indicted Letalvis Darnell Cobbins, Lemaricus Devall Davidson, George Geovonni Thomas, and Vanessa Lynn Coleman on counts of kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder. Also in 2007, Eric DeWayne Boyd was indicted by a federal grand jury of being an accessory to a carjacking, resulting in serious bodily injury to another person and misprision of a felony. In 2018, Boyd was indicted on state-level charges of kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder.
The Norfolk Four are four former United States Navy sailors: Joseph J. Dick Jr., Derek Tice, Danial Williams, and Eric C. Wilson, who were wrongfully convicted of the 1997 rape and murder of Michelle Moore-Bosko while they were stationed at Naval Station Norfolk. They each declared that they had made false confessions, and their convictions are considered highly controversial. A fifth man, Omar Ballard, confessed and pleaded guilty to the crime in 2000, insisting that he had acted alone. He had been in prison since 1998 because of violent attacks on two other women in 1997. He was the only one of the suspects whose DNA matched that collected at the crime scene, and whose confession was consistent with other forensic evidence.
Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW) is a prison located in unincorporated Shelby County, Kentucky, near Pewee Valley, Kentucky, operated by the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Male and female inmates prior to 1937 had been housed at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Frankfort
China Arnold is an American woman who was convicted of murdering her 28-day old daughter, Paris, by heating her in a microwave oven. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Sara Jessimy Kruzan is an American activist and survivor of child sex trafficking. In 1995, at the age of 17, she was convicted of the first-degree murder of her trafficker, George Gilbert Howard, who began to groom her for the sex industry at the age of 11. She was initially sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, but was later both paroled and pardoned.
Jennifer Lee Daugherty was an American woman who was torture-murdered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania as an act of revenge in February 2010. Daugherty, who was mentally disabled, was tortured and murdered before being wrapped in Christmas decorations, put inside a garbage can, and dumped in the parking lot of Greensburg-Salem Middle School.
In February 2009, Heather Strong was kidnapped and murdered in Marion County, Florida. Emilia Lily Carr, a rival for the affections of a man Strong had dated, came under suspicion. Carr denied any guilt and alleged her statements were coerced. Carr was nevertheless found guilty in December 2010 and sentenced to death by lethal injection in February 2011. Carr was one of five women on death row in the state of Florida. On May 19, 2017, Emilia Carr was re-sentenced to life without parole. Joshua Fulgham was similarly convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death. At a separate trial, where he pled guilty, Joshua Fulgham received two consecutive sentences of life in prison for his involvement in Strong's murder.
Susan Lucille Wright is an American convicted murderer from Houston, Texas, who made headlines in 2003 for stabbing her husband, Jeff Wright, 193 times in an act of mariticide and then burying his body in their backyard. She was convicted of murder in 2004, and was given a 20-year sentence at the Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. She was denied parole on June 12, 2014, and July 24, 2017. She was granted parole in July 2020 and released from prison on December 30, 2020.
Rick and Suzanna Wamsley were murdered on December 11, 2003 in their home in Mansfield, Texas, as part of a conspiracy involving their son Andrew and two others.
Audrey Claire Bolte is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Batavia, Ohio. She was crowned Miss Ohio USA 2012 and competed in the Miss USA 2012 pageant where she was named second runner-up. She had never competed in a beauty pageant before becoming Miss Batavia 2012 and then Miss Ohio USA.
Omaima Aree Nelson is an Egyptian convicted murderer who was convicted of the 1991 murder of Bill Nelson. She was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1992 and has since been serving her sentence at California Institution for Women. Her case made international headlines due to allegations of bondage sex, decapitation, castration and cannibalism.
Travis Victor Alexander was an American salesman who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Ann Arias, in his house in Mesa, Arizona while in the shower. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on April 13, 2015.
Anthony Kirkland is an American serial killer. Between 2006 and 2009, Kirkland murdered two women and two girls in the Cincinnati area, following a 16-year prison term for the 1987 killing of his girlfriend.
McCracken King Poston Jr., is an American criminal defense attorney, former politician and part-time juvenile court judge. He gained national attention for several notable cases which were featured on TV series specials such as CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E's American Justice and Forensic Files. Poston is a practicing defense attorney in Georgia and Tennessee. Poston was elected and served as a state representative in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1989 to 1997. In 2024, Poston's account of his representation of Alvin Ridley in the 1999 murder trial was published by Citadel Books, titled "Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom."
Mary Prince is an African American woman wrongly convicted of murder who then became the nanny for Amy Carter, the daughter of US President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, and was eventually granted a full pardon.
Shawn Michael Grate is an American serial killer and rapist who was sentenced to death for the murders of five young women in and around northern Ohio from 2006 to 2016. Grate was convicted on two counts of aggravated murder on May 7, 2018, in Ashland County, pleaded guilty to two additional murders on March 1, 2019, in Richland County, and pleaded guilty to an additional murder on September 11, 2019, in Marion County.
Conrad Henri Roy III was an American marine salvage captain who died by suicide at the age of 18. His girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Carter, had encouraged him in text messages to kill himself.
Donna R. Perry is an American serial killer. She was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in 2014 for killing three women in 1990. Perry underwent gender-affirming surgery in 2000; her gender identity formed a portion of the defense's argument.
Larry Lamont White is an American serial killer who shot to death three women in Louisville, Kentucky from June to July 1983. Originally convicted of two murders, for which he was sentenced to death, his sentence was later overturned, and White was paroled. After being imprisoned for firearm violations in 2006, he was linked to his first murder via DNA and given a new death sentence, and he is currently awaiting execution for it.