Idaho Judge May Void Murder Conviction

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — A central Idaho judge says new evidence calls into question the culpability of a man found guilty of killing his wife 30 years ago and he's considering voiding the conviction.

The Idaho Mountain Express reports that 5th District Judge Robert Elgee issued the order late last month. Final arguments from attorneys are due Nov. 18. A jury in 1985 convicted Jaimi Dean Charboneau of the 1984 shooting death of his wife, and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

He's now 54. Elgee says a 1989 letter written by the victim's daughter says she was instructed by prosecutors in 1984, when she was 14, to falsify or withhold information. Elgee earlier this year ruled the letter was hidden by state officials. It didn't become known until 2011.