A Scott County man has had his murder conviction overturned after the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled that his confession should have not been used in court.
A circuit court jury convicted James Anthony Gray of two counts of murder for intentionally killing his parents, James and Vivian Gray. The Grays were shot to death in their Sadieville home on April 26, 2007.
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Gray’s first trial ended in a hung jury.
According to the release from the Supreme Court, James Anthony Gray’s confession was obtained illegally. The document states that one of the interrogating officers, told Gray that he had just gotten off the phone with a judge and that the state would seek the death penalty if he didn’t confess. That conversation was determined to never have taken place.
The documents also state that police also turned the interrogation camera off for nearly five-and-half hours.
“After a break, he returned to the interview room and signed a Miranda waiver. Upon his return, the room was arrayed with photos of the crime scene and murder victims. A piece of pecan pie and a Pepsi were placed on the table to recreate the crime-scene environment. The police turned off the camera and five-and-a-half hours of unrecorded interrogation proceeded from that point. Gray alleges he was coerced into confessing to the crimes within this period.”
Interrogators also allegedly presented Gray with a fake document purporting to originate from the Kentucky State Police linking his parents’ DNA to his vehicle
