Richard Emery appeals death sentence before Missouri Supreme Court

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A man sentenced to death for the 2018 murders of his girlfriend and three family members will plead his case to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Richard Emery’s appeal is expected to be taken up this week.

In September 2022, Emery was found guilty on four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his girlfriend, 39-year-old Kate Kasten, her two children from a previous relationship, 10-year-old Jonathan and 8-year-old Zoe, and Kate’s mother, 61-year-old Jane Moeckel. St. Charles County prosecutors sought the death penalty on the murder charges.

He was later convicted of seven counts of armed criminal action, three counts of first-degree assault, and one count of attempted robbery and sentenced to an additional 210 years in prison. Those additional charges that were not addressed in the original trial.

Emery’s appeal presents several questions for the state’s highest court to consider, including the striking of a juror, whether some evidence presented was admissible, and whether police body cam footage was shown to the jury just to inflame their emotions.

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