[KS] Police Officer Tahah killed his ex-girlfriend Erin Jones - and now gets a new trial offering him lesser charges

Erin LeeAnn (Wade) Jones
(March 2, 1976 - May 5, 2007)

Erin was shot and killed by ex-boyfriend, Dodge City Kansas Police Officer Christopher "Chris" Tahah. He was sentenced to life in prison for murder, with no chance of parole for 20 years - but now...

...The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the jury should have been told to consider lesser offenses including second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter...


Before he had a chance to delete his Myspace page, it was screen-captured. His ominous message there on the day he killed Erin:

"You Reaped the Whirlwind,
Here Comes the Thunder....
I'm Comin' ,
and Hell's Comin'
with Me!!!"

Click photo to see larger.
(Tahah appears to have combined quotes from a video game and movie.)

FORMER COP GETS NEW TRIAL IN FATAL SHOOTING OF EX-GIRLFRIEND

KSN
September 30, 2011
[Excerpts] A former Dodge City police officer will receive a new trial on charges that he shot and killed his ex-girlfriend. Christopher Tahah was convicted of felony murder, for the May 4, 2007 shooting death of Erin Jones. Tahah admitted he went to her home to kill her in a jealous rage but claims he reconsidered at the last minute before his rifle went off accidentally. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the jury should have been told to consider lesser offenses including second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter... "That means even though the theory is felony murder, if there's evidence to suggest a lesser degree of homicide than the jury must consider that lesser crime," said KSN legal analyst Dan Monnat... [Full article here]

Erin's sister:
"You didn't care that she was a daughter, you didn't care that she was a mother... You didn't care that she was a sister and a great friend. You only cared that she didn't want you, and you wanted to make sure no one else could have her."

Erin's father:
"I want it to be known that we found out later that Erin was absolutely scared to death of Mr. Tahah. And when I found out she had died by his hand, it absolutely tore me apart."

KANSAS SUPREME COURT ORDERS NEW TRIAL IN 2007 HOMICIDE

Dodge City Daily Globe
Sep 30, 2011
[Excerpts] ...Christopher Tahah was convicted in 2008 of shooting and killing his former girlfriend, Erin Jones, the year before. The shooting followed a night of drinking by Tahah the night of the Greensburg tornado on May 4, 2007. But in a 6-1 decision, the state's highest court ordered a new trial... The ruling added instructions that would permit the jury to consider the lesser included offenses of second-degree reckless murder or involuntary manslaughter, based on Tahah's testimony that his rifle accidentally discharged while he had it pointed at Jones from her backyard... [Full article here]

NEW TRIAL ORDERED FOR DODGE CITY MAN CONVICTED OF 2007 MURDER
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News
By Robert Marin
September 30, 2011
[Excerpts] The Kansas Supreme Court orders a new trial for a former Dodge City Police Officer convicted of murder, saying jurors should have been allowed to consider lesser charges... In a dissenting opinion Justice Eric S. Rosen said there was "no evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to Tahah, on which a reasonable jury could convict Tahah of either of the requested lesser included instructions beyond a reasonable doubt"... [Full article here]

PREVIOUS POSTS:

• [KS] Goodbye Erin - 31-year-old mother of two, beloved by many, Erin LeeAnn Wade Jones was murdered earlier this month...
• [KS] Slain Erin's deputy ex-boyfriend facing 1st degree murder - "I was telling myself this was no good. As I was lowering the gun, a round went off," Tahah said. Tahah also told Kendrick that he was upset with Jones because she did not give him a good reason for breaking up with him...
• [KS] Today fired Officer Tahah was convicted of murdering his ex, Erin - ... He said he drove out to the scenic overlook near the Dodge City Regional Airport to watch a lightning storm, fell asleep and didn't wake up until about 3:35 a.m. After waking, Tahah said he drove by Jones' house again and saw that her friend had left, so he went back to his apartment. The next day, he learned that Jones was dead. "How did you react?" said Tahah's attorney, Peter Orsi. "I was shocked," Tahah replied. "I broke down and started crying"...

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder kansas state politics]