Kaitlyn Conley, convicted for the poisoning death of her boss, Dr. Mary Yoder, has had her manslaughter conviction overturned by an appellate court. The court, as reported by NBC New York, ruled that evidence from Conley's cell phone was improperly obtained and used in the prosecution. Conley, now 31, was a receptionist in Yoder's office at the time and had previously dated Yoder’s son.
The appellate judges found that the search of Conley’s cell phone went beyond what the warrant allowed. As mentioned in the NBC New York report, the search revealed references to "poison" and "colchicine," a dangerous drug, as well as connections to an email account involved in obtaining colchicine. The court noted the personal nature of cell phone content, likening it to the privacy one expects in their home.
Conley had received a 23-year sentence after a retrial in 2017, where she was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter following a hung jury in the initial trial. Spectrum News reported that the appellate court also ruled Conley’s trial suffered from ineffective assistance of counsel.
Despite the overturned conviction, a third trial could still occur if prosecutors decide to proceed. "Ms. Conley is looking forward to clearing her name," her appeals lawyer Melissa Swartz said in an email, according to NBC New York. A request for comment has been sent to the Oneida County district attorney's office, but no response has been received. Conley has consistently maintained her innocence, stating in the documentary series "Little Miss Innocent" on Hulu, "I did not kill Mary Yoder." She also shared her disappointment with the judicial process: "I put all my faith and all my trust in the system and these people, and it didn’t work."
