TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of a northeast Kansas woman serving a “Hard 50” prison sentence for shooting the father of her child six times and setting his body on fire in his mother’s home.
The court on Friday unanimously rejected arguments from Tria Evans’ attorney that a Douglas County judge shouldn’t have allowed testimony that 34-year-old victim Joel Wales told others he feared Evans would kill him.
The now 42-year-old Evans was convicted of first-degree murder and arson over Wales’ death in November 2017. She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years.