Monday, March 21, 2011
Patch has obtained a tape recording of convicted killer Marni Yang detailing the deadly shooting to her best friend.
According to prosecutors, Marni Yang made one “big mistake” when it came to her plan to murder 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter back in 2007: she told her best friend about it afterwards. "I took the first shot," police secretly recorded Yang telling Christi Paschen after the murder at a restaurant in Arlington Heights. "I remember screaming cause at that point I realized we are now at the point of no return.'" Last week a jury convicted Yang of first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child. Authorities say she brutally shot and killed Reuter at her Deerfield condo. At the time, Reuter was six-months pregnant with the child of former Bears player Shaun Gayle. Yang was also romantically involved with the Super Bowl winner. …
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Judge announces verdict after four hours of jury deliberations Tuesday.
The woman accused of killing the pregnant girlfriend of former Bears player Shaun Gayle was convicted in court Tuesday. Marni Yang was found guilty on all counts of first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child. Prosecutors say Yang “executed” 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter in her Deerfield condo in 2007 because she wanted to “eliminate the competition.” At the time of the murder, Reuter was six months pregnant with Gayle’s child. Yang was also romantically involved with the Super Bowl winner. Gayle and Reuter’s family remained silent while the verdict was read but rejoiced afterwards. “Justice is served,” Gayle said during a press conference. “It’s been a long time coming.” “Needless to say we’re overjoyed with the jury’s …
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Closing arguments set to begin in court at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The defense rested Monday without Marni Yang taking the stand. The 43-year-old is on trial for first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child. She’s accused of shooting and killing 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter at her Deerfield condo back in 2007. At the time Reuter was six months pregnant with the child of former Bears player Shaun Gayle. Prosecutors say Yang was obsessed with Gayle and wanted to "eliminate the competition." Before the defense rested Monday, Yang’s lawyers called three witnesses including Yang’s mother, a Deerfield neighbor of Reuter and an assistant commander with the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. Yang’s mother, Francine Merar, of Niles confirmed that her daughter had dropped off a case of guns at her…
Monday, March 14, 2011
Prosecutors play recordings in court of Marni Yang discussing shooting with long-time friend, Christi Paschen.
More then a year after 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter was shot and killed in her Deerfield condo authorities got a major break in the murder investigation. After strapping a body wire on Marni Yang’s best friend, police recorded the murder suspect allegedly discussing the shooting on tape. “She opened up the door and saw a dark skinned person and she started screaming and I took the first shot,” officials recorded Marni Yang telling Christi Paschen over soup at Denny’s in Arlington Heights on March 2, 2009. That’s about 17-months after Yang’s accused of gunning Reuter down. Reuter was the girlfriend of former Bears player Shaun Gayle and was six months pregnant at the time. Paschen told jurors Thursday Yang discussed her plans to kill Reuter …
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Super Bowl winner testifies about his connection to murder suspect and victim.
Former Chicago Bears player Shaun Gayle admitted to having sex with the woman accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend the night before the shooting. For almost two hours the Super Bowl winner was questioned by lawyers on Tuesday during the murder trial of Marni Yang. “She is right there wearing glasses,” Gayle said when prosecutors asked him to point the defendant out during questioning. Gayle barely looked in Yang’s direction during the rest of his testimony. Yang is charged with first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child in the death of Rhoni Reuter. Authorities say Yang shot and killed Gayle’s pregnant girlfriend in her Deerfield condo back in 2007. Prosecutors claim Yang was also intimate with Gayle and wanted…
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Lawyers believe Marni Yang purchased books and equipment to create silencer for shooting.
Prosecutors allege Marni Yang used a gun silencer during the murder of 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter and spent the majority of Monday in court trying to prove it. Yang is on trial for first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child. Authorities say she shot and killed Reuter at her Deerfield condo on Oct. 4, 2007. Reuter was the longtime girlfriend of former Bears player Shaun Gayle and was six months pregnant with his child. Prosecutors claim Yang was also intimate with Gayle and killed Reuter in a jealous rage. During court proceedings Monday prosecutors questioned Lawrence Riling of Pennsylvania. Riling told jurors he used to own a mail order arms books business and in August of 2007 received an online order from Yang. …
Monday, March 7, 2011
Deerfield residents disclose details about murder of Rhoni Reuter
On the morning of Oct. 4, 2007 Deerfield residents Christa Amsden and Peter Cowles were following their normal routines. Little did they know their actions that morning would lead them to be witnesses in the murder trial of their neighbor three years later. “I heard a short scream, a plop plop and a humongous crash on the floor,” Amsden told jurors Friday in court. She was speaking at the murder trial of Marni Yang, who is charged with first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child in the death of Reuter. Authorities say at the time of the shooting Reuter was six months pregnant with the child of former Bears player Shaun Gayle. Prosecutors claimed Friday Yang was also intimate with the Super Bowl winner and once she …
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Lawyer says Super Bowl winner Shaun Gayle could take the stand in Marni Yang’s murder trial Monday.
“Cold, calculated and pre-meditated,” is how prosecutors described Marni Yang’s actions in the alleged murder of 42-year-old Deerfield resident Rhoni Reuter during opening statements in court Friday. Reuter was the longtime girlfriend of former Bears player Shaun Gayle and at the time of the shooting in 2007 was six months pregnant with his child. After months of investigations, police linked Yang to the crime and charged her with first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child. Yang first met the Super Bowl winner at the Hilton in Chicago and prosecutor Patricia Fix told jurors Friday it evolved into something more. “Sometime realtor and sometime sexual partner,” she explained. “The defendant became obsessed with Gayle and…
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Lawyers dismiss local woman from participating in high profile murder case.
A longtime Deerfield resident was questioned Wednesday by lawyers about the murder of 41-year-old Rhoni Reuter, a pregnant woman who was gunned down in 2007 “four or five blocks away” from where she currently lives. Reuter was the girlfriend of former Chicago Bears player Shaun Gayle. “It took a while before they made any arrests,” the juror said in describing what she initially remembered about the incident but then recalled police breaking the case and arresting Marni Yang. Close proximity to the scene of the murder and a connection to several Deerfield law enforcement officers may be why she was dismissed from serving. This potential juror worked for the Village of Deerfield for 31 years before retiring 6 and a half years ago. As …
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9:47 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
I would like to know about the civil suit as well. more ›