Steidl v. Walls

• Decision Date: 17 June 2003
• Docket Number: No. 01-CV-2249.,01-CV-2249.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Central District of Illinois
• Parties: Gordon "Randy" STEIDL, Petitioner, v. Jonathon R. WALLS, Warden, Respondent.

267 F.Supp.2d 919

Gordon "Randy" STEIDL, Petitioner, v. Jonathon R. WALLS, Warden, Respondent.

No. 01-CV-2249.

United States District Court, C.D. Illinois, Urbana Division.

June 17, 2003.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Lawrence C. Marshall, Bluhm Legal Clinic, Chicago, IL, Michael Metnick, Metnick, Cherry & Frazier, Springfield, IL, for Plaintiff.

Denise Marie Ambrose, Office of State's Attorney Appellate Prosecutor, Springfield, IL, for Defendant.

ORDER

McCUSKEY, District Judge.

On October 5, 2001, Petitioner, Gordon "Randy" Steidl, filed a petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 for a writ of habeas corpus (# 2). Petitioner is represented by Jane Raley, Karen Daniel and Lawrence C. Marshall of the Bluhm Legal Clinic of the Northwestern University School of Law. Petitioner is also represented by Michael Metnick of Metnick, Cherry and Frazier in Springfield. In his petition, Petitioner contends that he is entitled to habeas corpus relief because he received ineffective assistance of counsel at his trial. Petitioner has filed a 74-page Memorandum of Law (# 6) in support of his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and an Appendix (# 5) of various documents.

On January 10, 2002, Respondent, Jonathon R. Walls, filed an Answer (# 13) and numerous Exhibits (# 12). Respondent is represented by Denise M. Ambrose, a Special Assistant Attorney General. On February 6, 2002, Respondent was allowed to file an Amended Answer (# 17). On May 8, 2002, Respondent filed additional exhibits. On February 25, 2002, Petitioner filed a Reply to Respondent's Answer (# 18). Oral argument was heard in this case on August 2, 2002.

This court has carefully reviewed the voluminous exhibits provided by the parties in this case, the lengthy written arguments submitted by both parties and the transcript of the exceptionally well presented oral argument. Following this careful and thorough review, Petitioner's Petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 for a writ of habeas corpus (# 2) is GRANTED.

FACTS

I. TRIAL

In June 1987, following a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of the murders of Dyke and Karen Rhoads and was sentenced to death. At trial, testimony was presented that, at 4:39 a.m. on July 6, 1986, firemen received a report of a fire at the home of Dyke and Karen Rhoads in Paris, Illinois. Firemen arrived at the scene and, while extinguishing the fire, entered an upstairs bedroom and discovered the bodies of Dyke and Karen Rhoads. Both victims were nude and had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Debra Rienbolt and Darrell Herrington testified that they were present at the Rhoads' house at the time of the murders. Rienbolt testified that she went to the Rhoads' house that night, after midnight, and went in the back door, which was not locked. She stated that she went upstairs and saw Petitioner and his co-defendant, Herbert Whitlock, in a bedroom with Dyke and Karen Rhoads. Rienbolt testified that "there was a broken lamp in the room. Somebody was holding a piece of it." Rienbolt testified that she saw Petitioner and Whitlock stab Dyke Rhoads with a knife she had given to Whitlock. Rienbolt stated that she saw them "both have the knife and stabbing him." Rienbolt testified that she held Karen Rhoads down on the bed, although she could not explain why she did so. Rienbolt stated that Petitioner and Whitlock cut Karen on the throat and "everything got real fuzzy at that point" and she left after that. However, she testified that she remembered the position of the bodies in the room and recalled a fire. Rienbolt testified that Whitlock returned the knife to her the; next day and she cleaned it by soaking it in hot water and "pick[ing] it out." Rienbolt testified that, on February 16, 1987, she came forward to the police voluntarily, gave them the knife and told them "that the knife was the murder weapon." Testimony was presented that a forensic analysis of the knife Rienbolt gave to the police (referred to hereafter as the "Rienbolt knife") showed no traces of human blood or tissue. Only animal hairs were found on the blade. Rienbolt testified that she had pleaded guilty to a felony charge of concealment of homicidal death based upon her "[cleaning the knife."

Rienbolt testified that she was scheduled to work the evening of July 5, 1986, at the Paris Health Care Center and was paid for working her shift. However, she testified that she did not work that night. She stated that she either had someone else clock her in or clocked herself in and then left. Rienbolt testified that, on July 5, 1986, she had three or four beers, a couple of joints and three or four codeine. She stated that she visited various bars that night and saw Petitioner and Whitlock during the evening. She testified that she saw them leave the Legion Hall around midnight. She testified that an unidentified man, who was not Herrington, was with them at that time. Rienbolt admitted that she is an alcoholic and drug addict and was previously convicted of theft and had two DUI's. Rienbolt testified that she has suffered from blackouts and that it was hard for her to remember some parts of the night of July 5, 1986. Rienbolt further admitted that she initially told police officers different versions of what took place the night of the murders. Rienbolt also testified regarding Whitlock's motive for the murders. She testified that she had observed Whitlock and Dyke Rhoads arguing about Dyke wanting to get out of the drug business. Rienbolt also stated that Whitlock had referred to Karen Rhoads as his "dream girl" and that Whitlock told her that Karen had slapped him.

Herrington testified that he is an alcoholic and had been drinking since noon on July 5, 1986. He testified that he left the American Legion just before closing time with Petitioner and Whitlock in Petitioner's car. Herrington testified that he had asked Petitioner for a ride home. He stated that Petitioner drove to the Rhoads' house. Herrington testified that Petitioner and Whitlock went inside the house and he stayed in the car and dozed off for a minute or so. He was awakened by the sound of something breaking. He then entered the back door of the house. He testified that the door was locked so he had to use his credit card to wedge the door open. As he entered the house, he heard a female voice screaming. He started up the stairs and saw Petitioner coming down the stairs. Herrington testified that Petitioner had blood on him and had a knife in his hands. Herrington testified that the knife was five or six inches long. Herrington testified that Petitioner took him outside and said "I ought to kill you right now for what you did." Herrington stated that Whitlock came out and left in the car. Herrington testified that Petitioner then took him upstairs and showed him the bodies of Dyke and Karen Rhoads and said "That's what's going to happen to you and your family if there's ever a word said." Herrington stated that he later left and ran for home. He testified that he went to the police and gave them a statement on September 21, 1986. He admitted that he had been convicted of misdemeanor deceptive practices twice and five times for DUI since 1979. Herrington did not testify that he saw Rienbolt at the Rhoads' house the night of the murders. Likewise, Rienbolt testified that she did not see Herrington at the scene.

Dr. John Murphy, a pathologist, testified that he performed the autopsies of Dyke and Karen Rhoads. Dr. Murphy testified that Dyke Rhoads had 28 stab wounds and Karen Rhoads had 26 stab wounds. Most of the stab wounds on both victims were superficial wounds. One stab wound on Dyke Rhoads was the fatal wound. Dr. Murphy testified that this wound was on his left side under the armpit and extended through his lung into his heart. Karen Rhoads had two stab wounds which could have been fatal. One wound was below her right armpit and one was in her chest. Dr. Murphy stated that these wounds were made with one in-and-out motion. The wounds inflicted below the armpits on both victims were six inches deep. Dr. Murphy testified that the Rienbolt knife was compatible with the wounds suffered by Dyke and Karen Rhoads. Dr. Murphy stated that none of the wounds were inconsistent with the Rienbolt knife. Dr. Murphy testified that he could not determine the time of death but stated that Dyke and Karen Rhoads died before the fire.

Ferlin Wells testified that he was in custody at the Edgar County jail when Petitioner was arrested on February 19, 1987, and brought to the jail. Wells testified that Petitioner said he "supposed" that Dyke and Karen Rhoads were killed because they did not pay for drugs. Wells also testified that Petitioner told him that the house was started on fire to attract attention instead of to destroy evidence. Petitioner also told him that the victims were killed in the bedroom while they were in bed and that the fire was set with gasoline. Wells testified that Petitioner said that, if he had known Herrington was going to come forward, "he would have definitely taken care of him." Wells stated on cross-examination that Petitioner never actually said that he personally had killed Dyke and Karen Rhoads. Wells also testified that he hoped to get some consideration in his sentencing because of his testimony.

Steve Dosch testified that he was a fireman and responded to the call at the Rhoads' house. He testified that the firemen could not see anything in the house because of the smoke and had to crawl around because of the heat. Dosch stated that he and another fireman reached the upstairs bedroom where the bodies were found after two other firemen had entered the bedroom through a window. The other firemen asked him to get a body bag as he was about to enter the bedroom. When Dosch returned to the bedroom with the body bag, he pushed a broken lamp which was on the floor outside the bedroom door. He testified that the lamp was broken when he moved it.

Petitioner presented an alibi defense. He...