Sikeston detective on leave over handling of 2000 homicide case

SIKESTON -- The city of Sikeston has placed Detective John Blakely on leave following a judge's recommendation a Sikeston man be exonerated for a 2000 homicide after deciding Blakely lacked "candor or competence, or both," during the investigation and prosecution.

Judge Darrell Missey made his recommendation Friday in the case of David Robinson, who is serving life in prison without parole for the 2000 murder of Sheila Box in Sikeston. Missey was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to make a recommendation as part of a review of Robinson's conviction.

The review was ordered after The Southeast Missourian wrote a series of stories that detailed problems with the case, including that two state eyewitnesses had recanted and another man, Romanze Mosby, confessed. There was little investigation into Mosby's involvement in the case. No physical evidence ties Robinson to the murder.

In his report released Friday, Missey said Blakley "is the least credible witness to have testified before this Court in this matter."

In an email to the Standard Democrat on Saturday, Sikeston city manager Jonathan Douglass said Blakely was placed on leave pending a review of Missey's recommendation "and determination of our next steps."

"We have asked the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Missouri to review the investigation. The integrity of our law enforcement and the just administration of the law is our utmost concern. Because this case is still in litigation and awaits ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, we cannot say more at this time," Douglass said. It isn't known when the court will rule.

Robinson has contended that Sikeston police and others framed him. Robinson said he believes he was targeted because he had several run-ins with law enforcement before Box's killing.

Blakely has denied all the accusations in sworn testimony.

"The evidence in this case reveals a clear pattern of conduct by Detective Blakely in when he brought forward unreliable evidence that pointed toward David Robinson and ignored or suppressed facts which pointed away from him," wrote Missey, who said he believed Blakely decided Robinson was guilty and gathered facts to support that belief while disregarding other evidence.

Mosby's confession was recorded in 2004, but it was ruled invalid in previous appeals because he refused to authorize it formally and killed himself in prison in 2009. No court had considered the confession until Missey listened to it during a hearing in August. Other Mosby acquaintances said Mosby had confessed to shooting Box, but their testimony was ruled hearsay.

Blakely testified under oath in 2015 he didn't know Mosby was a suspect until after the conviction, saying "that would have been followed up on if we would have received that information." He initially denied knowing that Mosby was a suspect but later changed his story and told the court he was aware Mosby might have been involved in Box's killing but did not investigate further.

The Southeast Missourian and Associated Press contributed to this report.