In the First Circuit Court of Appeal, State of Louisiana, case ID 2023 KA 0816, dated April 19, 2024, the State of Louisiana is pitted against Blayson Paul Fife. The lawsuit revolves around a charge of second-degree murder lodged against Fife.
Represented by Attorney Prentice L. White from the Louisiana Appellate Project, Fife was charged following a unanimous jury verdict based on an amended grand jury indictment. The prosecution team included District Attorney Scott M. Perrilloux and Assistant District Attorney Brett Sommer. On July 23, 2017, officers discovered Rick McBride's body with multiple gunshot wounds at his residence in Walker, Louisiana. Consequently, Joe Baluch Jr., along with Fife were arrested for McBride's murder.
The trial court denied Fife's motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal and motion for a new trial and sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole or probation. However, Fife appealed against this decision citing insufficient evidence as the reason.
Fife seeks a reversal of his conviction and sentence due to what he perceives as insufficient evidence supporting his conviction for second-degree murder.