Kansas Supreme Court hears death penalty appeal for serial killer John Robinson

The Kansas Supreme Court is reviewing a new death penalty appeal from serial killer John Robinson Sr. Robinson, an 82-year-old inmate, was sentenced to death in 2003 for the murder of a woman found in a barrel on his farm.

Defense attorneys are arguing that Robinson’s death sentences should be vacated, claiming his original trial counsel was ineffective. The appeal asserts that the trial court’s handling of the case violated the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment and failed to adhere to state laws regarding how juries consider aggravating factors during capital murder proceedings.