The man convicted of the murder of Indiana University student Jill Behrman was denied his appeal to a new trial this week.
U.S. District Court Judge James Sweeny denied John Myers’ habeas petition Tuesday. Myers alleged that his original trial had errors leading to an unjust conviction.
Myers listed the errors of his 2006 trial as the following:
- His counsel was ineffective because they did not challenge that Behrman rode near his home
- His counsel failed to provide evidence to support the three other suspects
- The state provided false evidence
- The state withheld police documents that could have supported Myers’ defense
Sweeny previously ruled in favor of Myers’ early release in 2019, but the decision was appealed by former Attorney General Curtis Hill and reversed by the Supreme Court. The court upheld this ruling again in 2021.
Read more: SCOTUS denies petition in Jill Behrman murder case
Jill Behrman grew up in Bloomington and studied at IU. She was 19 when she disappeared on a bike ride in May of 2000. Her remains were found in 2003 in a wooded area off of Warthan Road near Paragon, Indiana.
Myers was arrested and convicted in 2006. He had not been one of the earlier suspects. Investigators concluded that Myers killed her out of anger over a failed relationship with a girlfriend. He was sentenced to 65 years.
Myers is being held in Michigan City at the Indiana State Prison. He could be released as early as 2037 on good behavior.
John Myers habeas petition ruling Oct. 17, 2023 by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
