MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Germantown man just convicted of murdering his wife is already planning to fight the verdict.
A judge sentenced Chris Jones to life in prison Saturday for killing Heather Palumbo-Jones in 2013.
WREG spoke with Jones’s attorney, Kindle Nance, on the phone. She confirmed he will appeal his conviction.
Nance can’t talk about that decision on camera, so WREG went to talk to attorneys who can.
The sense of relief Heather Palumbo-Jones’s friends and family felt after the guilty verdict was read may be short-lived.
Jones was sentenced to life in prison, but plans to appeal the jury’s decision as soon as he can, which will be right after he’s sentenced for the second charge of setting Heather’s body on fire.
Area attorneys said there are several reasons a person can claim for filing an appeal.
“Was there sufficient evidence in the trial that was presented? Was there something admitted in error that affected your client? Was there perjured testimony?” Eric Mogy said.
Attorney William Massey added, “The biggest reason of course is because there is an allegation that the judge made an error of law during the trial.”
Nance believes Jones has plenty of reasons to file and thinks he has a good chance. She told the jury in court most of the evidence in the case was circumstantial.
“Nine times out of ten when you send an appeal up to the court of appeals, it’s because they say there wasn’t enough concrete evidence that they committed the crime,” Mogy said.
It means Heather’s loved ones may have to endure this all over again.
Jones will be sentenced for abuse of a corpse on March 11.