19 Years Behind Bars: Wisconsin Judge to Reconsider Lawrence Paine Conviction

MILWAUKEE  — Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey A. Wagner has set a hearing for February 21, 2024 to consider whether Lawrence Paine, the subject of a series of stories on the Frank Report, is eligible for a new trial.

Paine has spent 19 years in Wisconsin State Prison following his conviction for the double homicide of Janari Sadler and Aaron Harrington on April 10, 2004. The prosecution argued that a dispute over a parking spot led Paine to murder Sadler and Harrington at their drug house in southeast Milwaukee.

The state’s case against Paine largely rested on the testimonies of Eric D. Howard and George Donald, who were present at the crime scene and identified Paine as the murderer. The absence of corroboration for Paine’s alibi also contributed to his conviction. Police did not find Paine’s DNA or fingerprints at the murder scene. They also did not find a gun, but recovered at least one casing.

The shooting took place in the upstairs unit of this duplex at 3011 A N 24th Place, Milwaukee, WI – the shooter(s) had to run out the side door seen here

Howard and Donald, along with Ronald Q. Terry, Rodney Hudson and the late L.Z. Jolly, who was murdered, were also present at the murder house. Howard and Donald were seen fleeing after the men were murdered.

Drugs and cash estimated to be worth $50,000 to $100,000 were reportedly found in the apartment of Sadler and Harrington, but none were reported recovered by police, according to a source speaking with the Frank Report.

In their bid for a new trial, Paine’s attorneys, Jason D. Luczak and Nicole M. Masnica, have argued their client did not receive a fair trial.

Lawrence Paine

Contradictory Witness Accounts

In the aftermath of the double homicide, multiple individuals were identified as being at the scene, according to police interviews.

Rodney Hudson, who was present before the shooting, told police that Lawrence Paine arrived at the house around 5:00 p.m. and remained until the shooting at 4:00 a.m. Hudson reported seeing Paine and victim Janari Sadler enter the kitchen, followed by a gunshot, a pause, and then several more shots. He identified Paine as the shooter and stated he and George Donald fled the scene in a car.

In contrast, Donald, who was also interviewed by the police, claimed he was at the residence when an argument between Paine and Sadler over a parked station wagon escalated, resulting in the shooting of Sadler and Aaron Harrington. Donald contradicted Hudson’s account, asserting Hudson was not at the scene of the crime at the time of the shooting. When police confronted Donald about Hudson’s admission of presence, Donald suggested Hudson might have been in another room.

Further complicating the case, a report issued on June 30, 2004 by the Wisconsin Crime Lab found DNA from six men at the crime scene. The lab identified Wiley D. Mallette, Victor Lee, Ronald Q. Terry, Ronald Banks, Donta Weddle, and Eric D. Howard from items including beer bottles, a Sprite can, a Minute Maid bottle, and cigarette butts.

Interestingly, despite witnesses placing Paine at the scene for hours while he consumed drinks and smoked, no items recovered from the scene contained Paine’s DNA.

DNA was collected from several items in the murder house – none of which matched Paine’s. (Click the image for the full report). Eric D. Howard, one of the men whose DNA was found at the crime scene, was interviewed several weeks after the fatal shooting. He told police that he had arrived at the residence early in the morning to collect money owed to him by victim Janari Sadler.

Howard claimed to have seen Lawrence Paine and George Donald at the scene, but not Rodney Hudson. He recounted that an argument over a parked car escalated into violence, with Paine allegedly shooting both Sadler and Aaron Harrington.

Despite seeing Hudson and another individual, known as Jolly, fleeing the scene and heading toward a nearby car, Howard denied seeing them inside the apartment.

Paine’s arrest the following week was based on the statements of Hudson, Donald, and Howard, all of whom were present at the time of the murders.

However, Paine disputed their accounts during an interview with Milwaukee Police Detective Katherine Hein. He maintained he was not at the residence during the murders. Instead, he claimed to have spent the night and early morning hours at the Club Paradise Strip Club in Milwaukee, from around 10:30 p.m. until about 1:40 a.m.

Paine said he then embarked on a five-hour drive to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to visit his son. According to his statement, he was in his car at the time of the murders and arrived at the Super 8 Hotel in Golden Valley, Minnesota, at 8:30 a.m.

Super 8 Hotel where Paine stayed

Ronald Q. Terry, one of six men whose DNA was found at the scene of the double murder, was taken into custody on unrelated drug charges in August 2004. At the time of his arrest, police recovered a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, identical to the firearm used in the killings of Janari Sadler and Aaron Harrington.

Upon questioning about the murders, Terry admitted to being near the crime scene but denied entering the residence. He could not explain how his DNA was found on a soda can, beer can, and cigarette located on the living room table.

Terry further claimed Paine, who was then in custody awaiting trial, was not involved in the killings, insisting that Paine was not present at the duplex on the night of the shootings.

Years after the trial, ballistics testing revealed that the 9 mm handgun found in Terry’s possession matched the characteristics of the murder weapon. Discharged casings from the gun were found to be consistent with those discovered at the scene of the homicides.

Ruger 9mm pistol 

None of this evidence was presented to the jury.

Suspect in Double Homicide Contacts Eyewitness Following Arrest

Following his arrest on unrelated drug charges and a subsequent police interview, Ronald Q. Terry reached out to Sherika Ray, a resident living directly below the site of the double murder. According to Ray’s statement to the police, Terry demanded information about what she had witnessed on the morning of the homicide.

Terry, whose DNA was among that of six men recovered from the crime scene, remains a significant figure in the ongoing investigation. His possession of a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun – identical to the firearm used in the murders – and the unexplained presence of his DNA on items inside the residence raises questions about his involvement.

 Terry Allegedly Intimidates Eyewitness

Following his arrest for unrelated drug charges, Terry allegedly attempted to intimidate an eyewitness to the double homicide.

According to Sherika Ray, Terry drove her to another location where he, along with George Donald, Rodney Hudson, and L.Z. Jolly – all of whom were present at the crime scene – brandished firearms and frightened her into fleeing the residence.

During a pre-trial police interview, Ray shared her account of the murder with Homicide Detective Gilberto Hernandez. She claimed to have seen approximately ten individuals flee the home immediately after the incident.

Paine was not among those she observed leaving the scene.

Ray reported hearing an argument escalate into a robbery, followed by physical altercation and subsequent gunfire. She did not hear any arguments related to a parked vehicle.

Despite requesting law enforcement protection, Detective Hernandez advised her that the safest course of action would be for her not to testify.

Despite her firsthand account of the events, the State did not call Ray to testify at trial.

State Relies on Single Witness

In the trial of Lawrence Paine, accused in a double homicide case, the State’s primary witness was Eric Howard. Howard asserted that Paine was the shooter who committed the murders over a parking dispute.

However, no physical evidence placed Paine at the crime scene. Neither DNA nor fingerprints linked him to the shooting.

The trial largely became a credibility contest between Paine and Howard, with the State challenging Paine’s credibility at every opportunity. This strategy underpinned the prosecution’s opening remarks, witness presentations, and closing statements.

Paine testified about his activities on the evening leading up to the shooting. He claimed to have visited a strip club named Club Paradise, detailing his parking spot, encounter with a pizza delivery man, and decision to return for a dancer’s phone number. Paine further testified that he drove to Minnesota to visit his son for Easter, checking into his hotel in the morning.

Detective Katherine Hein testified for the State, supporting its theory that Paine fabricated his alibi. According to Detective Hein, a thorough investigation, including reviews of Club Paradise’s video footage, failed to corroborate Paine’s account of his whereabouts that night.

Detective Hein stressed to the jury the importance of Paine’s unverified alibi, stating that if verified, it would result in his release from charges. However, the State repeatedly asserted through questioning Detective Hein that Paine could not provide any evidence to support his alibi.

Despite possessing video footage from Club Paradise, the prosecution did not admit it into evidence, relying instead on Detective Hein’s testimony that Paine was not visible in the tapes.

New Evidence Undermines State’s Claims

Nearly two decades after Lawrence Paine was convicted of the double homicide, new evidence has emerged that could overturn his conviction.

Milwaukee police inadvertently sent Paine a copy of the surveillance tapes from Club Paradise, a location central to his original alibi.

Contrary to Detective Katherine Hein’s testimony during the initial trial, the tapes revealed clear footage of Paine at the club, confirming each detail he had previously testified to – from his parking spot, his interaction with a pizza delivery man, to his departure and subsequent return to converse with a dancer.

Additional evidence includes bookkeeping records from the Super 8 motel corroborating Paine’s claim of checking in when he said he did. Furthermore, information about the likely murder weapon, found in possession of a man whose DNA was discovered at the crime scene and who allegedly threatened a neighbor, has also surfaced.

Despite these revelations, the State of Wisconsin opposes Paine’s motion for a new trial, asserting that this new evidence would not have significantly altered the outcome of the case. This stance is surprising, given that Paine’s alibi was a crucial part of the original trial, with the State consistently highlighting its inability to be verified by detectives.

The newly obtained surveillance footage and motel records contradict the State’s entire case against Paine. Paine’s lawyers have raised an intriguing point in their brief – if this surveillance evidence wouldn’t have made a difference, why did the State consider it necessary to spend the entirety of the trial discrediting Paine’s credibility and falsely claiming their investigation found no corroborating evidence?

The case of Lawrence Paine raises questions about possible criminal misconduct by Milwaukee detectives. Further analysis of the investigation and prosecution of Paine may lead to his exoneration, and potentially criminal charges against the real murderers and their possible accomplices –Milwaukee Homicide Detectives Katherine Hein and Gilberto Hernandez.

No Gun, No DNA, No Justice: The Troubling Case of Lawrence Chan Paine 

18-Year-Old Murder Conviction of Lawrence Paine Raises Doubts: Suppressed Video, Hidden Gun, and Controversial Witness Cast Shadow on Wisconsin’s Case 

Innocence Lost: Falsely Convicted Lawrence Paine’s 19-Year Fight for Justice 

Double Life Sentence, Zero Evidence: The Bizarre Case of Lawrence Paine’s Wrongful Conviction 

Unraveling the Paine Case: Potential Misconduct by Milwaukee Detectives Under Scrutiny 

Milwaukee’s Troubling Track Record: Lawrence Paine’s Story Adds to Growing List of Potentially Framed Black Men

Detective Gilberto Hernandez

Frank Parlato