Clemency Petition Filed For Marni Yang Over Coronavirus Concerns

DEERFIELD, IL —A clemency petition has been filed for Marni Yang, who is serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the 2007 murder of 42-year-old Rhoni Reuter and Reuter's unborn child. The petition, which maintains Yang's innocence, asks that Yang be released "as quick as possible" to avoid the medical consequences of her possible exposure to coronavirus. According to the petition, Yang has asthma, Type 2 diabetes and a compromised immune system.

Yang was arrested in 2009 and convicted in 2011 for the murder of Reuter, who was pregnant with the child of ex-Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle, in her Deerfield condo. However, Yang's attorney, Jed Stone, filed a petition in October arguing that Yang was innocent of the crime and a victim of misconduct by police and prosecutors during the investigation and trial.

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 17: 25,733 Cases; 1,072 Deaths

The petition claims that a key piece of evidence, Yang's recorded confession to friend Christi Paschen in 2009, was concocted out of Yang's fear that authorities would charge her son with murder.

"No forensic evidence, no fingerprints no DNA, no blood spatter, no shoe wear impressions linked Marni Yang to this crime," the clemency petition read. "To the contrary, an unknown fingerprint was found on the kitchen door knob next to where Reuter's shooter stood."

Yang is incarcerated at the Logan Correctional Center, which is in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections website, four staff members of the Logan Correction Center are confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Stone could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

To keep on top of the latest coronavirus news, subscribe to Patch news alerts and newsletters. The latest updates on the coronavirus situation can be found on this page.