An attorney for a Decatur man currently serving a 45-year prison sentence for a 2018 murder in Bloomington is appealing a McLean County judge's decision to deny him a new trial.
Anthony Grampsas, 24, was convicted in 2020 by a jury of murder for his role in the death of Egerton Dover, a 20-year-old man who was shot and killed Dec. 5, 2018.
Grampsas was not accused of actually shooting Dover but was charged under a state law that allows felony murder charges to be brought against a person if they are determined to be involved in a felony act that leads to a murder.
Earlier this year, Grampsas sought a new trial in McLean County, arguing that "newly discovered testimony" from three people believed to be involved in Dover's death would demonstrate that Grampsas is innocent, that he was neither at the crime scene nor knew that a crime would occur, and that his defense counsel during the trial had been ineffective.
McLean County Judge William Yoder denied the request for a new trial in late August, saying that testimony from the three people "is, at best, even if admissible, information which would discredit, contradict, and impeach other evidence or witnesses."
"As such, even if admissible, this evidence is not of such conclusive character that it would probably change the result on retrial," Yoder wrote.
The ruling also disputed the claim that Grampsas' legal counsel during the trial had been ineffective for "failing to object and bar the voluminous firearms evidence that the state presented, despite the fact that all of the firearms evidence was unconnected to the crime and defendant."
Grampsas was one of two people convicted for involvement in Dover's death.
Dover, prosecutors said, had been targeted for robbery after appearing at a gathering in Normal the night prior to Dec. 5. McLean County assistant state's attorney Sarah Lawson said some at that gathering were upset that Dover did not share marijuana with them despite talking about the large amount he had.
Grampsas and a co-defendent, Tyjuan Bruce, were accused of being involved with breaking into Dover's apartment in an effort to rob him of marijuana. Dover died after being shot three times; the alleged perpetrator of the shooting, Curtis Hairston Jr., died in an unrelated Decatur shooting a month later.
Authorities believed Grampsas drove Bruce and Hairston to Dover's home and waited outside for them, knowing about the plan to rob him; Grampsas has maintained he was not in the area and did not know about the plan.
A jury convicted Bruce in 2020 of murder and robbery; like Grampsas, Bruce was also convicted under the state law that allows charges of felony murder if a person is involved in another felony act that leads to a murder. He was also sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Attorneys for Grampsas filed an appeal of Yoder's ruling last month in the Fourth District Appellate Court.
