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Criminal Law: Post-Conviction Relief-Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
Staff Report//April 16, 2026//
Defendant appealed the denial of his motion for post-conviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of trial counsel due to counsel’s failure to investigate the crime scene or present expert testimony regarding defendant’s alleged serotonin syndrome.
Where counsel reasonably concluded they had sufficient evidence to rebut the state’s theory, counsel had no duty to conduct further investigation of the crime scene, and counsel presented adequate expert testimony at trial on the issue of serotonin syndrome.
Judgment is affirmed.
Rice v. State (MLW No. 84623/Case No. ED113437 – 10 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Lay, J.) Appealed from circuit court, St. Charles County, Pelikan, J. (Edward S. Thompson for appellant) (Nathan J. Aquino for respondent)
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