Thomas Rhodes, wrongfully convicted of murder in wife's death, sues former Ramsey County medical examiner
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man wrongfully convicted of murder in his wife's drowning death is now suing.
The lawsuit comes just days after Thomas Rhodes was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Moose Lake.
Rhodes was found guilty of first- and second-degree murder in July 1998 after Jane Rhodes fell overboard and drowned during a nighttime boat ride together on Green Lake in Spicer.
RELATED: Thomas Rhodes, imprisoned for 1998 murder of his wife, vacated of murder convictions
Dr. Michael McGee, the Ramsey County medical examiner at the time, argued during the trial Rhodes had intentionally grabbed his wife's neck, pushed her overboard and drove over her multiple times.
An independent opinion on the death investigation was given after McGee's credibility came into question. The new findings suggest the medical evidence used in the conviction was flawed.
Even though Rhodes' murder convictions were vacated, he still stands convicted of second-degree manslaughter.
McGee's testimonies in hundreds of cases are under review.