TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from former Arizona prison inmate Ralph Corey, who was convicted of kidnapping a Williamsburg teen at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Ottawa 15 years ago and trying rape her. Corey was sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison. Corey’s first trial was declared a mistrial after a juror used a smart phone to research information about the case during deliberations. On the retrial, the second jury convicted him. However, Corey petitioned to overturn his conviction. The Kansas Court of Appeals held a hearing in October on his appeal and rejected it. In December, Corey filed a motion seeking a review of the appeals court’s decision. The high court filed an order this week agreeing to the review. Corey, who was in an Arizona prison, was brought to Kansas to face charges after a new cold case computer program used by the KBI matched his DNA with evidence in the case.
Thursday, July 2, 4 p.m.
