CINCINNATI (AP) - A federal appeals court has denied a death row inmate's bid for release or a new trial in the fatal shooting of a northwest Ohio woman in 1997.
Douglas Coley was convicted by a Toledo jury of the aggravated murder of 21-year-old Samar El-Okdi.
Coley argued his trial attorneys were ineffective and prosecutors were guilty of misconduct for using inconsistent theories about whether Coley or a co-defendant was the shooter.
A three-judge 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Friday affirmed a lower court ruling denying Coley's request.
The ruling says it doesn't matter whether Coley was the shooter since jurors found he caused the death through prior calculation or design.
Coley attorney Kevin Cafferkey says they will ask for full-court reconsideration or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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