The Mississippi Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the conviction of Donta Kirby for the murder of Lorenzo Halthon nearly four years ago.
Halthon, 28, was found dead on the side of Burns Road, north of Columbus, on July 2, 2020. Kirby was charged with murder and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
In February 2022, a Lowndes County Circuit Court jury convicted Kirby on both charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on the murder charge and two 10-year terms for the weapons charge.
In Kirby’s appeal, he argued for three claims of error, including ineffective assistance of counsel, improper limitation on cross-examination and insufficient evidence to support the verdict.
Specifically, Kirby claims his counsel failed to object to hearsay testimony and failed to object to evidence of guns in his possession being introduced for jury consideration. He also argued he was unable to cross-examine a state rebuttal witness and that there was insufficient evidence to charge him with weapon possession.
The Court of Appeals affirmed the circuit court decision, noting they found no merit in Kirby’s appeal arguments.
“We are grateful for the Court of Appeals’ careful consideration of this case and the thoughtful analysis they applied to the legal issues brought on appeal,” 16th Circuit District Attorney Scott Colom said in a press release.
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