The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld a pair of felony convictions that were handed down in Christian County Circuit Court in the past two years.
Anshanique Leavell saw her conviction on murder, receiving stolen property, and tampering with physical evidence charges affirmed by the Supreme Court Thursday.
Leavell had alleged several errors by the trial court. She claimed the prosecution and judge erred in admitting testimony at trial that she did not act in self-defense, denied her motion for a directed verdict, allowed testimony that she was affiliated with a gang, and several instances of prosecutorial misconduct.
In issuing its ruling, the Supreme Court said there was no cumulative error in the case that would force the verdict to be overturned.
Leavell was sentenced to 28 years in prison in October 2021 for the June 2019 shooting of Armareya Freeman at a Greenville Road apartment complex. Police said a third person had driven Leavell to the location to purchase marijuana from Freeman, who was shot.
Police made a traffic stop on a vehicle Leavell was riding in about 90 minutes after the shooting and found her in possession of a gun reported stolen from Livingston County four months earlier.
Meanwhile, Shakkory Willis appealed his October 2021 conviction on charges of robbery, burglary, and unlawful transaction with a minor.
Willis was accused of the January 2019 shooting death of Coryvan Thomas on Short Bethel Street. Dylan Stewart was wounded in the shooting that police said was part of a coordinated break-in with five other people. Stewart died in another shooting in December 2020.
In his appeal, Willis alleged faulty testimony was offered at his trial regarding cell phone records, improper impeachment of a witness, and erroneous closing arguments by the prosecutor.
The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Willis and the 33-year prison sentence on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and second-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.
The Christian County Circuit Court jury could not reach a unanimous agreement on a murder charge and a mistrial was declared.
Willis has a pretrial conference scheduled for June 7 as prosecutors look to again try Willis for the death of Thomas.