Week 6 Case Analysis - UNITED STATES V GRAY Rachel Burns...

Rachel
Burns
UNITED STATES V.
GRAY


Josephine Gray: Defendant

United States: Plaintif
PARTIES


Josephine Gray was accused of killing both of
her husbands and her accomplice in the
killing of her second husband, Clarence
Goode.

Gray was indicted on charges of mail and
wire fraud relating to her receipt of insurance
proceeds on their deaths.

At trial, the district court admitted several
out-of-court statements by Robert Gray,
Gray’s second husband, concerning threats
that Gray had made against him and Gray
and Goode’s previous assaults on him.

The evidence included Robert Gray’s criminal
complaint against Gray for assaulting him.
FACTS


The district court admitted
these statements pursuant to
Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)
(6), which provides an
exception to the hearsay rule
when defendant’s own
misconduct renders the
declarant unavailable as a
witness for trial.

Gray was convicted and
sentenced to 40 years’
imprisonment.