Jahn Henri Parker v. Michael Bowersox

Jahn Henri Parker was convicted in Missouri state court for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Loesch and was sentenced to death. Parker appeals from the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. We affirm that portion of the district court’s order which denies relief on Parker’s challenge to his conviction. We reverse that portion of the order which denies relief on Parker’s challenge to the sentence, and we remand the ease with directions to issue an appropriate writ of habeas corpus.

I

Parker and Loesch had a tumultuous relationship,…