State v. Simpson

On September 3, 1985, Gail Janet Simpson died as a result of gunshot wounds to her head. She was the mother of defendant, Stacy Meehelle Simpson (Stacy), who was born June 23, 1971. This tragedy commenced an almost seven-year odyssey of Stacy’s case which touched all levels of the Missouri court system, traveled through two federal courts and, finally, back here on direct appeal. That circuitous path will be briefly related for understanding of this tardy appeal.

Upon Stacy’s “Alford” 1 plea of guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter, she was sentenced on November 3, 1986, to an…