Allen E. Fryer v. Crispus Nix, Warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary

BOWMAN, Circuit Judge.

On the evening of November 17, 1973 a group of five teenagers went to Gitchie Manitou State Park in Lyon County, Iowa. During that evening in the park, four of the teenagers — Roger Essem, Michael Ha-drath, Stewart Baade, and Dana Baade— were shot to death. On August 13, 1974 Allen Fryer was convicted of four counts of first degree murder, largely on the testimony of the fifth teenager and sole surviv- or, Sandra Cheskey. On May 11, 1983, Fryer, having exhausted his remedies in the state courts as required by 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b), 1 filed a petition for a writ of habeas…