May 03, 2020

KS high court: 'More than ample evidence' in Lemmie case

Posted May 03, 2020 11:39 PM
<b>DiAntre Lemmie.</b> Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office
DiAntre Lemmie. Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office

The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday found that there was "more than ample evidence" to support Diantre Lemmie's conviction of first-degree felony murder in the 2016 death of Adonis Loudermilk.

According to court documents, "In the early morning of April 26, 2016, in the parking lot of the Starlite Motel in Salina, Loudermilk died from a gunshot wound. Police concluded that Lemmie and Amber Craig conspired to rob Loudermilk and that Lemmie shot and killed Loudermilk during the robbery."

The court decision published Friday noted that "a Saline County jury convicted Lemmie of first-degree felony murder, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, fleeing and eluding, and interference with law enforcement."

In a summary of its decision, the Kansas Supreme Court wrote:

"On appeal, Lemmie argued the district court judge erred by admitting the hearsay statements of a co-conspirator, evidence that Lemmie was upset the night of the murder because of a missing methamphetamine pipe, and evidence that Lemmie provided police with the passcodes to two cell phones. The Kansas Supreme Court today held the district judge properly admitted the hearsay statements under the statutory hearsay exceptions, and the methamphetamine pipe evidence was properly admitted under K.S.A. 60-455. Further, even if the Supreme Court assumed admission of the passcode evidence was error, it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because no evidence from the cell phones came in at trial. Lemmie also challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction for first-degree murder. The Supreme Court held there was more than ample evidence to support Lemmie's conviction, including surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, and incriminating Facebook messages."