Thomas Rhodes
25 YEARS IN PRISON
In 1998, Thomas Rhodes was convicted of first degree pre-meditated murder and second degree intentional murder for the murder of his wife, Jane Rhodes. He was sentenced to life in prison.
On August 2, 1996, Mrs. Rhodes fell overboard and ultimately drowned during a nighttime boat ride with her husband on Green Lake in Spicer, Minnesota. Upon seeing his wife fall into the water, Mr. Rhodes turned the boat around in attempt to save his wife. In the darkness, he was unable to see her from the boat and so he jumped into the water. Ultimately, he was unable to find her and rushed back to shore and called 9-1-1. Authorities arrived shortly thereafter and unsuccessfully attempted to locate Mrs. Rhodes in the water. The next morning, fishermen found Mrs. Rhodes’ body about 9/10 of a mile from where Mr. Rhodes said she fell overboard and called police. While Mr. Rhodes always maintained that his wife’s death was a tragic accident and that he attempted every effort to save her, authorities concluded that he killed his wife by striking her in the neck, pushing her overboard, and running over her body at least twice with his boat.
Investigations by the Great North team and the CRU found significant issues with testimony that was key to the state’s case against Mr. Rhodes. Nine forensic pathologists reviewed the state’s case and Mrs. Rhodes’ autopsy and all determined that the state’s medical examiner, Dr. Michael McGee, was incorrect in his assessment of Mrs. Rhodes’ injuries. The CRU also retained and consulted its own independent medical examiner who disagreed with Dr. McGee’s assessment. The state has never brought another medical examiner forward who agreed with Dr. McGee’s testimony.
The Great North investigation also uncovered factual inaccuracies in the testimony of Captain William Chandler, who testified that he believed Mr. Rhodes misled investigators when searching for his wife’s body. However, his conclusions were based on the inaccurate claim that the lake water was nearly thirty degrees colder than it actually was on the day of Mrs. Rhodes’ death.
The state argued that, based on Dr. McGee’s testimony and autopsy report, Mr. Rhodes intentionally grabbed his wife by the neck, pushed her overboard, and ran her over multiple times. However, the nine other forensic pathologists plus the CRU’s hired medical examiner agree that Mrs. Rhodes’ injuries were explained by a single blow to her head, possibly from falling out of the boat or from a single unintentional strike by the boat as Mr. Rhodes searched the water; postmortem dragging along the bottom of the lake; aquatic animals feeding on the face; and postmortem injuries sustained to the body during recovery and transport. None would have called her death a murder.
The CRU investigation also discovered that the prosecutor’s office withheld evidence from the defense that would have benefited Mr. Rhodes at trial. This evidence, an interview transcript between Dr. McGee and then Kandiyohi County Attorney Boyd Beccue, includes Dr. McGee expressing uncertainty as to whether Mrs. Rhodes was struck by the boat just once or multiple times after going overboard. However, during trial, Dr. McGee testified that Mr. Rhodes struck Mrs. Rhodes multiple times with his boat, suggesting intent. The prosecutor amplified that unfounded testimony in his closing argument by saying that the multiple boat strikes proved premeditated murder.
GN-IP represented Thomas since 2013. Former GN-IP legal director Julie Jonas led Mr. Rhodes’ legal team which included pro bono attorneys Alexandra Olson and Samuel Lockner of Carlson Caspers law firm, Mark Bradford of Bradford Andresen Norrie & Camaratto law firm, former pro bono attorney David Schultz of Maslon LLP, Great North staff attorney Jim Mayer, Great North legal fellow Anna McGinn, and countless students from the University of Minnesota and Mitchell Hamline law schools. Former GN-IP staff attorney Sara Martin contributed significant early work on the case, as well.