Myers was charged in connection with the 2000 murder and was sentenced to 65 years in prison in April 2006. He appealed the conviction because he claimed his attorneys in the case were constitutionally ineffective.
Behrman’s remains were discovered in a field 15 miles outside of Bloomington in 2003, three years after she went on a bike ride and never returned. She had just finished her freshman year. When her skeleton was discovered, prosecutors reported she had been fatally shot in the head.
Myers sought Post Conviction Relief (PRC) due to his belief that he had not been provided with effective assistance of trial counsel. He also claimed that the state had displayed misconduct during his original trial by presenting false evidence and false testimonies. His third reason for seeking PRC was his claim that the state failed to disclose evidence that would have been in his favor.
The court found that Myers’ counsel had been as ?effective as possible.
“Most of Myers’s claims of ineffective assistance are nothing more than quarrels with trial counsel’s reasonable strategic decisions,” the opinion reads.
The court also found that Myers could not provide any evidence that the testimonies used at trial were false or that the State would have had reason to doubt the testimonies. Myers was unable to identify any evidence the state had suppressed.
Myers has now exhausted all of his options for appealing as a civil case and will continue serving his ?sentence.
Annie Garau
