Judge denies new trial for Marni Yang, convicted of killing former Bear’s girlfriend

A Lake County judge this morning denied Marni Yang’s request for a new trial on charges she murdered a pregnant woman because she was jealous of her relationship with a former Chicago Bear.

Yang, 58, is serving a life sentence for her 2011 conviction on two counts of first-degree murder for the Oct. 4, 2007, shooting of Rhoni Reuter, 42, and her unborn child in Reuter’s Deerfield home.

Authorities say Yang saw the victim as a rival for the affections of former Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle, who was the father of Reuter’s baby.

During an earlier hearing on Yang’s motion for a new trial, defense experts testified the 5-foot-tall defendant is too short to have fired the fatal shot into the 5-foot-9 Reuter.

But in testifying for the prosecution, forensic expert Todd A. Thorne said the height of Reuter’s killer could not be determined with a reasonable amount of certainty, based on his review of defense experts’ reports.

Yang attorney Jed Stone also introduced crime-scene evidence he argued exonerates his client. That included DNA from an unknown man on five unspent bullet shells found at the crime scene.

Also testifying for the defense during a previous hearing, Steven Wade — a onetime apprentice at a Deerfield barbershop frequented by Gayle and other professional athletes — said the former Bears safety “just didn't seem himself” at the time of the killing.

This is a developing story. Check back to dailyherald.com for updates as they become available.