NASHVILLE – A federal appeals court is set to hear the case of a 37-year-old Tennessee man serving a life sentence for the kidnapping and killing of a southern Kentucky couple in an incident involving a Confederate flag emblem in 1995.
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati scheduled arguments on Oct. 1 for 37-year-old Frederick Dionte Morrow, who claims there’s not enough evidence to uphold the convictions and the racially-charged environment contributed to the jury’s findings.
Judges Dan Aaron Polster, David McKeague and Richard Allen Griffin will hear the case.
Morrow was 17 when he and three friends were arrested and charged with the deaths of Michael and Hannah Westerman of Guthrie, Kentucky. The two were traveling to Springfield, Tennessee, in a Chevrolet pick-up truck with a Confederate battle flag attached to a pole mounted on the truck’s tool box.
Prosecutors say Morrow and the other teens killed Michael Westerman while trying to kidnap Hannah Westerman. Morrow denied the allegation.