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Martel Lee Update; Racine Woman Dies in House Fire

Nov. 2, 2024 8:30a

From WGTD News:

The judge in the case of a Kenosha teen who was convicted of sexual assault has given the state time to respond to a defense request for a new trial. Several jurors have said they were bullied into agreeing to convict Martel Lee of sexually assaulting a male classmate in a bathroom earlier this year at Indian Trail High School and Academy. Defense attorney Michael Barth contends that at some point during the elongated jury deliberations the burden of proof seemed to shift to the defendant. A review of a partial transcript of the trial and the police report in the case by WGTD showed that the alleged victim changed several aspects of his account of the incident. At a brief court hearing Friday, over two-dozen friends and relatives of Lee looked on. The purported victim--a recent immigrant from Columbia--was also present with a translator. Another hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 22nd. 

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A woman who was removed from her burning house by Racine firefighters Friday night has died. The first engine company arrived at the home in the 2100 blk. of Indiana St. within three minutes of being dispatched. The woman was pronounced dead at the hospital. The fire is not suspicious, according to a release from the fire department. No working smoke detectors were in the house.

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