A Decatur man is appealing a McLean County judge’s decision to deny a new trial

The attorney for a Decatur man currently serving a 45-year sentence for a 2018 murder in Bloomington is appealing a McLean County judge’s decision to deny him a new trial.

Anthony Grampsas, 24, was convicted in 2020 by a jury in a murder case for his role in the death of Egerton Dover, a 20-year-old man who was shot and killed on December 5, 2018.

Grampsas was not charged with actually shooting Dover, but was charged under state law that allows it a murder charge that must be brought against a person if he or she is found to have been involved in a crime leading to murder.

Earlier this year, Grampsas filed for a new trial in McLean County, arguing that “newly discovered testimony” from three people suspected of involvement in Dover’s death would show that Grampsas was innocent, that he was neither at the scene of the crime nor did he know it occurred to crime. the event would have occurred and that his counsel was ineffective during the trial.

McLean County Judge William Yoder in late August denied a motion for a new trial, saying the three people’s testimony “is at best, even if admissible, information that would discredit, contradict and undermine other evidence or witnesses.”

“Accordingly, even if admissible, this evidence is not sufficiently conclusive to be likely to alter the outcome in a retrial,” Yoder wrote.

The ruling also challenged the claim that Grampsas’ trial counsel was ineffective because he “failed to object to and reject the extensive firearms evidence presented by the State, despite the fact that all of the firearms evidence was unrelated to the crime and the defendant.” ”

Grampsas was one of two people convicted for their role in Dover’s death.

Prosecutors say Dover became the target of a robbery after he showed up at a rally in Normal the night before Dec. 5. McLean County Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Lawson said some at the gathering were upset that Dover didn’t share the marijuana with them, even though he talked about the large amount he had.

Grandpa and co-counsel Tyjuan Bruce were accused of participating in breaking into Dover’s apartment in an attempt to rob him of his marijuana. Dover died after being shot three times; the alleged shooter, Curtis Hairston Jr., has died in an unrelated shooting in Decatur a month later.

Authorities believed that Grampsas drove Bruce and Hairston to the Dover home and waited for them outside, knowing of the plan to rob him; The grandfather claimed that he was not in the area and did not know about the plan.

A jury convicted Bruce in 2020 of murder and robbery; like Grampsas, Bruce also was convicted under state law, which allows for a murder charge if a person is involved in another criminal act that results in murder. He was also sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Last month, Grampsas’ lawyers filed an appeal of Yoder’s ruling to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.