EDINBURG, Texas (AP) - A South Texas teen convicted of killing
his mother is seeking a new trial on the grounds some witnesses
contradicted their official police statements.
A Hidalgo County jury convicted 18-year-old Christopher Hughes
of killing his mother and sentenced him to 45 years in prison on
Aug. 12.
Attorneys for Hughes say some witnesses had inconsistences in
their statements during the five-day trial. The Monitor of McAllen
reports defense attorneys also allege some Hidalgo County sheriff's
deputies coerced witnesses to implicate Hughes. A court hearing is
scheduled for Sept. 9.
Prosecutors say Hughes shot 44-year-old Laura Hughes Doyle in
April 2007 to get access to thousands of dollars in life insurance
money she received after her husband died of cancer.
Christopher Hughes was 16 at the time of the slaying but was
certified to stand trial as an adult.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)