Idaho appeals court rejects murderer’s 4th try to clear name

An Idaho appeals court has rejected a convicted murderer’s fourth attempt to clear his name.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports Friday that the Idaho Court of Appeals has denied John Lee’s latest petition, in which he claimed his concurrent life sentences are excessive and railed against the district court for abusing its discretion and denying his motion to withdraw his guilty pleas.

Lee is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in connection to the January 2015 deaths of his adoptive mother, 61-year-old Terri Grzebielski; his landlord, 71-year-old David Trail; and Moscow Arby’s manager 47-year-old Belinda Niebuhr.

Lee had entered Alford pleas to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery.

Lee had attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he was “psychologically coerced” into accepting a plea deal.