Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Feb 23, 2021
Corey McClendon, Appellant, vs. State of Missouri, Respondent.
Corey McClendon appealed the denial of his Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief, arguing the motion court erred by failing to conduct an inquiry into whether his counsel abandoned him and by concluding he did not receive ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The appellate court reversed and remanded the case, agreeing with both parties that the motion court clearly erred by failing to investigate the abandonment claim. The court instructed the motion court to conduct an abandonment inquiry to determine which motion, the pro se or amended, should be adjudicated.