Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Nov 28, 2023
Kurtis C. Watkins, Appellant, vs. State of Missouri, Respondent.
Kurtis Watkins appealed the motion court's denial of his Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief. Watkins alleged his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to investigate and call three specific witnesses at his second trial. The appellate court affirmed the motion court's judgment, concluding that the motion court did not clearly err in finding that Watkins failed to prove his counsel's performance was deficient or that he was prejudiced, as the proposed witnesses would not have provided a viable defense.