An Omaha man found guilty of first-degree murder of an army sergeant had his conviction affirmed Friday by the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Convicted in March 2019, Jason Devers is serving a life sentence for the homicide of Sgt. Kyle LeFlore on Jan. 6, 2018 outside the Reign Lounge nightclub. He was also convicted of using a firearm to commit a felony.
While Devers did not kill LeFlore, he was arrested for abetting the robbery that led to LeFlore’s death. Another man, Larry Goynes, attempted to rob LeFlore outside of the club but LeFlore fought back, according to court records. Investigators say Goynes shot LeFlore and stole his jewelry.
Goynes ran to the car Devers was driving and they fled the scene, records state. However, Goynes’ murder charge was later dismissed by prosecutors due to a lack of evidence and refusal of a witness to testify.
In his appeal, Devers asserted several claims his trial was flawed. Specifically, he objected to the termination of a witness’ deposition, admission of controlled substances and firearms as evidence and 13 instances of ineffective counsel at trial.
The court found all claims to be without merit.