Convicted serial killer asks for new trial

? A man convicted in Kansas of killing three women, including two whose bodies were found stuffed in barrels on his rural property, says he did not receive a fair trial because, among other issues, prosecutors unjustly attacked his wife.

John E. Robinson Sr. was sentenced to death for the deaths of Suzette Trouten, 27, of Newport, Mich., and Izabela Lewicka, 21, of West Lafayette, Ind., who authorities say Robinson lured to northeastern Kansas with promises of jobs and sadomasochistic sex.

He also received a life sentence for the death of Lisa Stasi, whose body was never found and whose infant daughter was adopted by Robinson’s unwitting brother and sister-in-law in Chicago.

Robinson also pleaded guilty in Missouri to killing five women and received life sentences.

Robinson’s attorney, Paige Nichols, filed an appeal last week.

Nichols argued that prosecutors forced Robinson’s wife, Nancy Robinson, to cooperate by suggesting that she may have been a party to the crimes, although Nichols said the prosecution had no evidence that was the case.

“That attitude pervaded this case, led to multiple illegal searches, and resulted in rushed pretrial proceedings and a patently unfair trial,” Nichols wrote in the appeal.

Attorneys for the state have until Oct. 19 to file a written response to Robinson’s appeal. The high court likely won’t here the case until at least next year.