The Missouri Supreme Court halted the release of a man whose murder conviction was overturned this week, hours before he was due to be set free after spending over 30 years in prison.

Christopher Dunn, 52, was ordered by St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser to be released on Wednesday by 6 p.m., according to court documents, an order that Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey had been fighting.

Just as Dunn’s paperwork for release was being completed, the Missouri Department of Corrections received word that the Missouri Supreme Court had vacated the order, and a stay is currently in place. Dunn remains in custody and no further action is expected to occur before Monday, Missouri Department of Corrections Communications Director Karen Pojmann confirmed to USA TODAY.

The Associated Press reported that Dunn’s wife was on her way to pick him up.

Here’s what to know about Dunn’s case and overturned release order from prison.

Jan. 6: Two Jan. 6 rioters named by USA TODAY are now in prison

Why was Christopher Dunn in prison?

Dunn, who is Black, had been in prison since 1991 and was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1990 shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He was 18 at the time and was convicted largely on testimony from two boys, ages 12 and 14, who both later recanted their testimonies and said they had been coerced by prosecutors and police, the Missouri Independent reported.

Why was Christopher Dunn’s conviction overturned then release blocked?

Dunn was convicted of murder and assault in 1991, but Sengheiser overturned that on Monday, finding that “in light of the new evidence, no juror, acting reasonably, would have voted to find Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt,” the Missouri Independent reported.

Judge William Hickle agreed at a 2020 evidentiary hearing that a jury would likely find Dunn not guilty based on new evidence, ABC News reported. Hickle did not exonerate Dunn, however, citing the 2016 Missouri Supreme Court ruling from Lincoln v. Cassady that only death row inmates can make an innocence claim.

But even after Sengheiser ordered Dunn to be released on Wednesday, Bailey appealed the ruling and the Missouri Department of Corrections denied his release while the agency waits for ruling on the appeal, NPR reported.

Contributing: Missouri Independent

New York has responded to Missouri’s requested intervention at the Supreme Court over Donald Trump’s felony hush-money convictions, arguing that the “extraordinary” attempted gambit by the Show Me State’s attorney general to sue the Empire State and shut down Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s (D) ongoing case ahead of sentencing — to the advance the “interests” of the former president — “seriously undermines the integrity of the courts and risks setting a dangerous precedent that encourages a flood of similar, unmeritorious litigation.”

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey (R) earlier this week drew attention to the opposition deadline by saying the high court had “ordered” the Empire State to respond to his motion for leave to file a bill of complaint on Wednesday. New York was always going to have to respond, but that reality does not mean the justices have taken up the case or that they will ultimately grant Bailey leave to file his complaint, even if Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito end up reasserting their individual beliefs that the court has no choice but to grant leave, as Law&Crime has discussed. This is a replay of sorts of the state v. state maneuvering that failed in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

New York, represented by its Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, summed up Bailey’s case as a collection of “generalized and speculative grievances of Missouri residents who wish to hear former President Trump speak in person at rallies in Missouri and fear that their ability to do so will be impaired by any sentence imposed on him, or by restrictions that have been imposed on his extrajudicial statements.”

Bailey has asked the justices for a stay of an already loosened gag order on Trump in the Manhattan case and to stay the former president’s “impending sentence” for 34 felony falsification of business records convictions at least until after the 2024 election, even if that sentence is probation.

New York has countered Missouri by telling the justices they should deny the injunction request and deny Bailey leave to file the bill of complaint. Missouri has failed to “present a proper controversy between sovereign States that falls within this Court’s original and exclusive jurisdiction” and it lacks standing because the attempted lawsuit is based on a basket full of assumptions, the opposition said.

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey speaks to reporters after taking the oath of office in 2023. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)

“It is speculative, because the potential sentence and speech restrictions may prove no obstacle to the interests of people who wish to hear from former President Trump. Sentencing has already been adjourned to September at the earliest and may not occur if the trial court grants former President Trump’s pending motion to set aside the verdict,” New York responded. “And he already can speak about all of the topics that Missouri’s declarants have attested they want to hear—including his views on the Manhattan DA, witnesses, jurors, and the trial court judge.”

“Missouri’s purported injury is also generalized, rather than concrete, because it is an interest that could be asserted by anyone,” the response continued. “Ultimately, the purported injury is not sovereign because Missouri is clearly and impermissibly seeking to further the individual interests of former President Trump.”

More Law&Crime coverage: Trump appeal says civil fraud trial judge rubber-stamped ‘lawless’ Letitia James’ campaign promise to punish violations that ‘do not exist’

Trump has a state forum to challenge both the hush-money verdict and the “mostly terminated” gag order restrictions — and he’s “currently litigating those issues. In addition, most of Bailey’s complaints are filled with baked-in assumptions about a sentencing that’s already been pushed back until September, if it’s going to happen at all following SCOTUS’ immunity case ruling, New York said:

Missouri’s theory of informational harm stemming from the (now- adjourned) sentencing, for example, turns on a chain of speculative inferences, including the assumption that: sentencing will proceed in September; former President Trump will receive a sentence that restricts his travel; this sentence will not be stayed pending appeal; as a result, he will be unable to travel to Missouri when he otherwise might have; and, in turn, Missouri’s electors or voters will not be able to receive information from him personally from within Missouri. Such a “highly attenuated chain of possibilities” is clearly insufficient to establish actual or imminent sovereign injury.

Warning that rewarding Bailey’s efforts would “permit an extraordinary and dangerous end-run around former President Trump’s ongoing state court proceedings and the statutory limitations on this Court’s jurisdiction to review state court decisions,” New York said the justices should not view complaints about “former President Trump’s ability to campaign” as an “actual controversy” between states warranting SCOTUS intervention in a local prosecutor’s case against an individual defendant.

“There is no merit to Missouri’s attempts to identify a cognizable sovereign injury distinct from the individual interests of former President Trump,” the opposition said.

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If there was any more proof to show that Eli Drinkwitz has made progress in ‘locking down the (Missouri) borders,’ look no further than the Missouri Tigers’ tight end room. Not only is rising sophomore Brett Norfleet, a breakout player for Missouri last year, from the St. Louis area but so are two promsing incoming freshman in Jude James and Whit Hafer.

With the promising potential of Norfleet, the veteran experience of others, the Missouri tight end room could help take the Missouri offense to another level this season. Their contributions, especially as blockers, should make the job of every one on the offense easier. Here’s an early look at the position group.

Projected Depth Chart:

1. Brett Norfleet
2. Tyler Stephens
3. Jordon Harris
4. Whit Hafer
5. Jude James
Walk-ons: Adam Molitor, Tucker Miller

Sophomore, 6’7″, 255* lbs

Norfleet’s freshman stat line, 18 receptions and 197 yards, doesn’t do justice to the impact he had on the field for the Tigers. His contributions as a blocker are obviously not visible in the box score. To become even more formidable of a force for defensive ends to get by, Norfleet bulked up from 235 lbs to around 255 lbs this spring (*atleast bythe account of offensive coordinator Kirby Moore).

He still earned a spot on the All-SEC freshman team and had impressive showings against LSU and Arkanas, catching two touchdown passes against the Razorbacks. The St. Louis product started to find his groove as a receiver later on in the season and should continue to develop that area of his game into his sophomore season to be a main weapon in the Missouri passing attack.

Senior, 6’6″, 243 lbs

Stephens brings size to the fleld but is a pretty one-dimensional tight end. He saw more playing time in 2022 than in 2023, but only caught five receptions in both seasons. In Moore’s offense, there’s not many opportunities for two tight ends sets. Stephens still saw significant playing time in the early part of the 2023 season but once Norfleet proved that he could play well in the SEC, Stephens’ playing time quickly diminished. Expect Stephens to be a goal line/short-yardage situation blocker this season.

Sophomore, 6’4″, 239 lbs

Harris made his way onto the field for all 12 games of his freshman season in 2023, thanks to special teams. He did not record a single reception. He was a three-star prospect but is a project that could take some more time to develop. He didn’t start playing football until his senior season and tight end is not an easy position to learn. Expect him to mainly play special teams in 2024 while earning some more opporutunities on offense.

True freshman, 6’7″, 255 lbs

Whit Hafer, from Joplin, Missouri, has incredbile size that make him a difficult receiver for anyone to defend. He was rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 53 tight end in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports.

He was a two-sport athlete in high school, also playing basketball, evident with his vertical jump and impressive athleticism for his size. Hafer, like Norfleet, was a dominant blocker in high school that will hope to translate those skills to the SEC. Expect Hafer to get some looks as a receiver and blocker this season if he impresses in fall camp.

True freshman, 6’2″, 211 lbs

Jude James was an overlooked prospect for most of his recruiting process before an impressive performance at a Mizzou prospect camp.

He was recruited simply as an athlete, also playing at safety at an elite level for Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Missouri. He’ll likely have to add on some size to be a consistent blocker but he undoubtedly has the athleticism to be a receiving threat who can make some jaw-dropping catches. Playing at safety seemingly made James adverse to contact. He will not be afraid to handle the dirty work as a blocker once he develops.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

Football Position Previews: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver

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