Former Putnam Twp. Man's Murder Conviction UpheldFormer Putnam Twp. Man's Murder Conviction Upheld

1/15/14 - The conviction and life sentence of a former Putnam Township man convicted of murder has been upheld. 49-year-old Shane Roscoe was sentenced in 2012 to a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole after a Washtenaw County jury found him guilty of open murder in the 2006 death of 55-year-old William Sam Kenney. Roscoe appealed the conviction to the Michigan Court of Appeals claiming he had ineffective legal counsel and that the court improperly admitted evidence against him including hearsay testimony. In a ruling released today, the appeals panel rejected those claims and upheld the conviction and life sentence. Roscoe previously worked at an auto dealership is Scio Township, where authorities say he and a co-defendant, 33-year-old Jonathon Aiden, broke into in August of 2006 to steal auto-related equipment and materials. When Kenney, an employee, came upon them during the break-in, prosecutors say the pair hit him on the head with a hard object and then struck him with a car. Kenney died 27 days later from his injuries. Roscoe, who has a lengthy criminal history, was a candidate for Putnam Township supervisor when he was originally arrested in 2006 on suspicion of being involved in the incident although he wasn’t charged until 2011. Aiden was convicted of first degree murder in the case last year and is also serving a life sentence. (JK)