Convicted R.I. cop killer wants conviction voided
Providence (AP) - A man convicted of shooting a Providence detective to death at police headquarters is asking the Rhode Island Supreme Court to throw out the conviction.
Esteban Carpio claims he wasn't criminally responsible for killing Sgt. James Allen due to mental illness.
Carpio killed Allen with the officer's own gun in April 2005 while Allen was interviewing him as a suspect in a knife attack on an 84-year-old woman.
The jury rejected Carpio's insanity defense at his 2006 trial.
The 32-year-old Carpio now contends the defense proved he couldn't be convicted due to mental illness. He also says the judge gave improper jury instructions and that his life sentence without parole is excessive because of his mental illness.
The court hasn't determined whether to accept the brief, which is double the length that rules allow.
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