BCA Case #: 62-K2-01-00673
DOC #: 167165
Conviction Date: July 25, 2001
Location: Faribault, Minnesota

Areece Manley was convicted in Ramsey County for the November 5, 2000 death of Latisha in St. Paul. Newly discovered evidence obtained through a 2022 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request raises serious concerns about the integrity of the investigation and trial.

From the beginning, investigators labeled the case a domestic violence murder based on a dark mark near the victim’s eye. However, the medical examiner, Dr. Susan Roe, confirmed the mark was caused by blood leakage and not blunt force trauma, meaning the victim had not been beaten.

Additionally, the medical examiner’s findings did not support the claim that the victim had been shot through the mouth, despite a statement later attributed to one of the children.

Early 911 recordings captured the children saying they did not know what happened, and a neighbor who stayed with them for hours confirmed the same. However, after repeated interviews with police, one child’s statement changed and was reported in the media as him claiming he saw Areece place a gun in his mother’s mouth and shoot her.

This claim quickly spread across news outlets and reportedly reached city and state officials demanding justice. Yet the statement did not match the medical examiner’s forensic findings, raising serious concerns about the reliability of the testimony.

Records also show that at the time of the 911 call, Areece was in Kansas City — approximately 11 hours away from St. Paul. Bus records and witnesses further confirm he had traveled out of state that same day.

Additional concerns include allegations that homicide detectives threatened key witnesses who had information and crime scene evidence pointing to possible involvement of California gang members in the murder.

Further issues include untested DNA evidence, suppressed witnesses, altered reports, and possible collusion between the prosecutor and defense counsel, raising serious constitutional concerns.

These facts raise violations of due process, Brady disclosure requirements, and the Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel.

Areece Manley maintains his innocence and continues to seek justice.