A man serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of a grandmother has raised a disturbing allegation nearly 27 years after her lifeless body was discovered in her residence.

Jeremy Motyka, now 50 years old, was found guilty in 2001 for the premeditated killing and sexual assault of Angela Spence-Shaw, aged 66. The tragic incident occurred in May 1999 at her house in Little Compton, Rhode Island, during the Memorial Day weekend.

The horrendous crime involved the grandmother being sexually assaulted, physically assaulted, and left submerged in her bathtub with a hairdryer plugged in. Motyka, who was part of a construction team working on her residence at the time of her demise, has consistently proclaimed his innocence and is now alleging that law enforcement planted DNA evidence as he seeks a retrial.

Motyka was 23 years old when Angela was brutally murdered in what was the first homicide in Little Compton in half a century. Angela succumbed to “multiple blunt-force injuries and drowning,” as indicated by an autopsy report, suggesting she was likely alive when she was immersed in the bathtub.

Angela’s severely battered body was found on May 30 by a friend after she failed to appear for work at Peckham’s Greenhouse. Angela was a well-regarded member of her community, and over 300 residents gathered to mourn her passing at a commemorative service about a week after her tragic death.

Shortly before her murder, she had planted various flowers in window boxes at the community center and was preparing to take on the role of president of the Little Compton Garden Club. Motyka was charged with murder and sexual assault after authorities matched DNA from his blood sample with semen discovered at the crime scene.

Motyka is pursuing post-conviction relief, citing various arguments and assertions, primarily focusing on his contention that his defense attorney, Michael DiLauro, neglected to engage expert witnesses to challenge the recorded time of Angela’s death and exclude him as a suspect. He asserts his innocence, claiming he had an alibi from 8:30 a.m. on May 29, 1999, until 1:30 a.m. the following day – the timeframe during which Angela was believed to have passed away.

He also contends that fingerprints discovered at the scene, including one in Angela’s blood on the door, could not be linked to him. Furthermore, he argues that the DNA evidence linking him to the crime, as claimed by authorities, was unreliable due to alleged mishandling and contamination by the investigator. He also alleges that other potentially exonerating DNA evidence disappeared from the rape kit. Motyka asserts that state police planted the evidence that was sent to the laboratory.

He additionally stated that law enforcement observed that he had no injuries within days of the incident, despite evidence suggesting Angela had put up a fight against her attacker in a violent struggle at the gruesome crime scene. Motyka, currently serving his life term in a high-security facility, alleged misconduct by the prosecution and claimed the judge erred in providing instructions to the jury.

His recent legal action was debated earlier this month in Washington County Superior Court, where a judge requested both parties to submit written legal