OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Alleged sexual misconduct by former Judge Timothy Henderson prompted a murder conviction involving the death of a 94-year-old woman to be dismissed.
District Judge Paul Hess ruled Dec. 20 that Robert Hashagen III be given a new trial date by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals because he was denied due process, according to court records.
Hashagen was convicted and sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for killing Evelyn Goodall, his 94-year-old neighbor, while burglarizing her home.
Henderson presided over the trial and is now accused of having a sexual relationship with a prosecutor Kelly Collins who assisted in the case against Hashagen.
“It is immaterial in this case that the sexual relationship between Henderson and Collins ended prior to Henderson’s rulings on the pretrial motions and trial,” Hess’s ruling states.
The ruling also states, “the existence of such an intimate relationship casts grave doubt on the impartiality of the judge and severely taints the ruling by the judge.”
Henderson resigned a few months later after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. (Fox 25)
