In 2011, Marni Yang was convicted of the brutal shooting death of Rhoni Reuter, the pregnant girlfriend of retired Chicago Bears defensive back Shaun Gayle. According to the prosecution, Yang murdered Reuter in a crime of jealousy — but is Yang innocent?
Reuter and her unborn child were shot and killed in 2007 in Reuter’s Deerfield, Illinois home, outside Chicago. Crucial to the Reuter murder case, Yang — who was in a secret relationship with Gayle — confessed she killed Reuter to a friend who was wearing a wire. Yang says she knew the detailed conversation was recorded, and she said she did it to protect her son, who, according to Yang, was under suspicion for Reuter’s death.
In 2022, Yang told ABC7Chicago, “I was just not thinking, beyond putting a stop to what was happening to my children. I believed once the case got into the hands of the legal system it would be clear I did not commit this crime.”
Marni Yang received a double life sentence
Despite a lack of other evidence linking Marni Yang to the crime, she received a double life sentence for Rhoni Reuter’s murder, but from the start, Yang maintained her innocence, claiming her confession was fake. As of 2024, Yang was serving her sentence at Logan Correctional Center in Illinois when, in late 2023, a judge agreed to hear new evidence in the case. Yang’s defense team says the evidence will prove she didn’t do it.
Reportedly, Rhoni Reuter had injuries on her body that forensic pathologist claims happened days before her murder. The gunshot angle has also been called into question, according to ABC7Chicago. According to Yang’s defense attorneys, someone much taller pulled the trigger.
Referring to the new evidence, Steve LaPino of MSI Investigations said, “This is just more proof to us that Marni Yang is not the killer. I believe whoever beat up Rhoni Reuter two days before is the killer.”
Marni Yang was back in court in late 2023
Years after she was sentenced to prison, an Illinois judge agreed to reevaluate Marni Yang’s confession and consider the new evidence presented by the defense, hoping that Yang could be granted a new trial. “The more I examine this case, the more I’m convinced of her innocence,” Jed Stone, Yang’s defense attorney, said.
According to Rhoni Reuter’s family, however, the case is closed. Reuter’s brother, Thad Reuter, told Fox32Chicago, “We believe [Yang] is guilty. She admitted to it. She was convicted of it. And we’re going to make sure that Rhoni’s voice is heard.”
Further details of the Marni Yang case are covered in the ABC 20/20 true crime limited series, Bad Romance episode, streaming now on Hulu.