Such A Heavy Burden: Based on a true murder trial. This item is unavailable.Such A Heavy Burden: Based on a true murder trial

Shayna’s life was forever changed when she got the jury summons in the mail. Everything happened so fast when she walked into the courtroom. Almost immediately, she was sequestered on a murder trial. It was the most brutal, cold-blooded murder to occur in the Chattanooga area. Anna Lee Richie was a very pretty, 21-year-old law firm secretary, engaged to be married. She reportedly met Ronny briefly at a party. Two weeks later, she was dead. Ronny Andrew Sawyer did not have an easy life. He ran with the wrong crowd, older than him, and he fell into the world of alcohol and drugs. He was an 18-year-old ‘dead end kid’. Ronny’s friend reportedly suggested they burglarize some houses. Ronny chose the Richie home. He had been there before with his friend, who dated Anna Lee’s stepsister. Ronny had drank beer and shot pool in that home. He knew the layout.Ronny showed up at the house around 2:00 a.m., wasted drunk, to steal the lawnmower in the carport. But Anna Lee heard a noise and she came outside in her negligee. Now facing death in the electric chair, Ronny was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated rape, aggravated arson, armed robbery, and grand larceny.The defense argued diminished capacity due to severe intoxication. The police had a signed confession from Ronny. He gave a full statement about what happened at that house for the five hours he was there. Defense council was convinced the police officers coached him and rehearsed the statement to fit their theory of what happened. Was Ronny a scapegoat for the police looking to quickly prosecute a young girl’s killer?Shayna did not want to serve on this jury. It took four grueling days for jury selection and she was sequestered on the very first day. The trial lasted eleven days. Thirty-three years later, the nightmares still wake her up at night.