On October 12, 2012, Ryan Carter Poston, an American attorney at law from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, was shot to death by his girlfriend Shayna Michelle Hubers. After a trial in the Campbell County, Kentucky, circuit court, Hubers was convicted of murder on April 23, 2015. She was sentenced to 40 years in the Kentucky Department of Corrections on August 14, 2015 with parole eligibility after 34 years. On August 25, 2016, Hubers' conviction was overturned on appeal when one of the jurors in her murder trial was revealed to be a convicted felon. Hubers was convicted of murder during her second trial for the killing of Ryan Poston on August 29, 2018. On October 18, 2018 she was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 17 years, which makes her eligible for parole in 2032. The murder of Ryan Poston became national news, and Hubers was frequently compared to Jodi Arias.
On October 12, 2012, Shayna Hubers called 9-1-1 to report that she killed her boyfriend Ryan Poston in his Highland Heights condominium. Hubers shot Poston six times, but she continually maintained that the killing was in self-defense. That night, during her interrogation, she also alleged that her relationship with Poston had been abusive. Although she was read her Miranda rights, Hubers voluntarily spoke to police. When explaining the details of their relationship, she described Poston as "very vain" and that she "gave him the nose job he always wanted." She made statements that could be considered inappropriate under the circumstances, such as "I don't know if anyone will ever want to marry me if they know that I killed a boyfriend in self-defense." After being left alone in the interrogation room for several hours, Hubers began pacing and dancing around the room and singing "Amazing Grace". She also said aloud, "I did it. Yes, I did it. I can't believe I did that" and "I'm so good at acting." Hubers was arrested for murder, and she was held on a $5 million bond.
Trial
Shayna Hubers was indicted for the murder of Ryan Poston on December 20, 2012. On January 16, 2013, she entered a 'not guilty' plea to the murder charges. Two-and-a-half years after the incident, Hubers' murder trial began on April 13, 2015. She had remained in the Campbell County, Kentucky jail since her arrest, unable to meet her bail. Prosecutors argued that the motive for the murder was that Poston wanted to permanently end the couple's relationship. Defense attorneys continued with their contention that the shooting was in self-defense and that Hubers was a victim of domestic abuse. As part of their case, the prosecution, led by Michelle Snodgrass, put ontext message evidence that showed Hubers' obsession with Poston. Several witnesses, including Poston's family members, Audrey Bolte, and Hubers' former cellmate, testified for the prosecution. Carissa Carlisle, through whom Poston met Hubers, testified that her cousin was trying to avoid conflict with Hubers, and she read a series of text messages she had exchanged with Poston prior to his death. Poston's stepfather Peter Carter testified that, the day before his son's death, Poston confided in Carter about an upcoming date with Bolte, and was afraid to tell Hubers about it. The date was for the following night, on which Poston was killed. Audrey Bolte stated that, on the night of October 12, 2012, she and Poston planned to meet at a Milford, Ohio, bar for drinks at 9:30 and that she had been looking forward to it but that Poston had not shown up. Hubers' former cellmate, Cecily Miller, also testified, where she said that Hubers bragged about killing her boyfriend, saying that she laughed "about shooting in the face and giving him the nose job he always wanted." Miller also said that Hubers discussed legal strategy with her, saying she "was going to plead insanity, but she was too smart because she has the IQ of Einstein. So she was going to plead battered wife syndrome." Hubers did not take the stand in her own defense but relied on her police interrogation tape in which she maintained the killing was in self-defense.
Verdict
On April 23, 2015, after five hours of jury deliberation, Hubers was found guilty of Poston's murder. Following the verdict, the jury recommended a 40-year prison sentence. Hubers' attorneys argued for a new trial, stating that they were not allowed to present evidence and witnesses that would have shown Hubers killed Ryan Poston in self-defense. Her attorneys also asked the judge to recognize Hubers as a domestic violence victim, which would reduce the amount of time she would be required to serve before becoming eligible for parole. Under state law, Hubers would be required to serve 85 percent of her term before becoming eligible for parole, but her attorneys' motion would require her to only serve 20 percent of her sentence before she could be released. Four months after being convicted, Hubers was sentenced to 40 years in prison with parole eligibility after 34 years, as per the jury's recommendation. The presiding judge also declared that he did not believe that Hubers was a victim of domestic violence and that he had considered a sentence greater than 40 years.
Appeal
Following her sentencing, Hubers appealed her conviction. Her appeal was granted on August 25, 2016, overturning her conviction on the basis that one of her jurors withheld a felony conviction. Kentucky law prohibits convicted felons from serving on juries. Hubers' new trial was set to begin on September 18, 2017, but was delayed for four months to January 16, 2018. Hubers' new out-of-state attorney asked for, and was granted, a six-month delay to allow him time to prepare for the re-trial. Hubers' second trial began on August 8, 2018.
Second trial
In Hubers' second trial, she gave lurid details of her sexual relationship with Ryan Poston. The defense built its case around the assertion that Poston was an abusive boyfriend. After five hours of deliberation, a jury again found her guilty of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. She will have to serve 17 years before she can be considered for parole in 2032.
