Court denies appeal of death sentence for 1989 killing of KC teen Ann Harrison

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld the death sentence of a man who was convicted in the 1989 kidnapping, rape and killing of a 15-year-old Kansas City girl.

Roderick Nunley was one of two men who pleaded guilty and were sentenced to death for the killing of Ann Harrison, who was waiting for a school bus in front of her house when they abducted her.

Co-defendant Michael A. Taylor was executed in February 2014.

In its ruling Monday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s earlier decision rejecting Nunley’s argument that he had the right to be sentenced by a jury instead of a judge.

Nunley was not entitled to a new sentencing hearing because he “unequivocally” waived jury sentencing when he pleaded guilty, the court ruled.

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Court denies appeal of death sentence for 1989 killing of KC teen Ann Harrison."