The local man who had his previous murder conviction overturned due to a technicality with how his grand jury was configured, will head to trial next month after turning down a plea deal on Friday.
Gage Ashley’s attorney told the Citizen his 26-year-old client turned down an offer to plead guilty to second-degree murder and serve 21 years to life in prison for the 2019 shooting death of Joshua Poole during an attempted robbery.
One day into his first murder trial, the Auburn man pleaded guilty and was sentenced in late 2021 to 21 years to life before the conviction was overturned almost 18 months later after it was discovered a member of the grand injury that indicted him had a criminal conviction.
Three of the four other suspects in Poole’s murder have been convicted.
