Michigan Supreme Court Denies Appeal of Man Who Killed Poker Player Susie Zhao
The man convicted in 2022 for the gruesome murder of poker player and commentator Susie Zhao was denied an appeal by the Michigan Supreme Court.
The move from Michigan's highest court, first reported by poker journalist Haley Hintze, puts an end to the legal recourse available to Jeffery Bernard Morris, who was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in October 2022 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
No Appeal for Poker Player's Killer
In July 2020, Morris brutally murdered 33-year-old Zhao, a regular in the Los Angeles poker scene who had moved to Michigan to live with family during the pandemic. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 after what Michigan Judge Martha Anderson called an "agonizing" trial.
After his conviction, Morris filed a post-conviction motion, arguing a speedy-trial issue, and also filed an appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals.
In his appeal, Morris argued that "his right to a speedy trial was violated" and that "his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to identification testimony, opinion testimony about shoplifting tactics, and speedy-trial issues."
Morris further argued that "he is entitled to a new trial on the basis of the cumulative effect of the preceding errors." The Michigan Court of Appeals disagreed with Morris and affirmed his conviction in a March decision.
"Morris has failed to establish that any errors of consequence occurred. Therefore, reversal of his conviction due to cumulative error is not warranted," the appeals court wrote.
In a final appeal effort, Morris asked the Michigan Supreme Court to take up the case, which they declined to do on Aug. 29 "because we are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court."
Zhao was a regular on cash game streams like "Live at the Bike" and had $224,671 in Hendon Mob earnings, including several deep runs in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
Morris' 2022 trial revealed disturbing details about the murder and sexual assault case and offered insight into Zhao's struggle with mental illness, including being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
