Thomas Rhodes, 64, has filed a federal lawsuit against a former medical examiner and other officials, alleging they fabricated and withheld evidence leading to his wrongful conviction for the 1996 death of his wife. Rhodes was freed last year after nearly 25 years in prison, becoming the first person released through Minnesota's new conviction review unit.
The lawsuit, reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, names former Ramsey County Medical Examiner Michael McGee, now-deceased Kandiyohi County Attorney Boyd Beccue, and a Hennepin County investigator. It claims they provided false testimony and unsupported conclusions to depict Jane Rhodes' death as a premeditated homicide.
Jane Rhodes fell overboard during a boat ride on Green Lake in Spicer, Minnesota, in July 1996. Neither she nor her husband wore life jackets. The lawsuit states she lost her balance and fell, and Thomas Rhodes could not find her in the dark. Her body was found the next day by fishermen.
McGee, who examined the body due to the local coroner's limited experience, ruled the death a homicide, alleging Rhodes struck his wife and pushed her overboard. The Minnesota Conviction Review Unit later found that a forensic pathologist determined the death was not inconsistent with an accidental fall.
Rhodes' murder convictions were vacated in January 2023, and he pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, receiving a four-year sentence with credit for time served, leading to his release. The Ramsey County Attorney's Office is reviewing over 70 convictions linked to McGee, who served as medical examiner from 1985 to 2019.
“I have gained my freedom,” Rhodes said in a statement. “I now look forward to justice.” McGee did not return calls seeking comment.
