Killing of Mary Yoder
Mary Louise Yoder (March 18, 1955 – July 22, 2015)[1] was a chiropractor who died of poisoning, allegedly by the receptionist at her practice. The receptionist, Kaitlyn Conley, was convicted of manslaughter in 2018, after a first trial ended in a mistrial. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 2025.
History
[edit]Yoder and her husband ran a small chiropractor's office together in Whitesboro, New York. She had been in good health, but her health declined precipitously in July of 2015, ending in her death.[2] Yoder's relatives believed the death was suspicious and contacted law enforcement. An autopsy determined that Yoder's death was caused by the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine, and ruled it a homicide.[3] The Oneida County Sheriff's office received an anonymous letter in November that accused Yoder's son Adam of the killing. Adam's jeep was searched and a bottle of colchicine was found under a seat. However, he was out of town when the poisoning took place, and he said the bottle was planted.[4]
The focus of the investigation centered on Kaitlyn Conley, who worked as a receptionist at the office, and had dated Adam Yoder. Conley was charged with second-degree murder in July 2016, accused of having poisoned Yoder at lunch during work.[3][5] Conley acknowledged writing the letter and maintained that Adam was responsible for the poisoning. At trial, the defense pointed to Mary's husband Bill as the killer.[4]
Conley's first trial, in May 2017, failed to produce a unanimous verdict and was declared a mistrial.[6] In a second trial concluding January 2018, Conley was acquitted of second-degree murder but convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 23 years in prison.[7][8]
In 2019, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by the Utica Observer-Dispatch regarding access to juror questionnaires in Conley's trial.[9]
Conley's conviction was overturned in February 2025, when the New York Court of Appeals ruled that evidence from her cell phone was improperly obtained and should not have been allowed in court.[10] A motion from the district attorney of Oneida County, New York to hold her pending a new indictment was denied by a county judge, and she was released from prison.[5]
As of August 2025[update], the district attorney of Oneida County is pursuing a third trial against Conley.[11][4][12]
Media
[edit]The poisoning was presented on Forensic Files II, My Favorite Murder, and Crime Watch Daily,[13] and twice on Dateline NBC.[14][2] Conley was interviewed in the Hulu miniseries Little Miss Innocent.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Dr. Mary Louise (Bakert) Yoder Obituary". Dr. Mary Louise (Bakert) Yoder Obituary. 2015-10-04. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b Sederstrom, Jill (2025-03-21). "New York Chiropractor Is Poisoned, Leading to "Dramatic" Court Decision: "We Just Want the Truth"". NBC. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b "NY woman charged with fatally poisoning chiropractor boss". AP News. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b c "After two murder trials and a conviction, woman accused of poisoning her boss awaits news of whether she'll be tried again". NBC News. 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ a b Hayes, Anne (2025-02-05). "Kaitlyn Conley released from custody after manslaughter conviction overturned". syracuse. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Retrial begins for New York woman charged with killing boss". AP News. 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "New York woman gets prison in boss-poisoning death". AP News. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Dziemianowicz, Joe (2021-02-13). "Woman Fatally Poisoned Former Boyfriend's Mom To Get Toxic Revenge On Her Ex". Oxygen. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Supreme Court won't hear New York juror information case". AP News. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Court tosses conviction of NY woman in her boss' poisoning death". AP News. 2025-02-01. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Russell, Lane (2025-04-18). "Oneida County DA to present new evidence in Mary Yoder death case". WSTM. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Moss, Jon (2025-04-17). "New grand jury to hear evidence in poisoning death after Kaitlyn Conley conviction overturned". syracuse. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Doran, Elizabeth (2018-03-20). "'A Deadly Dose': National TV show features Kaitlyn Conley poisoning case". syracuse. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Buckshot, Sarah Moses (2017-11-30). "'Dateline' to air episode on poisoning death of Mary Yoder, Kaitlyn Conley case". syracuse. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (2024-09-12). "Hulu Picks Up ABC News Studios Docuseries 'Little Miss Innocent: Passion. Poison. Prison.' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2025-08-09.