Columbus man to receive new trial for 2007 homicide conviction
A Columbus man who was convicted of a 2006 homicide will receive a retrial after results from an investigation by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit found that evidence that was not submitted to discovery would have bolstered his defense.
A Franklin County Common Pleas Court jury found Mentae L. Humphrey, 36, of Columbus’ Southeast Side, guilty in 2007 of murder in the death of 27year-old Juan Munguia, of the city’s Far East Side.
Munguia was killed in April 2006 in front of his home while he was unloading his taco vending trailer. Columbus police homicide detectives allege that Humphrey shot Munguia in the chest during a struggle that resulted while Humphrey and another man were attempting to rob Munguia.
Munguia, who was shot in the chest, died hours later. After his conviction, a judge sentenced Humphrey to life in prison, with the opportunity for parole after 26 years. Humphrey filed for a new trial in September 2023, which was then referred to the prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit. The CIU conducted its own investigation, completing it on Feb. 23, and presented its findings to Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack.
Tyack agreed with the findings from the CIU, according to a news release issued by his office that gave no specific reason for the decision.
“There was conflicting evidence about the reason for the death [of Munguia],” Tyack told The Dispatch in a phone call Thursday night. He was asked but did not elaborate exactly what the evidence was that was conflicting.
Tyack did point out that Humphrey’s case — which was handled by thenprosecutor Ron O’brien’s office — was complicated because his initial trial ended in a mistrial after jurors could not unanimously agree on a verdict. The jury in his second trial delivered a guilty verdict.
Tyack said that he is unsure whether or not the prosecutor’s office will get the same result, but will make all evidence available in retrying the case. @Shahidmeighan smeighan@dispatch.com