Court rejects rehearing for inmate accused in strangling

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010 | 8:36 a.m.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has refused to re-hear the appeal of death row inmate Patrick C. McKenna, convicted of strangling a fellow inmate in the Clark County jail in 1979.

The court in April rejected an appeal from McKenna but he then asked the court to re-consider the case on grounds of jury misconduct during the penalty hearing.

There were allegations that a bailiff told a juror that McKenna was wearing a stun gun when he appeared in court and that prejudiced the juror.

The Supreme Court said Wednesday the district court found that McKenna's defense failed to establish that any juror was told by a bailiff about a stun gun.

McKenna was found guilty in the strangulation of fellow inmate Jack Nobles after a chess game. McKenna and Nobles had an argument about a sexual act and McKenna started choking Nobles.

Earlier that day McKenna had been convicted of one count of robbery, two counts of second-degree kidnapping and three counts of sexual assault.

McKenna, now 64 and in prison in Ely, won previous appeals and had a third penalty hearing. Jurors voted to impose the death penalty.