Published: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 1:24 PM CDT
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Since the lifeless body of Jesse Valencia was found on the grounds of his campus apartment in the summer of 2005, Central Missourians have been gripped by the trial and re-trials of his accused killer.
Ex-police officer, Steven Rios, was twice convicted for Valencia's murder and now a third trial may be on the horizon.
The salacious crime involving an extra-marital affair between the police officer and a homosexual college student includes allegations of hearsay and jury tampering. Through nearly four turbulent years, the case has garnered the attention of national media outlets, court watchers, gossipmongers and a well-known Missouri author.
Applauded for her contributions to numerous statewide magazines and beloved by young adult readers for her works of fiction, Barri Bumgarner seems an unlikely candidate to bring this true-life crime drama to the printed page.
