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Conman Cleared But Coroner Finds Murder | Manchester News
Description
A conman who walked free after a trial claiming his wife drowned accidentally is now facing renewed scrutiny as a civil judge and coroner both concluded he murdered her for money. Donald McPherson, who took out $3.5 million in life insurance on his wife Paula Leeson just before her death in 2017, began draining her accounts within hours of her body being found. Despite a not-guilty verdict in criminal court, a civil judge ruled he unlawfully killed her — strangling her then drowning her in Denmark — while the coroner agreed, citing his financial desperation as motive. Police confirm homicide, calling it a miscarriage of justice, and say no one else is suspected. Now living in New Zealand, McPherson could face retrial if new evidence surfaces — including data from his old laptop — as the family remains determined to see him held accountable for killing their beloved matriarch.
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