‘Railroad spike murderer’ granted new trial nearly 30 years after death penalty sentence

XENIA — A man who was sentenced to death after he was convicted of murdering a woman with a railroad spike will get a new trial.

David Lee Myers, was convicted of aggravated murder in February 1996. A month later, the court adopted the jury’s recommendation of the death penalty as the sentence.

During the early morning hours of August 4, 1988, Amanda Maher, 18, was found barely alive near the railroad tracks on the south side of Xenia.

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Maher died shortly after being flown to the hospital.

Prosecutors said she died of severe head trauma from a railroad spike through her right temple and attempted strangulation.

Since his conviction, Myers has stated he did not commit the murder, according to court documents.

Court documents state that newly discovered DNA evidence from the scene does not match Myers.

Documents also allege other unreliable evidence in Myers’ trial such as faulty fingerprint examination, unreliable time of injury testimony, and the use of microscopy.

The date for Myers’ trial has not yet been released.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.

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