Politics & Government

Judge Wears Nun Mask to Debunk Bank Robber's Defense

Judge Matthew Kennelly found Navahcia Edwards guilty in the 2011 "Nun on the Run" Palos Heights bank robbery—after playing dress-up with a nun mask, Sun-Times Media reports.

A federal judge modeled a nun mask to disprove the defense of a woman tied to a 2011 robbery of a TCF Bank in Palos Heights, Sun-Times Media reports

Navahcia Edwards, 25, claimed that she could not have been one of the bank robbers because one of the robbers was white—a claim her defense made based on inconclusive video evidence, according to the report.

Two witnesses claim to have seen Edwards' black skin behind the eyeholes of the nun mask, but Edwards’ lawyer suggested a white person might have painted his or her face black before putting on the nun mask, the report says.

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Doubtful of the elaborate disguising theory, Judge Matthew Kennelly tried on the nun masks. He determined the eyeholes clearly reveal noticeable portions of the wearer’s skin, according to the report.

In addition to Judge Kennelly’s experiment, there was substantial evidence to convict Edwards, including her purchase of the nun masks from an online store, according to the report. Kennelly found Edwards guilty; she faces up to 25 years in jail. 

Find out what's happening in Paloswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For more, read the Sun-Times Media report.

 


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