Oneida County prosecutors are considering a third trial for Kaitlyn Conley, who was convicted of manslaughter in the 2015 poisoning death of her employer, chiropractor Mary Yoder.
After an appellate court overturned Conley’s 2017 conviction earlier this year, she was released from prison, leaving her fate uncertain.
Conley’s legal battle has been ongoing for years. Her first trial resulted in a hung jury, while her second trial acquitted her of second-degree murder but convicted her of first-degree manslaughter. However, in January 2025, a New York appellate court ruled that her defense team had failed to block improperly obtained cellphone evidence, leading to the conviction being overturned.
Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville is currently reviewing the case to determine whether to prosecute Conley a third time. The Oneida County Sheriff’s Department, which led the investigation, has not commented on the matter.
Mary Yoder, 60, a well-known chiropractor in Utica, New York, fell suddenly ill on July 21, 2015. She was hospitalized with severe vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, but doctors were unable to determine the cause. Despite efforts to revive her, she died the following day.
The case gained national attention when Conley, a former employee at Yoder’s clinic, was accused of poisoning her with colchicine, a drug used to treat gout. Prosecutors painted her as a calculating killer, while her defense maintained her innocence.
As Carville weighs his decision, the case continues to unfold, leaving the Yoder family waiting for justice nearly a decade later.
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