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Marni Yang, convicted in 2011 for murdering Rhoni Reuter in 2007, is serving two life sentences at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, Illinois. She insists she’s innocent. The case involved the shooting of Reuter, the pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bears player Shaun Gayle, in her Deerfield condo.
Her story is featured in Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 11, episode 25, Deadly Liaisons, first aired on May 31, 2023, on Oxygen. The episode re-airs on July 2, 2025, at 9:00 PM on Oxygen, streamable on Peacock, the Oxygen app, or services like FuboTV and DirecTV Stream.
The episode includes Yang’s prison interviews, Gayle’s testimony, and police footage. It delves into Reuter’s death, Yang’s conviction, and her 2024 legal push for a new trial, spotlighting new evidence and lingering questions.
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Marni Yang serves life at Logan Correctional Center for Rhoni Reuter’s murder
As reported by ABC News, on October 4, 2007, Marni Yang, a 39-year-old real estate agent, shot Rhoni Reuter, 42, in Reuter’s Deerfield, Illinois, condo. Reuter and her unborn child were killed when she was shot several times with a 9 mm handgun, two of which were in the abdomen, while she was seven months pregnant with Shaun Gayle's daughter. Yang, who was romantically linked to Gayle, acted out of jealousy, prosecutors said.
Shaun Gayle, a former Chicago Bears player, dated multiple women, fueling Yang’s obsession. She allegedly used a homemade silencer and a burner phone to lure Reuter, later dumping the gun in a dumpster, per ABC7 Chicago. No DNA or fingerprints connected Yang to the scene. Her knowledge of Reuters’ schedule and Gayle’s activities raised suspicion. In 2009, Yang confessed to friend Christi Paschen, detailing the attack.
The case gripped Chicago due to Gayle’s fame and the crime’s brutality. Yang’s defense claimed the evidence was circumstantial, pointing to Gayle’s shaky alibi. In 2011, a Lake County jury convicted Yang after three hours, handing down two life sentences without parole for the murders of Reuter and her fetus. Dateline uses court footage and interviews to show Yang’s calculated plan and the emotional toll on Reuter’s family.
New evidence sparks hope for Marni Yang in Dateline: Secrets Uncovered
As reported by ABC7 Chicago, Deerfield police targeted Marni Yang after tips about her volatile tie to Gayle. In 2009, Christi Paschen, wired by police, recorded Yang admitting to the murder, including silencer details. Phone records showed a burner phone purchase, and bank statements revealed Marni Yang’s background checks on Gayle’s other girlfriends. Arrested in 2009, Yang faced trial in 2011.
Her attorney, Jed Stone, argued Gayle’s barbershop alibi had gaps and suggested police overlooked him as a suspect. The jury convicted Yang quickly. In 2019, Stone filed a 750-page petition with new evidence: DNA on shell casings, a barber’s testimony contradicting Gayle’s alibi, and forensic analysis suggesting the shooter was taller than Yang’s 5’3” frame.
In March 2024, Judge Christopher Stride granted a Stage 3 evidentiary hearing, set for late 2025, to review these claims. Yang, now 54, remains at Logan Correctional Center, seeking a new trial. Gayle, never charged, cooperated with investigators. Reuter’s brother, Tad, pushed for justice. The July 2, 2025, Dateline episode includes Yang’s prison statements, Paschen’s testimony, and forensic debates, highlighting her innocence claim.
Stay tuned for more news and updates of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.
