To many people in Greenwood County, the case against Scott Cheever seemed cut and dried.
"If you kill a cop, you get sentenced to death, you die," James Hilmer says.
People in the Eureka area say they never expected the Kansas Supreme Court would overturn Cheever's capital murder conviction. He was sentenced to death for shooting Sheriff Matt Samuels.
"It was well documented that it was him that did it," Steve Heinemann says.
Cheever admitted to shooting Samuels while high on meth, when Samuels arrived to serve a warrant. But the defense claimed it wasn't premeditated.
Samuels was a popular community leader.
"He was a good friend," Hilmer says.
Hilmer shares the thoughts of many people in town.
"Everybody agreed that Cheever got what he deserved," Hilmer says. "Matt didn't deserve to get shot."
But the Supreme Court says a phsychiatrist's testimony violated Cheever's rights. That's something local restaurant owner Cindy Saunders doesn't accept.
"I couldn't believe it," Saunders says.
Saunders also says Samuels was a good friend, and she catered Cheever's trial.
"I took food up there every day for weeks," Saunders says. "He was guilty. I don't know why we have to go through this all again."
That's the overwhelming sentiment in Eureka.
"I think it's an utter waste of the taxpayers' money," Heinemann says.
They say a new trial will also reopen old wounds that have taken a long time to heal.
