Appeals court: Posthumous habeas challenge is moot

OHIO TOWNSHIP, Pa., Sept. 3 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania convict's parents will not be allowed to appeal his conviction posthumously, a panel of federal judges has ruled.

William A. Keitel, 59, of Ohio Township, died Aug. 11 in prison while serving a life sentence. He was convicted in 1998 of killing his ex-wife, Michele Keitel, 35, and her fiance, Charles Dunkle, 34, during a child custody exchange at a convenience store.

Keitel's parents sought to clear their son's name but the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday a federal habeas corpus appeal applies only to those still imprisoned. A prisoner's death renders any such appeal moot, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review said.