Hall murder conviction upheld

ATLANTA - A man convicted of murder in Gainesville two years ago has had his appeal to the state Supreme Court rejected.

Steven Zane Teal was convicted in June 2005 of killing Lou Ann Shatto three years earlier at the Oakwood motel where they lived.

In his appeal, he argued that he did not have effective counsel and that the judge erred in denying several motions during his trial.

But, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously rejected his claims.

Teal was tried twice on charges of killing Shatto. The first trial, in October 2004, ended in a mistrial when the jury reported that it was hopelessly deadlocked.

Hall County Coroner Marion Merck said Shatto died of blunt force trauma. Shatto of Red Key, Indiana, had been living in the area for four or five weeks. Teal was from south Georgia and had been employed in the Gainesville area.

He is serving a sentence of life-plus-10 years.

Teal is serving life-plus-ten years.