Yang Found Guilty of Murdering Ex-Bear's Girlfriend

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 16, 2011 1:30PM

After weeks of sensational testimony including secret recordings, tales of homemade weapons and calling the character of a former Chicago Bear into question, Marni Yang was convicted by a Lake County jury of the 2007 murder of Rhoni Reuter, who was pregnant with the unborn daughter of former Bear Shaun Gayle at the time.

Prosecutors built the case that Yang, a former real estate agent and lover of Gayle, found out about his relationship with Reuter and decided to kill her, jealous of Reuter's and other women's relationships with Gayle. Yang stalked Rueter outside her home and shot her in the abdomen and head six times on Oct. 4, 2007, using a gun affixed with a silencer she made from parts she bought at Home Depot.

Cops quickly discovered the depth of Yang's relationship with Gayle, but could not get her to confess when they questioned her in 2008. They ultimately enlisted the assistance of a friend of Yang's, Christi Paschen, to get Yang to confess to the murder on tape. Yang described to Paschen a detailed, well-organized plan, even admitting how she calmly fired the last shot into Reuter.

Yang will be sentenced on April 29. Her convictions carry a mandatory life sentence.