No new trial in 2007 slaying, beheading

LANSING (AP) -- The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the life sentences of a man convicted in the 2007 slaying, beheading and burning of a River Rouge man. The opinion released Wednesday also means Jean Pierre Orlewicz of the Detroit area won't get a new trial. A jury in 2008 found Orlewicz guilty in the death of 26-year-old Daniel Sorensen. Orlewicz was sentenced to two life terms without parole. A Wayne County judge in 2009 ruled that Orlewicz should have a new trial. Orlewicz argued he was denied effective assistance of counsel during his 2008 trial because testimony from three doctors had been excluded. The appeals court ruled Orlewicz has not presented any infringements of his rights that warrant reversal. Orlewicz was 17 at the time of the incident. Published: Fri, Jun 17, 2011