Court rejects appeal in school killing plot

BOSTON (FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The highest court in Massachusetts has rejected an appeal by a man convicted of planning a Columbine-style attack at his suburban high school.

Joseph Nee was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and served nine months in prison.

He appealed based on the legal defense of "renunciation," arguing that he had abandoned a plan by a group of teens to blow up Marshfield High School and shoot everyone on a hit list of students, teachers and emergency workers.

In its ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court said Nee was not entitled to a renunciation defense because he did not acknowledge that he conspired with other students to commit a crime. The court said Nee failed to reveal and renounce his own crime.

Another boy, Tobin Kerns, was also convicted and served a 10-month sentence.