A man in Louisiana, Jimmie Duncan, who spent 27 years on death row, was recently released on bail after his murder conviction was overturned.
Duncan was found guilty in 1998 for the death of his girlfriend’s young daughter, 23-month-old Haley Oliveaux. He was accused of hurting the baby and drowning her.
However, a judge, Alvin Sharp, has now said that some of the evidence used in the trial, like bite mark analysis, is not reliable based on science. Judge Sharp also said that it looks like the child’s death might have been an accident.
Because of this new information, Judge Sharp said that it’s not very likely that Duncan is guilty.
Duncan’s lawyer, Chris Fabricant, said that Duncan’s release is a big step towards justice, but the fight isn’t over. He believes that Duncan was wrongly put in jail, and it would have been terrible if he had been executed.
The lawyer also said that the case against Duncan was based on bad science.
The child’s mother now believes that her daughter’s death was an accident. She said her daughter had seizures and might have drowned in the bathtub because she was sick.
She also said she was not told about anything that could have helped Duncan’s case. If she had known, things would have been different for everyone.
The Innocence Project also mentioned that the child had several seizures and head injuries before her death.
Even though Duncan has been released, prosecutors are trying to get his conviction reinstated.
Duncan was one of many people on death row in Louisiana. He has been released after paying $150,000.
