Arizona woman’s murder conviction, death sentence overturned – CNN.com

(CNN) — After 22 years on death row, Debra Milke is close to freedom.

A jury convicted the Arizona woman, now 49, of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, child abuse and kidnapping on October 12, 1990, less than a year after her 4-year-old son was found dead.

A judge sentenced her to death a few months later.

But those convictions and the related sentence were tossed out Thursday by a federal appeals court judge. In explaining his decision, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals chided the prosecution for remaining “unconstitutionally silent” on the “history of misconduct” of its key witness, a Phoenix police detective.

“The Constitution requires a fair trial,” Kozinski wrote. “This never happened in Milke’s case.”

via Arizona woman’s murder conviction, death sentence overturned – CNN.com.

Court denies delay in death-penalty case | Arkansas News

LITTLE ROCK — The state Supreme Court on Thursday denied a capital murder defendant’s request for a delay of his trial, but it ordered a review of the court rules that allowed the trial in a death penalty case to be set just six months after the lead defense attorney was appointed.

Daniel Pedraza appealed to the high court on Oct. 5, after Drew County Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson denied his request to postpone his trial. At that time the trial was set for 17 days later, or six months after the appointment of Jeff Rosenzweig as lead defense attorney.

In oral arguments before the Supreme Court last month, Rosenzweig acknowledged that asking the high court to delay a trial was unprecedented but said that because the state is seeking the death penalty for Pedraza, the case deserved special attention. Pedraza is charged in the beating death of 2-year-old Aubriana Coke.

via Court denies delay in death-penalty case | Arkansas News.

COLUMBIA, SC: Man trying to sell Xbox, drugs found guilty of murder | Crime | The State

COLUMBIA, SC — A man arrested last year after shooting and killing one and critically wounding another in lower Richland County will spend his life in prison, officials say.

Jabriel Singleton, 21, was found guilty of murder and attempted murder after a week-long jury trial held at the Richland County courthouse, spokeswoman for the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Nicole Holland said early Saturday.

In January 2012, Singleton was arrested inside a Richland County motel room after an extensive search and charged with the shooting death of Dashawn Jones, 24. He was also charged with shooting Jonathan Frazier, 25, as the three sat in an SUV in Hopkins.

via COLUMBIA, SC: Man trying to sell Xbox, drugs found guilty of murder | Crime | The State.

Only on 4: New evidence released in Matthew Hinson murder case | News – Home

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

Channel 4 has obtained hours of video footage, including police interviews with Matthew Hinson, the man accused of killing William ‘Chris’ Pettry at the Jacksonville Landing last year.

Landing murder suspect pleads not guilty

Hundreds of pages of investigative reports capture some of the chaos and confusion from the night Pettry was killed on Oct. 6, 2012.

Pettry was visiting from Illinois to watch the Bears play the Jaguars that Sunday, but he never made it to the game.

According to police, Pettry was having a conversation with Matthew Hinson’s wife at Fionn McCool’s at the Landing. From there, police say Hinson slashed Pettry’s throat, killing him.

via Only on 4: New evidence released in Matthew Hinson murder case | News – Home.

Summerville teen sentenced to life in killing – WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC

ST. GEORGE, S.C. (AP) – A Summerville teen has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder in Dorchester County.

Prosecutors say 19-year-old Anthony Willis was convicted Wednesday in the shooting death of 18-year-old Justin Smoot on May 2, 2011.

Willis did not testify in the trial and his attorneys did not call any witnesses.

via Summerville teen sentenced to life in killing – WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC.