- Jimmie "Chris" Duncan was released from Louisiana's death row after nearly three decades, following the overturning of his 1998 first-degree murder conviction.
- His conviction for the rape and murder of 23-month-old Haley Oliveaux was vacated after courts deemed the original bite-mark evidence "junk science" and "not scientifically defensible."
- The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that "no rational juror" would convict Duncan based on the new scientific evidence, which suggests the toddler's death was consistent with accidental drowning.
- Haley Oliveaux's mother, Allison Layton Statham, testified that she no longer believes Duncan killed her daughter, stating Haley died from an accidental drowning and accusing prosecutors of creating a false narrative.
- Duncan was released on a $150,000 bond, though prosecutors continue to seek reinstatement of his conviction and the death penalty, with the case remaining under review by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
IN FULL
He spent 27 years on death row. Now a judge says the science used to convict him couldn’t be trusted
