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Louisiana Death Row Prisoner Freed on Bond as High Court Weighs Overturned Conviction

A judge set aside the 1998 verdict after declaring the bite‑mark evidence not scientifically defensible.

Overview

  • Duncan was released Wednesday on a $150,000 bond and plans to live with a relative in central Louisiana while his case proceeds.
  • Louisiana’s Supreme Court is reviewing the vacatur, with oral arguments expected early next year, as prosecutors move to reinstate the conviction.
  • Attorney General Liz Murrill objected to bail, but the high court allowed a district judge to decide the release.
  • The original case relied on bite‑mark analysis and autopsy findings from Michael West and Steven Hayne; defense filings cite video showing West pressing a dental mold into the child’s skin.
  • The victim’s mother now says her daughter likely drowned accidentally and told the court she believes Duncan is innocent, as Innocence Project lawyers call the forensic methods junk science.