An Arizona court has over­turned the con­vic­tion of death row inmate Clarence Hill because of new DNA evi­dence. The court not­ed that, ​“It is more like­ly than not that no rea­son­able juror would have con­vict­ed Mr. Hill in light of the present DNA evi­dence.” Hill has spent 15 years on death row for the mur­der of his land­lord, but new DNA tests have revealed that the vic­tim was not the source of the blood found on Hill’s cloth­ing and bed­sheets dur­ing the inves­ti­ga­tion. The blood was used as evi­dence in the state’s case against Hill. Defense attor­neys are now seek­ing his release. The state’s Attorney General must decide with­in weeks whether to appeal the court’s rul­ing or have the case sent back to Mohave County, where pros­e­cu­tors can decide if Hill will face a new tri­al. (The Arizona Republic, April 20, 2005).

Since 1973, 119 per­sons have been exon­er­at­ed and freed from death row, includ­ing 13 who have been found inno­cent through DNA test­ing. Seven peo­ple have been exon­er­at­ed from Arizona’s death row, includ­ing Ray Krone who was freed based on DNA evidence. 

See Innocence.

Citation Guide