New DNA evidence overturns decades-old death sentence

TALLAHASSEE

Supreme Court overturns death sentence on DNA evidence

Based on new DNA evidence, the Florida Supreme Court threw out a death sentence for a man convicted nearly three decades ago of the strangulation murder of a Hernando County woman.

The court ruled 5-2 on Thursday to vacate the first-degree murder conviction and death sentence of Paul Christopher Hildwin based on newly discovered evidence obtained from DNA testing on a pair of womens underwear and a white washcloth.

This new scientific evidence completely discredits the scientific evidence that the state relied upon at trial when the state argued that Hildwins defense was not supported by the evidence, the majority wrote. In fact, exactly the opposite has now been shown to be true - the biological material matches the very person that Hildwin argued at trial was responsible for the murder.

Hildwin, now 54, was convicted in 1986 for the September 1985 rape and murder of 42-year-old Vronzettie Cox. Hildwin admitted to stealing a checkbook, ring and radio from Cox but claimed another man, Coxs boyfriend, committed the murder.

Recent tests on the underwear and washcloth, found in the vehicle in which Cox was located four days after she was murdered, showed the DNA belonged to Coxs boyfriend, not Hildwin, according to the court ruling.

But in his dissent, Justice Charles Canady objected that the new evidence didnt warrant overturning Hildwins death sentence. Canady noted that it shouldnt be surprising to find the DNA of Coxs boyfriend on her underwear or washrag since the pair lived together.

Because the now discredited evidence did not contribute to Hildwins original death sentence, Hildwin has not established that he would likely receive a life sentence on retrial, Canady, joined by Chief Justice Ricky Polston in his dissent, wrote.

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New DNA evidence overturns decades-old death sentence