Paul Christopher Hildwin, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee

Summary

The court reversed the denial of postconviction relief, vacated Hildwin’s murder conviction and death sentence, and ordered a new trial because newly discovered DNA evidence identified the victim’s boyfriend, rather than Hildwin, as the source of biological material that had been central to the State’s trial theory. The court held that the evidence was admissible and, when evaluated cumulatively with the trial and postconviction evidence, weakened the State’s case enough to create a reasonable doubt about Hildwin’s culpability. Justice Canady, joined by Chief Justice Polston, dissented, concluding that the DNA evidence would not probably produce an acquittal or lesser sentence.