State of Louisiana v. Jimmie C. Duncan

Summary

The court affirmed the trial court’s order vacating Duncan’s first-degree murder conviction and death sentence because newly presented evidence, considered with the entire record, established by clear and convincing evidence that no rational juror would have convicted him beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence substantially undermined the bite-mark, sexual-assault, forcible-drowning, and jailhouse-informant theories underlying the prosecution. The court granted relief under the statutory factual-innocence provision and pretermitted Duncan’s remaining claims.