@sfnewmexican: Carl Case walked out the Penitentiary of New Mexico at sunset Tuesday, a free man for the first time in 44 years. Case was convicted in 1982 of the rape and murder of Nancy Mitchell — a teenage girl who was found dead on the banks of the Pecos River near Carlsbad — and sentenced to life in prison plus 14 years. He was 19 when he was arrested and 65 when he was released Tuesday, after a hearing in which state District Judge Lisa Riley said she was convinced by new evidence that he was innocent, according to lawyers from the Rothestein Donatelli law firm. Attorneys Marc Lowry and Clay Wilwol said in phone interviews they believe Case is one of the first — if not the first — New Mexico inmate to be released from prison by meeting the standard to prove his “actual innocence” since the state Supreme Court issued a ruling in 2007 paving the way for such claims. Three generations of lawyers from Rothestein Donatelli have worked on Case’s case over the years, filing appeals based on errors during his trial. The New Mexico Innocence and Justice Project and University of New Mexico law students — including Todd Coberly, now a First Judicial District Court judge — also helped develop the evidence that freed Case. Read more at https://www.santafenewmexican.com ✍️:Phaedra Haywood | The Santa Fe New Mexican . #newmexico #courts #justicesystem

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Wednesday 28 October 2026 20:07:53 GMT