
Convictions in baby's death tossed; couple freed from prison
Fox News
Ashley and Albert Debelbot were sitting in the same courtroom where, more than a decade earlier, they were convicted of murdering their newborn daughter. The district attorney walked over and apologized.
The Debelbots brought baby McKenzy home two days after her birth in May 2008. Roughly 12 hours later, they’ve said, they awoke in the middle of the night, noticed a bump on her forehead and rushed back to the hospital. McKenzy died hours later. Her parents were arrested the next day. The couple’s lawyers say the baby’s injuries occurred naturally and her parents are victims of a rush to judgment that cost them 12 years of their lives. The original prosecutor remains convinced of their guilt. The case was overturned not because of new evidence but because of statements the prosecutor made at trial and defense attorneys’ failure to object. The new district attorney decided it wasn’t worth retrying.More Related News