Justices decline to take Decatur County arson case

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The Indiana Supreme Court Wednesday unanimously decided to deny the state’s petition for transfer of Kristine Bunch v. State, in which a divided Court of Appeals ruled Kristine Bunch is entitled to a new trial. Bunch was convicted of the murder of her son, who died in a fire in their mobile home.

The state claimed Bunch set the fire that killed her son, Anthony. She was convicted by a Decatur County jury in 1996 of murder and arson and sentenced to 60 years in prison. In 2006, Bunch sought post-conviction relief, arguing in part she was convicted based on “junk science.”  The post-conviction court denied her petition, but in March, the Court of Appeals reversed.

The case will now go back to Decatur Circuit court, where Bunch can be retried on the murder and arson charges.

 

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