I went to the courthouse expecting confirmation. I left with questions that would not let go – starting with the DNA that was found, and the DNA that wasn’t.

The retrial date is set. This time the State’s case meets a defense that has seen every card – and a public that thinks it already knows the ending.

The South Carolina Supreme Court threw out the 2023 conviction and sent the case back for a new trial. Here is what the ruling does – and does not – say.