ATLANTA (AP) — The conviction of a teenage girl for the murder of her mother was reversed by the Georgia Supreme Court.
The court's unanimous opinion Tuesday found that a Gilmer County court abused its discretion by allowing "inflammatory evidence" that suggested the girl held satanic beliefs.
Debra Boring's 15-year-old daughter was arrested two months after her mother was found dead in the front doorway of their home in December 2005 with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, and she was convicted after a two-week trial.
The court found that the evidence was enough to conclude that the teenager was guilty of the crimes, but took issue with prosecutors' characterization of her "gothic lifestyle."
Prosecutors now have the option to retry the girl.