The case against a man who served 30 years in prison for a St. Louis murder is ended. A state appeals court has refused to overturn the order that released 56-year-old George Allen from prison.
Allen was released last month after a judge voided his convictions for rape, murder, sodomy and burglary in the killing of 31-year-old Mary Bell. St. Louis prosecutors declined to re-try Allen but Attorney General Chris Koster filed an appeal that today was rejected.
The judge last month said St. Louis police failed to turn over evidence pointing to another killer and called their interrogation of Allen “flawed,” leading to a quote, “dubious” confession.
In a statement, Attorney General’s Office Press Secretary Nanci Gonder says of the case, “Throughout this case, we have tried to meet the challenge of honoring our duty to prosecute as well as our commitment to justice. We appealed the trial court’s finding as part of the safeguarding process for serious criminal convictions. As previously stated, we defer to the Western District Court of Appeals’ decision, and will not pursue further action.”