OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal appeals court says six people wrongly convicted in a 1985 slaying in southeast Nebraska should get a new trial in their lawsuit against the officials who prosecuted them.
The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said Monday that a jury should decide whether Gage County officials conspired to build the case against the six in the 1985 killing of Helen Wilson in Beatrice.
An initial trial in the lawsuit ended in mistrial in January.
The wrongly convicted individuals — known as the Beatrice Six — served a combined 77 years in prison before DNA testing cleared them in 2008.
The individuals had argued that Gage County investigators recklessly strove to close the case, rather than seek justice. The six also argued Gage County failed to properly train investigators.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.