Death row mum free after 22 years

An Arizona woman who spent more than two decades on death row in her four-year-old son’s killing saw her murder charge dismissed, bringing an end to a controversial case that relied almost entirely on the work of a detective with a long history of misconduct.

Debra Milke hugged her supporters and sobbed as she left the courtroom where a judge formally dismissed the case, saying it cannot be tried again, less than a week after prosecutors lost their final appeal.

In a brief hearing, Judge Rosa Mroz also allowed Milke, who has been free on bail since 2013, to have her electronic-monitoring ankle bracelet removed.