New evidence undermined the 1982 rape and murder convictions that kept Case imprisoned from age 19 until his release at 65.
SANTA FE, NM — Carl Case walked free from a New Mexico prison this week after spending 44 years behind bars for the rape and murder of a teenage girl, following a judge’s finding that new evidence established his innocence and that no reasonable juror would now convict him.
Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Lisa Riley ordered Case’s release Tuesday, decades after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and first-degree criminal sexual penetration in the death of Nancy Mitchell. Case was 19 when he was sentenced in 1982 to life in prison plus 18 years. He is now 65. His release followed years of challenges to the convictions by attorneys and University of New Mexico law students who argued that witness recantations, new scientific analysis and other evidence undermined the original prosecution.
Mitchell, 16, was found dead near the Pecos River in Eddy County in January 1982. Case was among four people convicted in connection with her death. The New Mexico Supreme Court record shows that three teenage witnesses gave testimony that implicated Case, although the court later described parts of their accounts as inconsistent. Case testified at his trial and acknowledged being present during events involving Mitchell but maintained that she had fallen accidentally. A jury convicted him on Oct. 26, 1982.
The case remained in state and federal courts for decades. Two witnesses who had testified against Case signed affidavits in 2003 recanting their earlier accounts and saying they did not know what happened to Mitchell. Case continued seeking post-conviction relief, arguing that the recantations and other evidence showed that his trial was unreliable. His claims produced several significant court rulings but did not secure his freedom until this week.
Among the evidence Riley considered was a forensic entomology analysis addressing how long Mitchell’s body had been decomposing. Case’s attorney Clay Wilwol told KRQE that the scientific assessment indicated the body had likely begun decomposing before the time when prosecution witnesses said the crime occurred. That type of analysis was not available to Case’s defense at his 1982 trial.
The court also reviewed statements attributed to another man after Case’s trial that the judge found supported the defense theory that someone else committed the crime. Another person convicted in the case, who was a juvenile at the time, later said he had been offered immunity in exchange for admitting involvement. Riley concluded that the circumstances supported Case’s claim that pressure had been used to obtain false testimony against him. Other witnesses also recanted testimony over the years.
In her ruling, Riley said Case had met the demanding standard for an actual-innocence claim. “The court has no doubt that Mr. Case has shown by clear and convincing evidence that no reasonable juror would have convicted him in light of the new evidence,” the order said. The ruling represents a major change from earlier decisions that had left Case’s convictions intact despite repeated challenges.
The New Mexico Supreme Court examined Case’s claims in 2008 after witnesses recanted their testimony. The court’s published opinion detailed the original prosecution and the later affidavits but did not overturn his convictions. Case also pursued federal habeas corpus relief. A federal district court at one point granted relief and set aside his judgment and sentence, but the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision in 2013, concluding that he had not met the federal requirements for a successive habeas petition.
Case’s attorneys continued pursuing his innocence claim in state court. Marc Lowry, one of his longtime lawyers, said the defense team is convinced Case did not commit the crimes. Wilwol described the length of Case’s imprisonment as an extraordinary injustice. Attorneys said years of legal work, including efforts by University of New Mexico law students, contributed to the latest ruling.
Case left the Penitentiary of New Mexico on Tuesday accompanied by members of his legal team. His lawyers said he was experiencing both joy and the challenge of adjusting to ordinary life after entering prison as a teenager and spending more than four decades incarcerated. His release comes after a period that spanned major changes in forensic science, criminal procedure and New Mexico law governing innocence claims.
The ruling does not end the legal fight. The New Mexico Department of Justice is appealing Riley’s decision, according to KRQE. Case’s attorneys said they are prepared to defend the ruling before the New Mexico Supreme Court. Of the four people convicted in Mitchell’s death, one who was a juvenile was later released, another died in prison, and Joe Brown remains incarcerated. Brown’s legal team is evaluating its options following Case’s release.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.