An Ohio woman accused of microwaving her 1-month-old infant to death back in 2005 had her murder conviction overturned by the state appeals court on Friday.


China Arnold (pictured), was sentenced to life without parole in 2008. She was convicted of aggravated assault for killing her 28-day-old infant, Paris Talley, after having a heated argument with her boyfriend. It was proven that Arnold intentionally placed the baby in the microwave and burned it to death. During the trial, it was revealed that Arnold was afraid her boyfriend would leave her if he was not the baby's biological father.

Arnold's first trial ended in a mistrial, as a result of new witnesses coming forward and swaying the judge. The Dayton-based appeals court ruled there was prosecutorial misconduct and that the trial court erred in not allowing a material witness for the defense to testify.

During the 30-year-old mom's first trial, former cell mate Linda Williams testified that she and Arnold had become lovers while in prison. Williams contended that Arnold had confided in her about what had happened to her baby, stating, "She [Arnold] said she put the baby in to the microwave and started it and left the house."

Williams also said that she asked Arnold how she was able to get the infant in to the oven. According to Williams, Arnold said, "She fit right in." Williams, who is no longer imprisoned, claims she didn't tell investigators about Arnold's confession earlier because she still had a soft spot in her heart for the Mom.

In the young woman's second trial, the appeals court said that Arnold was denied "her right to a fair trial when the court permitted the state to introduce in evidence Williams' testimony from the first trial." Although Williams did not appear at the second trial, the court allowed the prosecution to play a videotape of her testifying against Arnold at the first trial. The appeals court cited prior case law, saying a fair trial demands that the accused be tried on "evidence produced in open court by witnesses who can be confronted, cross-examined and rebutted." The appeals court cited the videotape move as misconduct.

There was also another witness who would have contradicted Williams' testimony and who was not allowed to testify on Arnold's behalf. Kyra Woods, also a former cellmate of Arnold's, claims the accused Mom never confessed the murder to her.

The state will ask the court to reconsider given facts in the record, showing the defense had "more than ample opportunity" to prepare for Williams' examination and that Arnold "was provided a fair trial," Prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr.'s office released in a statement to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Arnold remains charged with her conviction reversed. She will be transferred in about a week or so to the Montgomery County jail, where she will be held pending a bail hearing, according to her attorney.