The Iowa Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a woman convicted of second-degree murder in the death of her newborn baby in a Fort Dodge hotel room in September of 2011.
The Supreme Court ruled the expert testimony from the medical examiner in Hillary Tyler’s case should not have been allowed. The medical examiner could not find the cause of death of the baby, but ruled it a homicide based on a police interview where Tyler said she ran water in the bathtub with the intention of drowning the child.
The Supreme Court says the testimony of a medical examiner can sometimes rely on witness statements, but whether a medical examiner’s opinion on cause or manner of death is admissible depends on the particular circumstances of each case.
The court also reversed the district court ruling to suppress evidence seized in a search of the hotel room by police, and sent the issue back for more review. And the high court ruled a statement Tyler gave confessing to police she drowned the child was legally obtained, and can be used in a new trial.
Here’s the complete ruling: Tyler ruling PDF