Prosecutors Drop Retrial, Clear Man After 26 Years

In a surprising turn of events, prosecutors in western New York have dropped their efforts to retry James Pugh, a man who served 26 years for Deborah Meindls 1993 murder. The decision came as a new trial was about to begin, ending decades of legal proceedings for Pugh. Pugh was paroled in 2019, and a judge ordered a new trial in his case last year. Meindl, a nursing student and mother of two, was found stabbed and strangled in her home. Prosecutors cited their inability to present the same evidence and the unavailability of critical witnesses as reasons for dismissing the charges. Pugh, now a painter, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. Meanwhile, prosecutors continue to pursue a second retrial for co-defendant Brian Scott Lorenz. DNN | The Daily News Now! The world’s first global local news network. Every city. Every story. AI powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.