Alabama Supreme Court Filing

(Summary of the Petition for Writ of Certiorari and Final Disposition)

The petition for writ of certiorari asked the Alabama Supreme Court to review the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals decision that affirmed the dismissal of Murray Lawrence Jr’s Rule 32 petition. The filing argued that the lower courts had overlooked key facts and misapplied controlling law.

What the Petition Asked the Supreme Court To Review

The petition challenged the Court of Criminal Appeals’ ruling on several grounds. These included the State’s suppression of a second autopsy conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, undisclosed for twenty years, which contradicted the prosecution’s gunshot theory and supported the Mississippi medical examiner’s finding of ligature strangulation. It also argued that the State’s handling of the exhumation, the missing vertebrae, and the destruction of evidence undermined the integrity of the case.

The petition asserted that the appellate court failed to consider how the suppressed autopsy undermined the prosecution’s only forensic theory, and that the newly discovered evidence met all five requirements of Rule 32.1(e). It also argued that the Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office should have been disqualified because the prosecutor at trial had also served as the judge who authorized the secret disinterment.

What the Court of Criminal Appeals Had Held

The Court of Criminal Appeals issued a memorandum decision affirming the dismissal. It held that the second autopsy did not constitute newly discovered evidence, did not contradict the State’s theory, and did not show a reasonable probability of a different result. It also stated that the DA’s office had adequately screened its own involvement.

The appellate court offered no relief and denied rehearing.

What the Alabama Supreme Court Did

On June 13, 2025, the Alabama Supreme Court denied certiorari without issuing an opinion. The court offered no analysis of the issues raised and no explanation for its refusal to review the case.

This ended the state court process.

What This Filing Means Today

The denial of certiorari closed the door on further relief through the state appellate system. It also confirmed that the State never addressed the central constitutional issues raised in the Rule 32 petition. With jurisdiction never adjudicated in any prior filing, and with suppressed forensic evidence now documented in the federal record, the case shifted into federal review.

This Supreme Court filing now serves one purpose. It shows that the State had every opportunity to correct its errors and chose not to. That record is essential for the federal courts, which are now reviewing these same issues with new evidence, new affidavits, and independent forensic analysis.

All documents in this section are linked below for public review.