Arizona woman released after two decades on death row

Debra Milke, an Arizona woman who spent more than two decades on death row on charges that she murdered her son, was released on bond Friday after a judge called into question the honesty of the detective whom supposedly heard Milke's confession in 1990.

Milke walked out of the Maricopa County Sheriff's jail after supporters posted a $250,000 bond.

Her release is just the latest in a sensationalist saga that spans almost 25 years.

Milke was originally convicted in the death of her 4-year-old son, Christopher, in 1990. Prosecutors alleged that she had dressed Christopher in his favorite outfit, told him he was going to see Santa Claus at the mall and then handed him over to two men who took the child to the desert and shot him, all in an attempt to get his $5,000 insurance payout.

Her chance at freedom comes six months after a federal appeals court overturned Milke's conviction, ruling that the prosecution should have disclosed information about the truthfulness of the now-retired detective who testified that Milke confessed.

Police detective Armando Saldate Jr. claimed Milke confessed that she hired her roommate and one other man to murder her son, but the confession wasn't recorded.

Doubts about Saldate's honesty arose during Milke's appeals. The 9th Circuit concluded in March that prosecutors' failure to turn over evidence related to Saldate's credibility deprived Milke's attorneys of the chance to question his truthfulness before jurors.

The court noted four cases in which judges threw out confessions or indictments because Saldate lied under oath and four instances in which cases were tossed out or confessions excluded because Saldate violated the suspect's constitutional rights.  He was also suspended for accepting sexual favors from a female motorist he stopped and then lying about the encounter, the court said.

Maricopa County prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty against Milke at her retrial, tentatively set for Sept. 30, and her alleged confession is at the heart of the case against her.

The two men Milke allegedly paid are still on death row.

Milke's conviction and ongoing fight have rallied supporters in the U.S. who believe she is innocent. Her case also attracted attention in Germany, where her mother is from, and Switzerland, where many viewed her death sentence as overly harsh.

Those supporters raised money online and through the Swiss town where Milke's mother currently lives to pay for her defense, her bon, and also buy her a house near Phoenix.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press