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Source: ONE News -
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In a highly unusual case, a murder accused has walked from court a free man after charges against him were dropped.
Zion King has spent the majority of the past two years in Hawke's Bay and Auckland prisons, awaiting trial for the murder of Chattrice Maihi-Carroll.
However after entering Napier High Court on the first day of his trial on Monday, he walked out a free man.
The ordeal began in January 2008, when mother of four Maihi-Carroll was found naked and stabbed to death.
"She has been the victim of an assault, quite a vicious assault which resulted in her being stabbed a number of times," said police at the time.
Police attention turned to her neighbour King, and he was arrested two months later.
At a depositions hearing later that year, the crown said he had gone to work and told colleagues of her death before it was made public and was therefore her killer.
A trial in June last year was abandoned before evidence could be heard, King having to wait eight more months for justice.
"It's a very important day. Justice has triumphed. Zion King has been through a very turbulent two years," says Defence lawyer Peter Williams QC.
His defence team hired private investigators to launch their own inquiry, their findings causing the crown to concede their case was too weak to succeed.
However the decision has left the victim's family dismayed and distraught.
They say they are disappointed. "We've waited a long time to see justice done for our sister and what have we got," says Papara Carroll, victim's sister.
"Someone did do that to my daughter and we'd like it left open to try and find some clues to try and solve this," says Reebecca Carroll, victim's mother.
The family's only wish now, that someone will eventually be brought to justice for the murder.
