Waiting for justice: Double-murderer's new trial begins years after woman confesses to killings

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Jury selection is set to begin in the case of a Seminole County man who was convicted of murder more than a decade ago and then had his conviction thrown out.

Clemente Aguirre was sentenced to death in 2006, when he was convicted of double murder.

Aguirre had been tried for killing Carol Careis and Cheryl Williams, of Altamonte Springs.

%

%%

%

The women were killed nearly 15 years ago.

Since the trial, a woman named Samantha Williams has allegedly confessed to killing the women, who were her mother and grandmother.

DNA evidence processed long after the murders failed to turn up any trace of Aguirre having been in the home, where the victims were killed.

The new evidence convinced an appeals court to overturn the original guilty verdict, but Aguirre has remained in jail.

"When you have an innocent man sitting in jail, convicted of a crime he didn't commit, every day behind bars stinks," said Aquirre’s attorney Josh Dubin.

There have been multiple setbacks in moving forward with the case.

%

%%

%

The judge who was supposed to handle the retrial eventually recused herself, and then the next judge handed it off to another one.

Months ago the defense said that Aguirre is ready to finally win his freedom.

Follow reporter Field Sutton for updates on this developing story. 

Cox Media Group