Miami’s most-watched jailhouse murder case is not heading back to a jury just yet. On Monday, prosecutors asked an appeals court to undo a ruling that wiped out Daisy Link’s second-degree murder conviction and ordered a new trial. Link, whose case drew national attention after a highly unusual jailhouse pregnancy, will remain behind bars while the legal fight shifts to the appellate level.
Prosecutors filed their appeal with the Third District Court of Appeal and asked Circuit Judge Lody Jean to halt any retrial while the higher court weighs in, according to Miami Herald. Jean’s order had given the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office 30 days to decide whether to pursue appellate review. Prosecutors told the court they were conferring with the Florida Attorney General’s Office on how to proceed.
How a Slideshow Misstep Shook the Verdict
The entire case got rebooted over four photos. During closing arguments, prosecutors showed jurors a four-image PowerPoint slide that had never been admitted into evidence and used it to attack the credibility of testimony from Link’s mother, according to court records and coverage. In granting a new trial, Jean wrote that the misstep “deprive[d] [Link] of a fair and impartial trial and likely materially contributed to the jury’s finding of guilty,” as reported by Court TV.
Conviction and the Shooting
A jury found Link guilty of second-degree murder in October 2025 for the shooting death of her partner, Pedro Jimenez, after a June 2022 confrontation. Prosecutors told jurors the killing was not justified. The defense countered that Link fired in self-defense after enduring years of abuse. The bullet hit Jimenez in the leg and he later died, according to trial coverage and court filings cited by NBC 6.
The Jailhouse Pregnancy That Put the Case Under a Spotlight
Link’s case would likely have stayed a local courtroom drama if not for what happened at the jail. While awaiting trial, she became pregnant in 2023 and gave birth in June 2024 to a daughter whom investigators say was conceived in an elaborate scheme in which another inmate, Joan Depaz, allegedly passed semen through an air vent. That detail launched a wave of national coverage and triggered an internal county review of jail operations.
Local reporting has identified Depaz as a convicted murderer serving a 25-year sentence, and has reported that Link’s child is being raised by family members. Background on those developments was detailed by Local 10.
What Happens Next
At prosecutors’ request, Jean has stayed any new trial while the appeal is pending. Her order noted that getting the case onto the Third District’s docket could take a while, and that the appellate process might stretch a year or two before a decision is handed down…