In a 6-1 ruling, the court reversed Michael Blair's conviction in the 1999 strangulation of his aunt in Mayfield. The court ruled in part that hearsay testimony from a friend of the victim was wrongly admitted at trial.

Also, in separate, unsigned 4-3 opinions, the court reversed the convictions of Felix Gihon in Jefferson County and Jerry Hunn in Boyle County. The justices ordered new trials based on flawed jury selections.

Gihon was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment in the stabbing of his girlfriend Chanda Brown in their apartment. Hunn was given a 25-year term in the 2001 shooting death of Ralph Coulter Jr. in Danville.

Blair was convicted of killing Mary Johnson, whose body was found in her home. Blair was from Michigan but had been staying with his aunt.

Blair won his appeal partly on the basis of testimony by a friend of his aunt's at the trial in Graves County Circuit Court.

Writing for the majority, Justice William Cooper said the comments should not have been admitted at trial.

In Gihon's case, the court said the trial judge erred by not dismissing a prospective juror who said she could not consider voting to convict on a lesser offense

Hunn's appeal also hinged on claims of flaws in jury selection.

The justices said the trial judge should have disqualified two prospective jurors who had retained two prosecutors for legal work.