My guess is that the defense would ask for a COV for the ain't-gonna-happen retrial based upon convenience - the inmate is in Maryland, his wife is in Maryland, blah, blah, blah.

But, as I pointed out earlier, this "conspiracy" has been airtight for 30 years, so the verdict would be the same.  Damn those crime scene techs for destroying ONLY the evidence of intruders!! (Sarcasm is just one of the services we offer...)