NEW YORK : Court Throws Out Verdict in Slaying

An appeals court threw out the conviction of an admitted murderer, saying state troopers had no reason to search his van, where they found the victim’s body. The state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division voted 4 to 1 to suppress the confession of Leonardo Turriago and most of the physical evidence against him--including the body of Fernando Cuervo. Turriago, 27, was serving a 45 year-to-life sentence for his 1991 conviction. Prosecutors are studying the decision and had no comment, said Barbara Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney.