Woman who made headlines for jailhouse pregnancy granted new murder trial
The Miami inmate who made national headlines when she became pregnant while behind bars — and was found guilty of killing her husband — will get a new trial, a judge ruled Thursday.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Lody Jean granted Daisy Link, 30, a new trial because Link was “prejudiced” by photos that prosecutors showed jurors — hoping to discredit her self-defense claim — despite the photographs not being introduced as evidence, according to an order filed in court Thursday afternoon.
“The errors deprive [Link] of a fair and impartial trial and likely materially contributed to the jury’s finding of guilty,” Jean said in the order.
It’s unclear if prosecutors plan to appeal the ruling to the 3rd District Court of Appeal. Link’s attorney, Ayuban Tomas, has yet to respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comments.
A jury in October convicted Link of second-degree murder for killing her husband, Pedro Jimenez, 33, outside her Homestead residence in June 2022. Link shot Jimenez once in the leg.
During closing arguments, prosecutors used the four photographs at the center of the controversy to discredit the testimony of Link’s mother, the order says. The photos showed Link’s home with no broken windows or damage. However, Link’s mother testified that Jimenez had broken into Link’s house through a window.
READ MORE: Woman went viral for mystery jailhouse pregnancy. She’s guilty of murder: Miami jury
Prosecutors “conceded to ... improper conduct,” Judge Jean said, and Link’s defense attorney was allowed to show jurors photos of the damage to the home.
“[The photos] came at a critical time in the trial, during the closing argument which was almost impossible to rebut ...,” Jean said. “Not only was un-admitted evidence presented to the jury, but it was also coupled with argument used directly to discredit [Link’s] self-defense claims [from] a key witness in the case — [Link’s] mother.”
Link’s defense attorney claimed she acted in self-defense when she shot Jimenez, who was her husband of nine years and had allegedly brutally beat her days before the killing. Prosecutors, however, painted a drastically different picture of the murder, alleging that Link killed her husband because she wanted to end their relationship.
Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, prosecutors say. The footage was played during the trial. At one point, Link told Jimenez: “It’s not like I hit a major artery. You’ll be fine.”
During her trial, Link took the stand in her own defense, testifying about the moments leading up to the shooting. Jimenez, she said, grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground in a drug-fueled rage over infidelity.
The couple’s almost decade-long relationship, Link said, was marred by domestic violence. However, she said she didn’t call police on Jimenez because she feared he would be deported.
“I took a shot. I initially aimed towards the floor as I lifted the gun,” Link said on the stand. “I didn’t expect it to hit him. I just thought the sound would scare him off.”
Link was at the center of a media storm after she became pregnant while at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in 2023. In June 2024, she gave birth to a daughter, conceived by Link and inmate Joan DePaz after Link inseminated herself with DePaz’s sperm, which was passed through an air vent. DePaz is now in prison serving a 25-year sentence for murder.
In January, Link was accused of entering another inmate’s jail cell and punching her in the face.
Link is set to appear in court on Friday morning.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 4:09 PM.
