It's a case that rocked the community of Potsdam. A 12-year-old boy was killed. But no one charged after nearly two years. In part two of our special look back at a case that finally comes to trial this week, reporter Caitlin Landers explains how this case may have helped determine the outcome of a major election.

POTSDAM, N.Y. -- 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was killed in October of 2011.  Nearly two years later in 2013, with no one behind bars for the crime, the race for St. Lawrence County district attorney was heating up.

The district attorney at the time, Nicole Duve, said there wasn't enough evidence to arrest anyone for the murder, but didn't give up on finding an answer. 

"Let me assure you, there is no lack of vigor in this investigation. I can promise you that," said Duve.  

Her challenger, Mary Rain, made the case her platform, saying she would find and convict the boy's killer. Phillips family, often by her side during news conferences.

"Garrett's murderer should be behind bars at this point, but he is not. That's all because of the ineffectiveness and incompetence of our district attorney's office," Rain said during the campaign. 

Rain went on to unseat Duve and she did make an arrest in May of the next year. Oral "Nick" Hillary was charged with second-degree murder.

"I just want you to know that I am 100 percent innocent, 100 percent innocent. That's all I have to say," Hillary after his arrest.

"The grand jury spent over a four-day period looking at the evidence, so there is a significant amount of evidence," said Rain.  

However, it was a short-lived victory for Rain and her office. In July of 2014, Hillary's attorney filed a motion to have the murder charge dropped, saying none of his client's DNA or fingerprints were found at the murder scene. Fast forward, a couple more months, Hillary retained new attorneys, Ed Narrow and Peter Dumas.

"At that point in time, Peter, Nick and myself are all going to be pursuing the same thing; justice for Nick Hillary," said defense attorney Ed Narrow. 

That defense team was able to make a major move in favor of their client. Now, nearly three years after Garrett Phillips' death, a St. Lawrence County judge would throw out the murder charge against Hillary, citing bias by Rain. It would be just the latest twist in an investigation with even more turns ahead.