>>24
The madman got away with it because he shot him from a distance so that no witnesses could see or accurately describe his next actions and he found a way to leave no forensic evidence whatsoever.
Juries use emotions to make the judgements, not reasonning facts and logic. The Judge was severely apologetic in support of the insurance company and the jury blindly followed, who objected whenever the man's lawyer was about to declare vital evidence. The lawyer was provided by the state and was too lowly paid to have any incentive to actually bother getting past the loop hole.