INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indiana Supreme Court has thrown out a black man's murder confession, ruling a police detective went too far by telling the man his race might prevent him from getting a fair trial.

The Gary detective's fair-trial comment likely contributed to McLynnerd Bond Jr.'s confession to the 2007 shooting death of a 28-year-old man.

But the justices said in Tuesday's unanimous ruling the detective violated Bond's right to equal access to justice by “intentionally misleading a suspect as to his constitutionally guaranteed rights to a fair trial and an impartial jury'' because of his race.

A Lake County judge had denied Bond's bid to suppress his confession, and the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.

However, The Indianapolis Star reports the Supreme Court decision overturns those rulings.