OAKLAND — A state appeals court has overturned an Oakland man’s murder convictions for a pair of brazen 2010 West Oakland killings and said that he “suffered a miscarriage of justice” at the 2014 trial that resulted in a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco on Friday ordered a new trial for 33-year-old Deshawn Reed, one of two men convicted of the March 5, 2010, slayings of Oakland residents Victor Johns, 29, and John Jones, 56. Related Articles Oakland man gets life without parole for 2010 West Oakland killings

The court’s opinion says that Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gloria Rhynes should have allowed more evidence that pointed to a third party, Al Collins, who died sometime before Reed’s trial, as the killer. Rhynes allowed evidence of Collins being a suspect but banned mention to the jury of his possible motive and history of violence. The appeals court said the prosecutor Autrey James and the defense attorney Spencer Strellis also made errors.

“We agree … that counsel’s failure to investigate and present relevant evidence and failure to object to prosecutorial misconduct deprived petitioner of effective assistance of counsel,” the opinion reads. “We also find that the prosecutor presented material false evidence at trial and that all of these errors combined to deprive petitioner of a fair trial.”

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office argued at trial that Reed was the gunman and Jason Watts drove him to and from the killing. Authorities never offered a motive to the killings, but are not legally required to do so to gain a conviction. The defense said Collins did have a motive: Johns had shot his and Watts’ friend Tyler Jamison in the leg the day before. Tyler, 17, was killed in Berkeley in 2013. Watts, 31, was convicted of murdering Johns and Jones at a 2012 trial and was also sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Witnesses said John and Jones were among a group of men hanging out and drinking beer in front of a residence at 30th and Linden streets when a black man in black hoodie appeared in the middle of the street and said, “What you guys all up to?” before pulling a gun out of his waistband and firing the first of many shots.

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Johns, who appeared to be the primary target, was killed while being chased into a backyard. Jones was shot after Johns while standing on the sidewalk, and then several more times while he was on the ground wounded. Reed had particles of gunshot residue during his arrest but, the court said, it could have been transferred to him by arresting officers or in the patrol car.

Reed did not make a statement at his sentencing, nor did he testify on his own behalf. He suffers from mental health issues and was found incompetent while awaiting prosecution. He was treated at Napa State Hospital before he was declared mentally fit for trial.

An Oakland police officer who arrived in the neighborhood quickly heard the last gunshots and spotted the Saturn fleeing the scene. The officer testified he recognized Watts as the driver from past contacts with him, but not the passenger, who he identified as Reed at Reed’s trial.

Collins’ name came up during the police homicide investigation, but no witnesses could identify him as the shooter, according to the court’s opinion. Another officer testified to seeing Collins soon after the shooting near the scene wearing a black hoodie and bent over as if he was trying to catch his breath from running. The court opined Friday that he matched the witnesses’ description of the shooting better than Reed, who unlike Collins had no known history of violence.

A retrial date has not been scheduled.