Metro

Family’s fury over 1975 slay reversal

Relatives of an 8-year-old girl who was raped and slain in 1975 are furious over last week’s release of the Bronx man who was convicted of her murder.

A Bronx judge freed David Bryant, 56, and vacated his conviction after he spent nearly 40 years behind bars in the killing of Karen Smith.

The judge had found Bryant’s original lawyer failed to provide an acceptable defense at his trial, noting the attorney failed to conduct tests on blood and semen found at the crime scene.

But Karen’s brother, James Smith, 49, of The Bronx fumed yesterday, “[Bryant’s] free, and he shouldn’t be free.

“We’re reliving this again,’’ said Smith, who was 13 when his sister was killed. “Right now, we are trying to figure out why he got out. Bryant is being made the victim. That’s not right — my sister is the real victim.”

Bronx DA officials plan on meeting with Smith’s relatives as they weigh a possible appeal of last week’s decision, law-enforcement sources said.

They can also opt to retry the case or dismiss it permanently.

Bryant was arrested hours after Karen’s bloodied corpse was found in a Bronx apartment-building stairwell. He was 18.

He confessed to the killing but later said it had been coerced after physical abuse. He has since maintained his innocence.