Black death row inmate Rodney Reed got the news of a lifetime when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted him an indefinite stay of execution. He was scheduled to be killed by lethal injection on Wednesday, but now he’s getting another chance to prove his innocence.
Celebrities from Rihanna to T.I. and even members of the victim’s family called on the State of Texas to halt the execution of Reed, 51, who was found guilty of murdering Stacey Stite, even though DNA evidence exonerates him.
On death row for 21 years, Reed’s case dates back to 1996 when Stite was raped and murdered. A year after her death, Reed, who was 29 years old at the time, was arrested for the killing. A small amount of Reed’s DNA was found inside Stite’s body. The two had a consensual relationship; however, Reed was charged for her death. He has always maintained his innocence.
Reed was found guilty by an all-white jury and was scheduled to be executed on Nov. 20.
Focus has been put on former police officer Jimmy Fennell, who was Stite’s fiancé at the time of her death. He served 10 years for kidnapping a woman and sexually assaulting her while he was on duty. Fennell reportedly bragged about killing Stite, who told him she had been sleeping with a Black man behind his back.
An inmate serving time for forgery reportedly heard Fennell confess to killing Stite in a prison yard while talking to other inmates. In all, four new witnesses have come forward this week with testimony that Reed didn’t commit the rape and murder.
The Innocence Project notes several flaws in the case including the murder weapon not being tested for DNA evidence, the state’s three forensic experts admitting to errors in their testimony, and that Fennell was best friends with the sheriff in the county where the murder took place.
Witnesses will testify on Reed’s behalf during a week-long hearing in the coming months. Judges will determine whether or not he will get a new trial.
Celebrities, civil rights leaders and supporters are joining the chorus of people who say new evidence clears Reed of the crime. One notable person pleading for Reed’s innocence is Stite’s cousin, Heather Stobbs.
“If we’re seeking justice for Stacey, we have to make sure there’s absolutely no doubt that the person who’s been sentenced for this and being held responsible is the right person,” Stobbs said in one report. “You can’t put somebody to death with all of these questions. Unfortunately, I think race played a big part in all of it.”
