The Supreme Court has ruled for a Texas death row inmate who's seeking DNA testing to show he should be ineligible for execution.
Rodrick Reed leads a chant during a protest against the execution of Rodney Reed on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Bastrop, Texas. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Friday recommended delaying the execution of inmate Rodney Reed, whose conviction is being questioned by new evidence that his supporters say raises serious doubts about his guilt. His supporters have held various rallies leading up to his execution, including an overnight vigil on Thursday in front of the Supreme Court in Washington. Reed says Fennell was angry because Stites, who was white, was having an affair with Reed, who is black. Reed's lawyers say other recent affidavits corroborate the relationship between Stites and Reed and show that Fennell was violent and aggressive toward Stites.
"They said the governor has heard about it and is taking a very deliberative and thoughtful analysis," Republican state Rep. Matt Krause said. Texas remains the death penalty capital of the U.S. even as executions nationwide hover at historic lows. Support for the death penalty has been declining in recent years, but in Texas, Abbott hasn't relaxed his position. It's not the first time Abbott's decision-making has been in the spotlight over a high-profile death penalty case. We're Texas," said Republican state Rep. James White, who has served in the Legislature for nearly a decade.
This image taken from video shows Kanye West, right, with Steven Smith, lead designer at Yeezy during a discussion on fashion and design at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. Accompanied on stage by Steven Smith, lead designer of West's shoe brand Yeezy, West dug into the nuts and bolts of the fashion industry. Smith said West is not "blowing smoke" about making shoes from beginning to end in the United States. This is just the beginning of the future that Kanye envisioned for us to start working on." West added: "We took the word 'try' out of it and we just 'do,' like Yoda says."
Lawmakers, as well as celebrities including Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil and Kim Kardashian West, have called on Texas Gov. Reed is set to be executed Nov. 20 for the killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites near the Central Texas city of Bastrop. Prosecutors maintain Reed raped and strangled Stites as she made her way to work in 1996. But Reed and his attorneys allege Stites' fiance, Jimmy Fennell, is the real culprit. Fennell's attorney says his client denies killing Stites.
(CNN) - Kim Kardashian West is joining the fight to save a Texas death row inmate set to be executed next month. Greg Abbott on Saturday about the upcoming execution of Rodney Reed. Reed has spent over 21 years on death row for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop, Texas. The court eventually ruled against Reed, which led prosecutors to seek a new execution date. She has been working with lawyers and activists in a national bipartisan advocacy group for criminal justice reform.