Supporters have held vigils in recent days outside the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas to demand that Gov. Greg Abbott grant clemency to Rodney Reed. (Photo: Amnesty International Austin/Twitter)
Nov 14, 2019
This story has been updated.
As the Supreme Court debated Friday whether to take up the case of death row inmate Rodney Reed, Amnesty International demanded that Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott grant clemency in the case as evidence mounts that Reed, who is scheduled to be executed in days, did not commit the crime he was convicted of two decades ago.
Amnesty has campaigned on Reed's behalf since 2015 and called on its members around the world this month to write to Abbott and demand that he arrange for Reed's retrial and exoneration in the murder and rape of Stacey Stites in 1996.
\u201cAmnesty International calls on @GovAbbott to grant clemency to Rodney Reed\n\nSaid @Krissy_Roth, the senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA:\nhttps://t.co/qu8MexcCjW\u201d— Amnesty International USA (@Amnesty International USA) 1573834727
"The death penalty is applied disproportionally against people of color, and Rodney Reed's case is a glaring example," said Kristina Roth, senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA, in a statement. "Killing a person creates a murderer out of the executioner, is not justice for Stacey Stites, and deprives Rodney Reed of dignity and humanity: this--and every--execution is a cruel, inhuman, and degrading violation."
Amnesty and its members joined U.S. lawmakers from across the political spectrum, Texas prosecutors, supporters who have held vigils in recent days outside the U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Governor's Mansion, and celebrities in calling for Reed's case to be retried.
On Friday afternoon, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole unanimously voted to recommend to Abbott a 120-day reprieve for Reed.
Abbott has not spoken publicly about Reed despite the worldwide outcry.
Reed "maintains his innocence and several experts cast doubts on his conviction," the letter sent by Amnesty members to Abbott reads. "The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. Since 1973, 166 people have been exonerated from U.S. death rows on innocence grounds. I urge you to recommend and grant clemency to Rodney Reed and stop his and any future executions."
New evidence in Reed's case has emerged in recent years. Witnesses have corroborated his claims that he was in a consensual sexual relationship with Stites at the time, which could explain why his DNA was found at the crime scene. Years after Reed's conviction, according to the Innocence Project, Stites's fiance told a fellow inmate while he was in prison for the murder and rape of another women, that he had killed Stites as revenge for her relationship with Reed.
Forensic experts also dispute Stites's time of death, calling into question the timeline that implicated Reed, and advocates for Reed have noted that the murder weapon used in the crime was never DNA-tested.
"International safeguards guaranteeing the rights of those facing the death penalty state that the punishment may only be imposed when the guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts," said Amnesty International. "This is clearly not the case with Rodney Reed."
Reed's family members were joined by other supporters this week at an overnight vigil outside the Supreme Court, calling on the court to take up Reed's case. Lawyers representing Reed at the Innocence Project filed a petition in September asking the high court to examine the case.
\u201cPrayer vigil for #RodneyReed in front of the Supreme Court of the United States steps on the eve of SCOTUS\u2019s decision to consider taking up his case: https://t.co/pt4T8usL4f\u201d— Praise Jesus! (@Praise Jesus!) 1573779838
\u201cA sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court at the overnight vigil for #RodneyReed.\u201d— Sister Helen Prejean (@Sister Helen Prejean) 1573792081
The justices were reportedly debating whether to take up the case on Friday.
"If they grant Rodney Reed a new trial, Rodney Reed will be exonerated," Rodrick Reed, Rodney's brother, said on the steps of the Supreme Court.
\u201cThe Supreme Court is discussing whether or not it\u2019s unconstitutional to execute an innocent man. Is this really a question? ~ Rodrick Reed #FreeRodneyReed\u201d— Rodney Reed (@Rodney Reed) 1573832224
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Our Summer Campaign is now underway, and there’s never been a more urgent time for Common Dreams to be as vigilant as possible. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
This story has been updated.
As the Supreme Court debated Friday whether to take up the case of death row inmate Rodney Reed, Amnesty International demanded that Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott grant clemency in the case as evidence mounts that Reed, who is scheduled to be executed in days, did not commit the crime he was convicted of two decades ago.
Amnesty has campaigned on Reed's behalf since 2015 and called on its members around the world this month to write to Abbott and demand that he arrange for Reed's retrial and exoneration in the murder and rape of Stacey Stites in 1996.
\u201cAmnesty International calls on @GovAbbott to grant clemency to Rodney Reed\n\nSaid @Krissy_Roth, the senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA:\nhttps://t.co/qu8MexcCjW\u201d— Amnesty International USA (@Amnesty International USA) 1573834727
"The death penalty is applied disproportionally against people of color, and Rodney Reed's case is a glaring example," said Kristina Roth, senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA, in a statement. "Killing a person creates a murderer out of the executioner, is not justice for Stacey Stites, and deprives Rodney Reed of dignity and humanity: this--and every--execution is a cruel, inhuman, and degrading violation."
Amnesty and its members joined U.S. lawmakers from across the political spectrum, Texas prosecutors, supporters who have held vigils in recent days outside the U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Governor's Mansion, and celebrities in calling for Reed's case to be retried.
On Friday afternoon, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole unanimously voted to recommend to Abbott a 120-day reprieve for Reed.
Abbott has not spoken publicly about Reed despite the worldwide outcry.
Reed "maintains his innocence and several experts cast doubts on his conviction," the letter sent by Amnesty members to Abbott reads. "The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. Since 1973, 166 people have been exonerated from U.S. death rows on innocence grounds. I urge you to recommend and grant clemency to Rodney Reed and stop his and any future executions."
New evidence in Reed's case has emerged in recent years. Witnesses have corroborated his claims that he was in a consensual sexual relationship with Stites at the time, which could explain why his DNA was found at the crime scene. Years after Reed's conviction, according to the Innocence Project, Stites's fiance told a fellow inmate while he was in prison for the murder and rape of another women, that he had killed Stites as revenge for her relationship with Reed.
Forensic experts also dispute Stites's time of death, calling into question the timeline that implicated Reed, and advocates for Reed have noted that the murder weapon used in the crime was never DNA-tested.
"International safeguards guaranteeing the rights of those facing the death penalty state that the punishment may only be imposed when the guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts," said Amnesty International. "This is clearly not the case with Rodney Reed."
Reed's family members were joined by other supporters this week at an overnight vigil outside the Supreme Court, calling on the court to take up Reed's case. Lawyers representing Reed at the Innocence Project filed a petition in September asking the high court to examine the case.
\u201cPrayer vigil for #RodneyReed in front of the Supreme Court of the United States steps on the eve of SCOTUS\u2019s decision to consider taking up his case: https://t.co/pt4T8usL4f\u201d— Praise Jesus! (@Praise Jesus!) 1573779838
\u201cA sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court at the overnight vigil for #RodneyReed.\u201d— Sister Helen Prejean (@Sister Helen Prejean) 1573792081
The justices were reportedly debating whether to take up the case on Friday.
"If they grant Rodney Reed a new trial, Rodney Reed will be exonerated," Rodrick Reed, Rodney's brother, said on the steps of the Supreme Court.
\u201cThe Supreme Court is discussing whether or not it\u2019s unconstitutional to execute an innocent man. Is this really a question? ~ Rodrick Reed #FreeRodneyReed\u201d— Rodney Reed (@Rodney Reed) 1573832224
This story has been updated.
As the Supreme Court debated Friday whether to take up the case of death row inmate Rodney Reed, Amnesty International demanded that Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott grant clemency in the case as evidence mounts that Reed, who is scheduled to be executed in days, did not commit the crime he was convicted of two decades ago.
Amnesty has campaigned on Reed's behalf since 2015 and called on its members around the world this month to write to Abbott and demand that he arrange for Reed's retrial and exoneration in the murder and rape of Stacey Stites in 1996.
\u201cAmnesty International calls on @GovAbbott to grant clemency to Rodney Reed\n\nSaid @Krissy_Roth, the senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA:\nhttps://t.co/qu8MexcCjW\u201d— Amnesty International USA (@Amnesty International USA) 1573834727
"The death penalty is applied disproportionally against people of color, and Rodney Reed's case is a glaring example," said Kristina Roth, senior program officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA, in a statement. "Killing a person creates a murderer out of the executioner, is not justice for Stacey Stites, and deprives Rodney Reed of dignity and humanity: this--and every--execution is a cruel, inhuman, and degrading violation."
Amnesty and its members joined U.S. lawmakers from across the political spectrum, Texas prosecutors, supporters who have held vigils in recent days outside the U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Governor's Mansion, and celebrities in calling for Reed's case to be retried.
On Friday afternoon, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole unanimously voted to recommend to Abbott a 120-day reprieve for Reed.
Abbott has not spoken publicly about Reed despite the worldwide outcry.
Reed "maintains his innocence and several experts cast doubts on his conviction," the letter sent by Amnesty members to Abbott reads. "The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. Since 1973, 166 people have been exonerated from U.S. death rows on innocence grounds. I urge you to recommend and grant clemency to Rodney Reed and stop his and any future executions."
New evidence in Reed's case has emerged in recent years. Witnesses have corroborated his claims that he was in a consensual sexual relationship with Stites at the time, which could explain why his DNA was found at the crime scene. Years after Reed's conviction, according to the Innocence Project, Stites's fiance told a fellow inmate while he was in prison for the murder and rape of another women, that he had killed Stites as revenge for her relationship with Reed.
Forensic experts also dispute Stites's time of death, calling into question the timeline that implicated Reed, and advocates for Reed have noted that the murder weapon used in the crime was never DNA-tested.
"International safeguards guaranteeing the rights of those facing the death penalty state that the punishment may only be imposed when the guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts," said Amnesty International. "This is clearly not the case with Rodney Reed."
Reed's family members were joined by other supporters this week at an overnight vigil outside the Supreme Court, calling on the court to take up Reed's case. Lawyers representing Reed at the Innocence Project filed a petition in September asking the high court to examine the case.
\u201cPrayer vigil for #RodneyReed in front of the Supreme Court of the United States steps on the eve of SCOTUS\u2019s decision to consider taking up his case: https://t.co/pt4T8usL4f\u201d— Praise Jesus! (@Praise Jesus!) 1573779838
\u201cA sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court at the overnight vigil for #RodneyReed.\u201d— Sister Helen Prejean (@Sister Helen Prejean) 1573792081
The justices were reportedly debating whether to take up the case on Friday.
"If they grant Rodney Reed a new trial, Rodney Reed will be exonerated," Rodrick Reed, Rodney's brother, said on the steps of the Supreme Court.
\u201cThe Supreme Court is discussing whether or not it\u2019s unconstitutional to execute an innocent man. Is this really a question? ~ Rodrick Reed #FreeRodneyReed\u201d— Rodney Reed (@Rodney Reed) 1573832224
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.