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Missouri proceeding w/ execution despite new DNA results clearing him (up: stayed)

The more I read about it, the more it seems maybe he at least played a role in the murder.

The death penalty is a bit much, but life in prison doesn’t seem undeserved, IMO.
 

Weckum

Member
The more I read about it, the more it seems maybe he at least played a role in the murder.

The death penalty is a bit much, but life in prison doesn't seem undeserved, IMO.

He already will sit out the rest of his life in prison due to other unrelated facts. So even if they commute his sentence, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.

The thing is, he might be guilty, he might be innocent, he might be partially involved, but for a court not to look at this new evidence in the case of an execution is absolutely disgusting. That's the most important part of this case.
 

Joe

Member
-They provided a stay of execution for DNA testing.
-Results come in that says his DNA wasn't on the weapon.
-Court flippantly dismisses new stay of execution request, possibly in a "sight unseen" manner.

Regardless of innocence or guilt that is just crazy. If a government is going to execute someone at least acknowledge and account for the new findings that they themselves allowed to happen. And this is without including the possibility of systemic racial bias in MO's courts.

The goal wasn't to free this man, the goal was for the courts to get this case absolutely correct.
 

Weckum

Member
-They provided a stay of execution for DNA testing.
-Results come in that says his DNA wasn't on the weapon.
-Court flippantly dismisses new stay of execution request in a possible "sight unseen" manner.

Regardless of innocence or guilt that is just crazy. If a government is going to execute someone at least acknowledge and account for the new findings that they themselves allowed to happen.

The goal wasn't to free this man, the goal was for the courts to get this case absolutely correct.

Yup, this is the thing right here. Fair trial, that's literally all they're asking for.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
It's all or nothing unfortunately. Two arguments:

1. Vengeance is wrong even for the grieving.
2. The system is imperfect and so innocents are put to death

I personally believe in argument #2. Mostly because, like you, there's nothing that would prevent me from killing someone like Dylan Roof in a perfect scenario. However ... argument two realizes we have an imperfect scenario. You don't get to pick and choose here. We fix the system so that we can allow vengeance kills (lets be real this is what they are) or we can just stop killing people entirely because we know we have an imperfect system. Unfortunately the Dylan Roofs make it out if you're consistent with the application.

Yeah, I'm okay with letting the occasional 100% guilty horrible monster have his life spared if it also means that unfairly prosecuted individuals may also have their lives spared, and have a chance to clear their name.

I guess you could say I'm "pro life" (hurr hurr hurr) on this issue.
 
i didn't read anything in this thread (cause life is short and i dont have time to read everything in existence)


I'm simply wondering why this man isn't free if the DNA evidence said he didn't do it, let alone on deathrow
 

NimbusD

Member
Damn, waiting till the last fucking minute there.

i didn't read anything in this thread (cause life is short and i dont have time to read everything in existence)


I'm simply wondering why this man isn't free if the DNA evidence said he didn't do it, let alone on deathrow

pro tip: check date of OP, if it's old, check for today's post that bumped it for updated news.
 

johnny956

Member
-They provided a stay of execution for DNA testing.
-Results come in that says his DNA wasn't on the weapon.
-Court flippantly dismisses new stay of execution request, possibly in a "sight unseen" manner.

Regardless of innocence or guilt that is just crazy. If a government is going to execute someone at least acknowledge and account for the new findings that they themselves allowed to happen. And this is without including the possibility of systemic racial bias in MO's courts.

The goal wasn't to free this man, the goal was for the courts to get this case absolutely correct.

No the DNA was retested when they put on hold his execution in 2015. From the own's defense petition

After Bode Laboratories completed testing, they issued reports finding, that, despite the fact that several alleles at eleven different loci from the Y-STR DNA testing of the knife did not match the known DNA of petitioner, that the threshold
levels were too low to make a conclusive exclusion.

So it may have eliminated his DNA but threshold levels were too low to say conclusively. Defense got their own experts to stay otherwise. Even without the DNA evidence it's hard to say he didn't do it.


i didn't read anything in this thread (cause life is short and i dont have time to read everything in existence)


I'm simply wondering why this man isn't free if the DNA evidence said he didn't do it, let alone on deathrow


In summary, DNA levels were too low to conclusively say it wasn't his DNA, defense experts say otherwise. After murder has taken place defendant is in jail for other charges, he confesses to his jail-mate who goes to police after he's released from jail. He gives details to police that weren't public knowledge. He also tells police defendant's girlfriend was also told by defendant. Police go to girlfriend who confirms it as well as giving details not public knowledge and tells him victim's stolen items are in defendant's car. Police find victims belongings in defendant's car

Defendant's only defense about the belongings during trial was that his girlfriend had been seen with a laptop case while he was in jail
 
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