Rodney Reed was convicted of rape and murder in 1996. Countless celebrities and public officials have come to the defense of Reed due to evidentiary support that refutes the arguments of prosecution. James R. Sanders reports.
For 25 years, Rodney Reed maintained his innocence in the murder of a store clerk in Texas. He continues to sit on death row. District Judge J.D. Langley denied Reed’s request for a new trial by way of a 50-page ruling saying he doesn’t deserve a new trial. Proceedings before the ruling gave way to new evidentiary support to refute the state’s prosecution.
The judge was quoted as saying Reed “has not proven by clear and convincing evidence that no reasonable juror would have convicted him of capital murder.”
According to state law, the appeals court could still rule in Reed’s favor, but legal experts say that it is unlikely that the court will do so.
“We hope the Court of Criminal Appeals recognizes that he should be given a new trial,” Pucher, a senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project, said in a statement.
According to NBC BLK:
Reed’s case was championed by celebrities, including reality television star Kim Kardashian West, media mogul Oprah Winfrey and the singer Rihanna, as well as a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers in the weeks leading up to his planned execution in November 2019.
In 1996, Reed was found guilty by an all-white jury of the rape and murder of the grocery store worker in Bastrop, Texas. More on this story as it develops.