PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Reed has spent more than 21 years on death row for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in 1996. He insists he is innocent, and a former prison inmate last week filed an affidavit in court saying Stites' fiancé confessed the murder to him years ago. The fiancé's attorney says that claim is not credible. The Innocence Project -- which says Reed, who is black, was convicted by an all-white jury -- points out what it calls weaknesses in the case, saying that the murder weapon has never been tested for DNA evidence and forensic experts have admitted to errors in their testimony."
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WORDS TO HEED: FROM OUR POST ON KEVIN COOPER'S APPLICATION FOR POST-CONVICTION DNA TESTING (CALIFORNIA):
"Blogger/extraordinaire Jeff Gamso's blunt, unequivocal, unforgettable message to the powers that be in California: "JUST TEST THE FUCKING DNA." (Oh yes, Gamso raises, as he does in many of his posts, an important philosophical question: This post is headed: "What is truth, said jesting Pilate.")..."So what's the harm? What, exactly, are they scared of? Don't we want the truth?"
https://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2018/06/kevin-cooper-2-california-application.html
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STORY: " 'Free Rodney Reed:' Celebrities use star power to try to stop execution of man on death row in Texas," by reporter Theresa Waldrop, published by CNN on Nov 4, 2019.
VIDEO CAPTION: "Rodney Reed's defense said witnesses were intimated."
GIST: "Rihanna, LL Cool J, Gigi Hadid and other celebrities have joined Kim Kardashian West in trying to stop the execution of a Texas death row inmate later this month, prompting hundreds of thousands to sign an online petition against the execution. Singer
Rihanna tweeted: "One Click!!! SIGN this petition if you don't believe
the Government should kill an innocent man," and tagged Texas Gov. Greg
Abbott. Reed has spent
more than 21 years on death row for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in
1996. He insists he is innocent, and a former prison inmate last week
filed an affidavit in court saying Stites' fiancé confessed the murder
to him years ago. The fiancé's attorney says that claim is not credible. The Innocence Project -- which says Reed, who is black, was convicted by an all-white jury -- points out what it calls weaknesses in the case,
saying that the murder weapon has never been tested for DNA evidence
and forensic experts have admitted to errors in their testimony. "We must come together to prevent a gross injustice," actress Yara Shahidi tweeted. Other witnesses have come forth in recent weeks suggesting Reed is innocent. Last week, Reed's attorneys filed an application for clemency as they try to stop his November 20 execution. His
attorneys have fought for a new trial for years, and a court stayed his
execution in 2015 because of new witness testimony and forensic
analysis. The court eventually ruled against Reed. Among the many celebrities who've also tweeted their protests of the execution include rappers Meek Mill, LL Cool J, T.I., musician Questlove, former NFLer Reggie Bush and actor Isaiah Washington."
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
