BACKGROUND: "(Pervis) Payne is an intellectually disabled Black man who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1987 murder of a white woman named Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter Lacie Jo. He has always maintained his innocence, saying he came upon the bloody crime scene while checking to see if his girlfriend — who lived across the hall — was at her apartment. Overwhelmed by the horror before him, Payne testified in court that he fumbled around trying to help before he ran off, afraid that the police would instantly believe he was the murderer. They did. But more than 30 years later, Payne’s attorney Kelley Henry, who also represented Alley, discovered previously undisclosed evidence — a bloodied comforter, sheets and pillow — that had never been tested. In a Dec. 30 court filing, Henry wrote that the case against Payne had been “concocted out of whole cloth” and based on “outdated racial stereotyping.” At the very least, DNA evidence that was apparently hidden from the defense does nothing to make one doubt her characterization of the case. Now, the Innocence Project has also taken up Payne’s case.
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GIST: "For 33 years, Pervis Payne was on death row in Tennessee for a crime he’s always said he did not commit. Last November, he was finally removed from death row because he lives with an intellectual disability that makes it unconstitutional to execute him. Since then, he has been waiting to learn his fate.
Today, at his resentencing hearing, the Shelby County Criminal Court ordered that Pervis’ two life sentences, and a related 30-year sentence, run concurrently, which means that he will be eligible for parole consideration within five years.
“The plain fact is, Pervis Payne is no threat to society and he never was,” said Kelley Henry, Pervis’ attorney.
While we’re glad that Pervis will now be eligible for parole in the future, our fight isn’t over until we uncover the truth and Pervis is exonerated.
For now, you can help Pervis by texting AMY to 97016 to urge D.A. Amy Weirich not to appeal the judge’s decision, then spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter."
The entire release can be read at:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGmthlPdNzrnQbRbzwzzqHhGLzp
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;
