Death Row Inmate Claims Former Central Texas Cop Was The Real Killer
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Death Row Inmate Claims Former Central Texas Cop Was The Real Killer
A death row inmate who claims new evidence points to a former Central Texas police officer as the killer of a 19-year-old Texas woman more than a decade ago lost another appeal Wednesday.
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HOUSTON (July 1, 2009)--Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed, 41, lost another appeal Wednesday before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which rejected his claims that new evidence points to a former Central Texas police officer as the killer of a 19-year-old woman in Bastrop County 13 years ago.

Reed was sentenced to die for the murder of Stacey Stites, who was sexually assaulted and then killed on April 23, 1996.

In a sixth petition to the state's highest criminal appeals court, Reed's lawyers argued they had evidence pointing to Stites boyfriend as the person who abducted, raped and murdered her.

Stites' fiancé, Jimmy Fennell, is a former Georgetown police officer who was sent to prison for abducting and having improper sexual activity with a woman in his custody.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 2008 after he was convicted of kidnapping and improper sexual activity with a person in custody in a case involving the rape of a drunken woman after Fennell responded to a domestic disturbance call.

The appeals court said Wednesday the information submitted by Reed fails to show innocence and fails to show that prosecutors withheld it.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Lily Location: Temple on Jul 3, 2009 at 07:51 AM

Im sure the DNA has already been done. And Im assuming there isnt anything incriminating that came from it. United States law says the defense has the right to get an independent lab test done on any and all evidence at a lab of their choice.
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Posted by: Someone Location: Near-Here on Jul 2, 2009 at 04:56 PM

There is obviously not enough evidence to agree with an appeal. This guy has already cost us $650,000(13 years at $50,000 a year). And nearly 'all' the people in Prison say they are not guilty. Either give him a new Trial or Lethal-Inject!!!
[ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Steve Location: Waco on Jul 2, 2009 at 03:51 PM

This is definetly an interesting case...no matter which side you find yourself on...I think that no matter what though, this man deserves to have his case heard at the court of appeals.
[ Report Abuse ]
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