Today's Houston Chronicle reports, "Judge sets fourth execution date for convicted killer." It's written by Renée C. Lee.
The fourth execution date in five years has been set for death row inmate Larry Swearingen , convicted of killing a Montgomery County college student 14 years ago.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals last week denied Swearingen's latest claim of innocence, clearing the way for state District Judge Fred Edwards to sign an order for a Feb. 27 execution.
And:
Swearingen, 41, has based his claims of innocence on insect and pathology evidence. His experts argued that the decomposition of Trotter's body suggested that she was killed and placed in the forest some time after Dec. 11, contradicting the prosecution's claim that she was abducted and killed on Dec. 8.
His lead attorney, James Rytting, said Swearingen could not have killed Trotter because he was arrested and booked into jail on Dec. 11 on an unrelated charge. Rytting could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Earlier coverage of Larry Swearingen's case begins at the link.
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