Brandi Grissom posts, "AZ Lab Offers Free Testing for Skinner," at the Texas Tribune today.
Chromosal Laboratories, a DNA testing lab in Phoenix, Ariz., has told Gov. Rick Perry that it will test evidence in the Hank Skinner case for free and within 30 days if he grants a reprieve of the convicted murderer's March 24 execution date.
Skinner was convicted in 1995 of murdering his girlfriend and her two sons in the small West Texas town of Pampa. He has professed his innocence, though, and Skinner argues that DNA testing on a rape kit, knives, a man's windbreaker and other materials from the crime scene could prove someone else was the killer. For a decade, Texas courts have denied Skinner's pleadings for the tests, arguing that should have been done at the original trial. With his execution date less than a week away, Skinner and his attorneys are awaiting responses to their requests for both the U.S. Supreme Court and Perry to intervene and order testing on the DNA evidence.
Perry has authority to grant a one-time 30-day reprieve in capital cases, but he has only done so twice in the past.
At the Dallas Morning News Death Penalty blog, Michael Landauer posts, "DNA lab offers free 30-day test in Hank Skinner case."
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals may be indifferent to the truth in the hank Skinner case (focusing only on procedural questions), but Chromosomal Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona, isn't. Rick Perry should see that a 30-day reprieve in this case could really do a lot of good to:1. Confirm the facts of the case or raise very important questions about reasonable doubt.
2. Silence critics who think the governor is not a truth-seeker in the Willingham case.
3. Give greater meaning to his pardon of Tim Cole. It's one thing to apologize for past errors; it's another to do everything you can to prevent new ones.
Chromosal Laboratories has issued a press release, "Chromosomal Laboratories Offers Pro Bono DNA Testing to Help Stay an Execution," via Webwire.
In response to a plea by the Innocence Project, Chromosomal Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona has offered its accredited DNA testing services to help pursue justice. The offer was made to the Honorable Rick Perry, Governor of Texas for testing DNA evidence that could prove the innocence or guilt of Hank Skinner. Mr. Skinner is set to be executed on March 24th for the murder of his girlfriend and her two adult sons, which he was convicted of in 1995. The Innocence Project has asked that concerned individuals to urge Governor Perry to order a stay of execution until the testing can be completed.
DNA evidence in this case was never tested and the Texas’ highest criminal court has refused to intervene in the case. Mr. Skinner’s attorney claim that they have uncovered evidence that substantiates his claim that another suspect is involved and places doubt on his guilt of this crime. Mr. Skinner has always maintained his innocence and requested that DNA testing be done on potentially inculpatory evidence, in particular a windbreaker, knifes and hairs recovered from one of the victim’s hands.
While the Innocence Project does not maintain the innocence or guilt of Mr. Skinner, as they do not represent him, they point out that everything possible should be done before Mr. Skinner pays the ultimate price in what may be a colossal miscarriage of justice. When simple DNA testing may help prevent such a miscarriage, it seems implausible that the Governor and State of Texas would allow the execution to proceed. In order to help prevent this, Chromosomal Laboratories has decided to offer its services without any fees. We hope that the great State of Texas will accept this offer in the manner in which it is intended, to help promote justice.
Earlier coverage of the Hank Skinner case begins with this post.
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