Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Death Penalty Information Center

Criminal Law

: Death Penalty Information Center

Hours Before Scheduled Execution, Doubts About Guilt Persisted in Alabama Case

By Death Penalty Information Center

An inmate in Alabama came within hours of execution despite the fact that serious doubts arose about whether he had even committed the crime that put him on death row. Thomas Arthur had been scheduled to die in Alabama on July 31, but the Alabama Supreme Court voted 5-4 on July 30 to stay his execution after another inmate confessed to the murder for which Arthur had been sentenced to death. In a sworn statement, Bobby Ray Gilbert confessed to killing Troy Wicker Jr. more than 26 years ago. Gilbert is serving life in prison for another murder. The stay marked the third time Arthur has been spared on the eve of his execution date. The court did not give a reason for its stay, but Arthur had been requesting DNA testing related to the crime for some time...continue to full post

Full post as published by Death Penalty Information Center on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).