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Henry Skinner Execution Blocked by Supreme Court
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by Scott Wu | March 24, 2010 at 03:47 pm
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Henry Skinner Execution Blocked by The US Supreme Court
Just one hour before his execution, Henry "Hank" Skinner gets a delay he had asked for. Henry Skinner asked the court and Governor Rick Perry to delay the execution for DNA testing that he claims can prove his innocence. The order delayed the execution, but we do not know if Henry Skinner will get the DNA test.
Henry Skinner, 47, faced death sentence for killing his girlfriend Twila Jean Busby and her 2 adult sons, Elwin Caler and Randy Busby on New Year's Eve in 1993.
The order would delay the execution until they decide whether or not to review the case. If the court refuses to review the case, Henry Skinner would be eligible for another execution day.
Henry Skinner's attorneys say that DNA testing could prove his innocence and find the real killer. Since Skinner's arrest in 1994, he consistently maintained that he did not commit the crimes.
Texas Governor Rick Perry received more than 8,000 letters from Henry Skinner's advocates urging the governor to delay the execution.
An expert testified that Henry Skinner was too intoxicated to commit the crimes. It is suspected that the killer might be Twila Busby's uncle.
Evidence presented at trial suggested that Twila Busby's uncle, Robert Donnell -- who is now deceased -- could have been the killer. At a New Year's Eve party she attended for a short time on the last night of her life, Donnell stalked her, making crude sexual remarks, according to trial testimony. A friend who drove her home from the party testified she was "fidgety and worried" and that Donnell was no longer at the party when he returned.
"I had made up my mind to die," said Skinner, who was just few feet away from the death chamber. He is eager to take the DNA test and "get the hell out of here."
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at 01:32 on March 25th, 2010
Why won't the state let him have a chance to prove his innocence? Why not? I cannot understand that. It defies logic. It defies any logic. A so called "free" country. Number 1, I dont agree with the death pealty in the first place. As Richard Gere says in the film 'Primal Fear'. "Sometimes very good people do very bad things". If the state is going to go ahead and then execute people then at the VERY least they have to give that person a chance to prove innocence. How does Rick Parry sleep at night? Jesus who are these people? Its very sad. its very sad for everyone involved. And no, I am not forgetting the victims. There are no winners here. At least give this guy a chance to prove his innocence. I wonder to myself is there a more sinister motive involved here though. Does the state of Texas really want to show that it makes mistakes??? Thats the question I have to ask myself? When I am going to the US they grill me on where I am going, who I am going to see, how much money I have and the list goes on........ If I never step foot in the US again, it would not cause my a flutter. What an awful system they run. I dont know if Skinner did this or didnt do it but give the guy a chance of the DNA. Land of hope and freedom. Terrible. Anyway I am going off on a tangent..... Give this guy a chance.
at 08:15 on March 25th, 2010
everyone makes mistakes & i understand where your coming from but don't you think that the family of the ones he killed would want this done to him, just as you would if it were your family, or even friends? & what makes you think that if they let him go & he gets out of prison that he won't do the same thing again? he might be innocent, let him prove that, & if he isn't then they sould continue with their mindset in the first place. you don't have to agree with the death penalty, not everyone does. this is an opinion thing, i hope i didn't affend anyone.
at 08:16 on March 25th, 2010
everyone makes mistakes & i understand where your coming from but don't you think that the family of the ones he killed would want this done to him, just as you would if it were your family, or even friends? & what makes you think that if they let him go & he gets out of prison that he won't do the same thing again? he might be innocent, let him prove that, & if he isn't then they sould continue with their mindset in the first place. you don't have to agree with the death penalty, not everyone does. this is an opinion thing, i hope i didn't affend anyone.
at 09:56 on March 30th, 2010
For anyone that does not believe in the death penalty,I suggest you go onto some of the death row websites and read what the men and women on death row have done to end up on death row.Most are vile worthless crimminals that have never contributed a single valueable thing to society. They have commited horendous crimes and no longer deserve to live.No one will benifit from these subhumans being allowed to live. I believe there comes a time based on your actions,when a crimminal gives up his or her right to live among any human society.When a crime is so vile their right to live is no longer warrented.I feel no more for these subhmans than putting down a rabid dog.