Advocates say death-row inmate facing execution may be innocent
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A coalition of faith leaders, legal experts and exonerated death-row inmates is urging Gov. Bill Lee to stop the execution of Tony Von Carruthers.
- They say untested DNA evidence from the 1994 crime scene could prove Carruthers is innocent.
The latest: Carruthers will be executed Thursday if Lee does not intervene.
Zoom in: Carruthers was convicted and sent to death row on three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Taylor.
- Prosecutors said the victims were buried alive in a Memphis cemetery, but an attorney for Carruthers told the Nashville Banner the assertion "is false."
- The state continues to argue the execution is warranted.
Carruthers' legal team said his conviction was based on faulty circumstantial evidence, including testimony from a paid state informant.
- They point to DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene that do not match Carruthers' but could point toward another suspect.
- In 2011, Carruthers' co-defendant said Carruthers didn't participate in the murders and instead pointed an investigator toward a different man.
- So far, courts have denied requests to test the forensic evidence to determine if a different person committed the crime.
Zoom out: Carruthers' legal team also argues he has mental health problems that should make him ineligible for the death penalty. (The Tennessee Supreme Court issued a ruling this month rejecting that argument.)
- Due to his erratic behavior during his trial, when he repeatedly fired attorneys, the court forced him to represent himself. The federal public defenders say this led to several critical errors during the trial.
State of play: The ACLU and the Tennessee Innocence Project are supporting Carruthers' fight for clemency.
- Legal advocates will join together with faith leaders Monday for a rally at the Tennessee State Capitol.
- They plan to deliver a petition supporting clemency to Lee's office.
What they're saying: "The state of Tennessee cannot execute a man unless it is absolutely sure that he is guilty of the crime he is accused of," ACLU senior counsel Maria DeLiberato said in a statement.
- "The state holds DNA and fingerprint evidence that could help determine who committed this crime, but instead of testing it, it is prioritizing finality over the truth."