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TribBlog: U.S. Supreme Court Grants Stay for Skinner

The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay this evening of the execution of death row inmate Hank Skinner, who was scheduled to die today.

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Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay this evening of the execution of death row inmate Hank Skinner, who was scheduled to die tonight.

Skinner was convicted in 1995 of killing his live-in girlfriend and her two mentally disabled adult sons. He has proclaimed his innocence and for the past decade has asked the courts to test a slew of DNA evidence that was not analyzed during his original trial.

Attorney Rob Owen, co-director of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law's Capital Punishment Clinic, said the court did not decide whether it would take on Skinner's case but simply decided they needed more time to examine it.

"We are very relieved," Owen said

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Courts Criminal justice State government Death penalty State agencies Texas death row