Both Sides in Skinner Case Ask Court for DNA Test
Attorneys for the state of Texas and death row inmate Hank Skinner have filed a joint motion with the Court of Criminal Appeals to send his case back to district court so he can obtain DNA testing.
"The parties have reached an accord intended to resolve the dispute pending before the Court, which makes it unnecessary for the Court to address the issues presented by Mr. Skinner's appeal," the filing reads. (Download the filing to the left.)
Skinner was convicted in 1995 of the strangulation and beating death of his girlfriend Twila Busby and the stabbing deaths of her ...
Comments (5)
Erik Reyna via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Awesome photo by Caleb Miller.
Marnie Tunay via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wonder why, if he claimed to be innocent at the time of his trial, his lawyer didn't demand DNA testing...
Anya Khan
MT-he turned it down, and fought agasint it, and th prosecuter felt he didn't need it. I think this is just a postponment tactic.
Michael Hull
Was DNA testing widely available in 1995? I know certain types, or certain types of analysis, were not. I don't know the answer in this case.
Even if the specific type of testing that he wants today was available, it's possible that his lawyer purposefully chose not to have the test in case it came back positive (defense lawyers don't always believe their clients--often, for good reason). Moreover, was DNA testing as widely understood and trusted in 1995 as it is today? Again, I don't really know.
The Texas DNA law (before its 2011 amendment--not familar with the new version), had as one of the bases to demand post-conviction DNA testing the unavailability of the test at the time of the trial.
Kathy Peikert
DNA was not tested on certain, specific items, at the time of trial...NOT because Skinner or his Atty. did not want to but BECAUSE! It was with-held by the District Attorney!
I find it SAD! Disgusting that the Jacket has been "LOST." The key piece of evidence to save Hanks life is gone!! And it up and vanishes! I find this to be just a small token of his miscarriage of justice that began years ago!
Now what TEXAS@#$%?????