Black Justice: Everything You Need to Know About the Rodney Reed Case
We’ve seen this before and unfortunately, it’s highly likely we’ll see this again and again. But that doesn’t take away the urgency in the need to keep fighting for Black lives.
In the case of Rodney Reed, a Texas man who's been on death row for 22.5 years. Reed, who is now 51 years old, was convicted in the 1996 rape and murder of 19-year-old Stacy Stites. As time has passed, evidence has been presented suggesting Reed’s innocence. Since, supporters have intensified their efforts to sway a Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott to call off Reed's November 20th scheduled execution. Hundreds of them rallied outside the Governor's mansion this past Saturday in an effort to sway his decision on whether to grant a stay of execution. As the protests have grown, new forensic evidence and witnesses have been brought to light, suggesting that Rodney Reed is innocent.
In the past month, his supporters have multiplied dramatically. These supporters includes a list of high profile celebrities like: Oprah, Beyonce, Dr. Phil (who met with Reed), Rihanna, Alyssa Milano, Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Kim Kardashian, activist Shaun King and even the European Union's Ambassador.
Reed has maintained his innocence from the inception of the charges and throughout the years and has consistently pointed to Stites' then fiance, Police Officer Jimmy Fennell, as her true killer. Fennell, was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and rape of a woman in his custody while on duty. During this time he is believed to have made a verbal jail confession (to another inmate) to Stites' murder while calling Reed a racial slur and describing hit outrage that Stites would have an affair with a Black man. The new evidence strongly suggests Stites' time of death was earlier than the time frame presented at Reed's trial and makes it likely she was killed while still in her apartment with Fennell.
Calls to stop Rodney Reed’s execution is continuing to intensify. Just this week, sixteen state senators submitted a letter to Abbott and the Texas parole board supporting a halt to the execution.
Despite the growing pressure from citizens, activists, celebrities and Republican legislators, all remains in the dark regarding Governor Aboott’s impending decision. Although Reed has pending federal court appeals and numerous requests for DNA samples to be conducted on the murder weapon, Abbott can decide on his own to grant a stay of execution which would grant a thorough review to new evidence and appeals.
An online petition to grant Reed the stay and the chance at a re-trial has garnered over 2.8 million signatures. Reed's attorney, Bryce Benjet (senior attorney at The Innocence Project) says, " Whether you believe in the death penalty or not, I think everybody agrees that at least we ought to be executing people who actually committed the crime. And I think that everybody recognizes the kind of damage that an execution in a case like this would do to the integrity of our system.
How To Stay Involved with the Rodney Reed Case:
The Innocence Project - Founded in 1992, The Innocence Project is an organization that works to “exonerate the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms to the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.” Find more on their site about details and updates on the case and how to help out.
Sign and Share this Petition
Nearing 3 Million Signatures, this petition has been the strongest effort in appealing to Governor Abbot to grant Rodney Reed a stay of execution. Add your name and share with your networks to free Rodney Reed.
