Clear and Convincing - Episode 38 - State of Texas v. Rodney Reed (Part 1)

On April 23, 1996, Stacey Stites was raped and strangled, before her body was dumped on the side of a country road in Bastrop, Texas.  Police theorized that Ms. Stites was abducted between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. while on her way to the H.E.B. store, where she worked an early morning shift in the produce department.  The truck she was driving was found abandoned at Bastrop High School, which was 35 miles from the apartment in Giddings that she shared with her future husband, Jimmy Fennell.  In March, 1997, DNA results from Ms. Stites’ body linked Rodney Reed to the murder.  In spite of his claims of a secret relationship with the victim, Reed was convicted and sentenced to death in May, 1998.  Reed’s direct appeal and numerous state and federal writs have been unsuccessful.  Join Lisa O’Brien and Michael Carnahan on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. Central for Part 1 of State of Texas v. Rodney Reed.  We’ll talk about the issues raised by Reed’s advocates on social media, in media articles and documentaries to support their claim that he is actually innocent of Ms. Stites’ murder and/or that there is reasonable doubt about his guilt.  Join us on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, for Part 2, where we’ll discuss the claims raised by Reed in a tenth writ to the Texas courts and the claims that led to a stay of execution.  We’ll also be joined by Robert Phillips, the attorney for Jimmy Fennell in our second hour.  We’re a live show and calls are welcome.  Our phone number is (347) 989-1171.