Justices side with Texas death row inmate seeking DNA testing to show he shouldn't be executed
The 6-3 decision in favor of Ruben Gutierrez gives him a potential path to have evidence tested that his lawyers say would help prove he was not responsible for the fatal stabbing of an 85-year-old woman during a home robbery decades ago.
His lawyers have said there was no physical or forensic evidence connecting him to the killing and that he was not a major participant in the crime. Two others also were charged in the case.
Gutierrez's lawyers argued that his case was similar to that of Rodney Reed, another longtime death row inmate in Texas who also won a round at the Supreme Court in his fight for DNA testing that he says would show he is innocent of murder.
In July, the high court granted Gutierrez a stay of execution 20 minutes before he was to receive a lethal injection.
Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison at her home in Brownsville in Texas' southern tip. Prosecutors said the killing of the mobile home park manager and retired teacher was part of an attempt to steal more than $600,000 that she had hidden in her home because of her mistrust of banks.
Gutierrez had several previous execution dates in recent years that were delayed, including over issues related to having a spiritual adviser in the death chamber. In June 2020, Gutierrez was about an hour from execution when he received a stay from the Supreme Court.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
7 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mexico President expects boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to be deported, hopes he serves sentence in home country
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday she expects boxer Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. to be deported to Mexico to serve a sentence for alleged arms trafficking and organized crime, after he was arrested by ICE in Los Angeles on Thursday. Chávez was found to be in the country illegally last week after he made fraudulent statements on a 2024 application for permanent residency based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. "The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico," Sheinbaum said during her daily news briefing Friday, referring to charges that Chávez faces for arms and drug trafficking. The 39-year-old boxer, according to his attorney Michael Goldstein, was picked up on Wednesday by a large number of federal agents while he was riding a scooter in front of a home where he resides in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City, near Hollywood. The arrest came only days after the former middleweight champion lost a match against influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California. Chávez split his time between both countries. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Chávez for overstaying a tourist visa that he entered the U.S. with in August 2023 and expired in February 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said. According to the department, Chávez Jr. has been charged with several crimes while in the U.S. On Jan. 22, 2012, the California Highwaay Patrol arrested Chávez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and driving without a license. On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chávez of the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months' probation. On Jan. 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chávez for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges and explosives without the corresponding permit. On Jan. 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chávez and charged him with Illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacture or import of a short-barreled rifle. The court convicted Chávez of these charges.' DHS also suspects Chávez is allegedly believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Chávez's application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to DHS. According to DHS, in December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had made a referral to ICE that Chávez was an "egregious public safety threat," but he was allowed to reenter the country on Jan. 4, 2025 after records indicated the Biden Administration had not made him an immigration enforcement priority. The Biden administration allowed Chávez to re-enter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry, accorrding to DHS. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FBI arrests Dixon man on 6 charges of disseminating child sex abuse images: Illinois attorney general
Jul. 4—DIXON — A Dixon man was charged with disseminating images of child sexual abuse after federal and state law enforcement agencies searched his home. Heath A. Knipple, 46, was charged Wednesday, July 2, in Lee County Circuit Court with six counts of Class X felony dissemination of child pornography, with each listing the victim as younger than 13. The charges are all alleged to have occurred on June 27, 2024, according to Lee County court documents. Each charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison if Knipple is convicted. The charges were filed the same day that state and FBI investigators, along with Illinois State Police officers, searched Knipple's residence in the 1200 block of Fourth Avenue in Dixon, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The release stated Knipple was taken into custody after investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material. He is being held in the Whiteside County Jail in Morrison, with a detention hearing set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, in Lee County Circuit Court. He is being represented by Sterling Attorney James Mertes. According to the news release, the case is part of Raoul's ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. "Child exploitation is a horrific crime that is made even more reprehensible when the alleged offender is an active and trusted member of the community," Raoul said. "My office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels to locate and bring to justice individuals who engage in the exploitation of minors." Raoul's office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives online reports of child sexual abuse material from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the past several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2024, reports to the ICAC increased by 11% over 2023, according to the release. Illinois' ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is composed of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has received more than 60,000 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,000 arrests of sexual predators. In 2024, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 45 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force has also provided internet safety training and education to tens of thousands of parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals. Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at and child abuse at Local child advocacy centers can be found at Deputy Bureau Chief Shannon O'Brien is prosecuting the case for Raoul's High Tech Crimes Bureau.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Special victims unit prosecutor arrested twice in domestic violence incidents
Thomas Rogers, a special victims unit prosecutor for Hillsborough County, was arrested twice early Friday morning after a domestic violence incident in Manchester, police said. Rogers, 35, works for the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office. Special victims unit prosecutor arrested twice in domestic violence incidents Thomas Rogers 'We are aware of the recent arrests involving one of our prosecutors in the special victims unit,' Assistant County Attorney Shawn Sweeney said in a written statement. 'This is a serious matter, and we take it very seriously. The integrity of our office and the safety of our community are our top priorities. ... We will allow the legal process to unfold and will cooperate fully with law enforcement. It is crucial that we uphold the principles of justice, irrespective of an individual's position. We will not comment further on the specifics of the case to protect the integrity of the investigation.' Sweeney confirmed Rogers is a prosecutor for his office. Rogers lists his job title as assistant county attorney on his LinkedIn profile. Shortly before midnight Thursday, Manchester officers were called to a Laurel Street residence, where Rogers is accused of assaulting a woman he knows, according to a news release from the Manchester Police Department. Rogers was charged with simple assault — domestic violence. He was booked and released around 3:30 a.m. and ordered not to go back to the victim's address, police said. Around 6:30 a.m. police responded to a 911 hang-up call from the same Laurel Street home. The victim from the previous incident had left the home, but officers found Rogers at the residence, police said. Rogers was arrested a second time and charged with breach of bail and stalking. He was held at the Valley Street jail. Police are investigating the incidents. dpierce@
