DNA Test Raises Doubts About Guilt of Inmate Executed for Robbery-Murder
A DNA test performed 10 years after the execution of a Texas inmate raises questions about his guilt in the robbery and murder that sent him to death row.
The test on a hair shows it did not belong to convicted defendant Claude Jones, described as a “career criminal” by the Houston Chronicle. The test indicated the hair may have belonged to the victim.
At trial, a chemist had testified that a microscopic examination indicated the hair, the only physical evidence in the case, belonged to Jones, the story says. An accomplice testified Jones was the shooter, but he later recanted.
Jones’ lawyer had sought the DNA test on the eve of his client’s execution, but then Gov. George W. Bush rejected a request for a stay to allow time for the analysis. A report by the governor’s staff counsel recommended against a stay, and did not mention that it was being sought for a DNA test.
The Innocence Project and the Texas Observer asked a court to approve the DNA test three years ago.
