Texas plans to execute Troy Clark on Wednesday but there are some serious problems with his case. Troy has always maintained his innocence. Someone else made a detailed confession and then completely changed her story in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Christina Muse was murdered in May 1998. Christina had previously lived with Troy Clark and Tory Bush, his girlfriend at the time. Police brought Bush in for questioning several months after the murder. She told investigators that she killed Christina out of jealousy and anger.
Bush told investigators that she was angry because she thought that Christina was trying to take her boyfriend. Bush said that she unsuccessfully tried to use a stun gun to disable Christina. When that didn't work, Bush said she hit Christina over the head with a wood 2x4.
Bush reported that her friend, a man named Tracy, came by the house and helped move Christina's body in a barrel. Bush specifically said that Troy Clark was not involved in the murder, wasn't home when Christina was killed, and didn't know anything about it until the next day.
Police asked Bush several questions. "Did Troy take part in killing Christina?" "Did Troy take part in disposing of her body?" "Does Troy know where she is buried?" "Troy is not involved in her death at all?" Bush answered NO to all of these questions.
Police concluded with one last question for Bush: "Are you the only person involved in her death?" Bush said YES. Now you might be wondering how Troy Clark wound up on death row after Bush made these statements to the police...
Bush told a totally different story at Troy Clark's trial. She said that it was Troy who stunned Christina, Troy who hit Christina with a board, and Troy who made her help drown Christina. That story is the complete opposite of Bush's prior statements to the police.
Bush received a reduced 20-year prison sentence in exchange for her incentivized testimony. Troy Clark's trial attorneys never told the jury about Bush's prior confession or about prints found on the barrel that did not match Troy's fingerprints.
