Tonight, the state of Missouri executed Walter Barton.
SCOTUS denied his final appeal this evening, because evidence that established his innocence had been available to his defense counsel - ignoring the fact that said counsel were woefully inadequate.
innocenceproject.org/walter-barton-…
SCOTUS denied his final appeal this evening, because evidence that established his innocence had been available to his defense counsel - ignoring the fact that said counsel were woefully inadequate.
innocenceproject.org/walter-barton-…
Mr. Barton was almost certainly innocent.
He was convicted of killing Gladys Kuehler, an elderly woman who ran an Ozark trailer park, found dead in a pool of blood in 1991. Ms. Kuehler's granddaughter and Mr. Barton discovered her body.
theappeal.org/missouri-set-t…
He was convicted of killing Gladys Kuehler, an elderly woman who ran an Ozark trailer park, found dead in a pool of blood in 1991. Ms. Kuehler's granddaughter and Mr. Barton discovered her body.
theappeal.org/missouri-set-t…
The only physical evidence linking Mr. Barton to the crime was a spot of blood on his shirt, which he testified got there when he pulled the victim's granddaughter off her body. This was corroborated by the victim's granddaughter to investigators.
The state introduced so-called expert testimony on blood spatter analysis - an unreliable and discredited forensic technique, claiming the blood spot could only have gotten on Mr. Barton's shirt if he had stabbed the victim, not through rubbing against her.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
Meanwhile, the victim had been stabbed 50 times, her throat had been slit, and two Xs were carved into her abdomen. Whoever killed her would have been covered in blood. Nonetheless this testimony was what sealed Mr. Barton's conviction.
This is far from the only problematic part of Mr. Barton's case. He was tried five times. One ended in a mistrial, one in a hung jury and two verdicts were overturned.
One on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct, including the use of perjured testimony by a jailhouse informant.
One on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct, including the use of perjured testimony by a jailhouse informant.
The same jailhouse informant who was found to have perjured himself was then allowed to testify at Mr. Barton's last trial where he was convicted and sentenced to death.
The special unit of the Missouri AG's office that tried Mr. Barton is responsible for the wrongful convictions of at least four other innocent men who have since been legally exonerated. Judges have found prosecutors from the unit have repeatedly engaged in misconduct.
Three jurors who voted to convict Mr. Barton at his last trial now say that they would have voted to acquit if they knew all the evidence. kansascity.com/news/local/cri…
Mr. Barton was represented by a series of hopelessly inadequate defense counsel, at least one of whom has since been suspended from the practice of law.
Apparently SCOTUS thinks the fact these attorneys were aware of evidence establishing his innocence was good enough.
Apparently SCOTUS thinks the fact these attorneys were aware of evidence establishing his innocence was good enough.
Finally, not even a pandemic could convince the state of Missouri to delay Mr. Barton's execution.
Apparently these are our priorities, even during a time of unprecedented crisis when people cannot afford food and are dying of a virus for which we have no treatment or cure.
Apparently these are our priorities, even during a time of unprecedented crisis when people cannot afford food and are dying of a virus for which we have no treatment or cure.
