A Texas appeals court has halted the execution of David Leonard Wood, who has spent over 30 years on death row for the killings of six girls and young women found buried in the desert near El Paso. Wood was set to be executed this week but has had multiple reprieves in the past due to claims of intellectual disability and innocence. Despite the rejection of these claims, the court issued a stay of execution after his latest appeal renewed claims of innocence, postponing his execution indefinitely.
The 1987 murders were previously unsolved until authorities say Wood confessed to being the “Desert Killer” to a cellmate. Wood allegedly gave rides to the victims, sexually assaulted and killed them, burying their bodies in shallow graves. Wood, a repeat convicted sex offender, maintains his innocence and has pushed for DNA testing on evidence that has not been granted.
Wood’s attorneys have argued that authorities focused on him as a suspect rather than following the evidence. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recently declined a request to commute his death sentence or grant him a reprieve. His attorneys believe he is innocent and will continue to fight for new DNA testing. Wood’s planned execution this week would have been the longest time a Texas inmate has waited on death row before being put to death.
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