Posted on 11/15/2019 9:51:52 PM PST by grundle
A Georgia man was executed Wednesday for a 1994 murder after courts denied appeals involving pleas for new DNA testing and a witness's claim that a different man confessed.
Ray Jefferson Cromartie, 52, was convicted of malice murder in the death of convenience store clerk Richard Slysz. The shooting happened while Cromartie and another man tried to steal beer in Thomas County, near the Georgia-Florida state line, authorities said.
Cromartie, who claimed he didn't kill Slysz, died by lethal injection Wednesday night at a prison in Jackson. Courts denied numerous appeals. The US Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected two requests to stop the execution.
Among Cromartie's requests was for new DNA testing of evidence that his lawyers claimed might show he wasn't the shooter. They asked for testing on clothing and shell casings, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. In a statement published by the newspaper, Cromartie's attorney Shawn Nolan said it was sad and outrageous that Georgia executed his client "after repeatedly denying his requests for DNA testing."
"In this day and age, where DNA testing is routine, it is shocking that Georgia decided to end this man's life without allowing us, his attorneys, access to the materials to do these simple tests," Nolan's statement reads.
Cromartie's brother, Anthony, told CNN affiliate WXIA that his family will continue pushing for DNA testing, hoping to prove Cromartie's innocence. The interview happened Wednesday evening, after he learned the US Supreme Court declined to stop the execution.
"I'm fighting for my brother to show that he did not commit this crime," he told WXIA. "We are going to find out what is the real truth and take it back to court and ensure that my brother's name is proven not guilty of the crime."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
He Dindu Nuffin.
I can stand being corrected so fire away. It is my understanding that if you’re involved in a crime resulting in a death you are held to the standard of homicide whether you pulled the trigger or not. If he was a participant, it’s a moot point. There’s a lot to this that we haven’t been told.
I believe innocence is not in question, he was part of a pair that robbed the store and murdered the clerk. New DNA tests would not absolved him. Did he pull the trigger was his question. A man is dead because he and another entered a store with a gun, to do a robbery. He can apologize to the clerk now and go to his final destination.
DK
Felony murder rule. It literally does not matter if he pulled the trigger or not. He’s involved in the commission of a felony and someone dies as a result, you can be found guilty of murder. Even if the clerk had a heart attack, or tripped on the carpet while getting the money out of the till and smashed their head on the countertop. Still felony murder. A common misconception.
CC
He was there, he participated in the murder of another human being. Glad to see ya go!
That was my understanding, driving the getaway car or offing the bank guard. When the victims hit the floor you bought it all. It is irrelevant whether he’s the shooter or not. You break it you own it. Being young and stupid will get you killed. IMO
While you're at it. . .see if you can find the "real killer" that O.J. is still looking for.
I did a job for a prison guard. He said is son was in for life on the three-strikes rule.
“Yeah, he was with some of his old bad friends drinking. They ran out of beer. One of the guy’s says ‘Hey - Mike owes me $20. Drive us over there so I can get my $20 and get more beer.’ The son waits in the car, the friends come back with some money and they get more beer and go back to the friend’s house. A bit later the cops show up. Turns out the guys beat Mike up and robbed him. The son was, unknowingly, the get-away-driver.”
I replied “Man - I’m not sure that’s right.”
“I told him not to hang around his old friends. Something like that was bound to happen.”
Yup. Felony murder happens when someone dies when you’re committing another felony.
And you don’t have to actually pull the trigger fo he found guilty of murder.
Think about the stupidity of these type of crimes. The murderous morons take a life for a few measly dollars they don’t get to enjoy for very long. Results in prison time and sometimes the death penalty. Working an honest job, saving money and buying your own stuff legally looks a whole lot smarter and better. Idiots..
I think the justice system is afraid that such tests on these individuals will result in convictions being overturned, proving that the system is extremely flawed.
Apparently not since his two sidekicks served prison time for lesser counts.
So in this case, Cromartie should have been afforded a DNA test since it could have proved that it wasn't him who pulled the trigger but maybe one of the other two.
Not all criminals are super smart.
The author doesn't want you to know the facts.
True, not a lot of forward thinking going on with most crimes like this.
You are correct.
He’s moot now.
How much does a DNA test cost? If they were really interested in justice the defense lawyer would have had one.
There are many sources of funds. It was the defenses job to defend and show not guilty. But that was not the goal in this charade.
There is much in the background of this despite our simplistic look at this. This article has an agenda and it appears to be working, it is not objective.
He wanted DNA tests on shell casings and some clothing. How would that prove he was not the shooter. I don’t think there is a question as to whether he was there, just that he claimed he did not do the killing. If others were there, their DNA could be present and that would prove nothing. Prosecutors may just want to avoid confusing the issue.
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