Polk County Republicans in Texas say: Free Rodney Reed!

POLK GOP


Resolution Supporting Clemency For Rodney Reed


Whereas, Rodney Reed, of Bastrop, Texas, has been on death row in Polk County, Texas, since 1998 for the 1996 murder of 19-year old Stacey Stites, and is set to be executed on November 20th; and


Whereas, the all white jury that convicted Rodney were not privy to the mountains of overwhelming evidence that would have exonerated him; and


Whereas, independent crime experts say the actual evidence points to Stacey's own fiancé, Jimmy Fennell, then a Giddings police officer, as her killer, who lived with Stites, initially was a suspect, who failed two polygraph exams, and was recently released from prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman while on duty as a Georgetown police officer not long after the time that Rodney was wrongly imprisoned; and


Whereas, the only evidence linking Rodney to Stacey was DNA evidence not inconsistent with that which would be typical found of a consensual sexual relationship; and


Whereas, during the trial, no individuals from Rodney's witness list were ever called to testify, which included those prepared to testify on Rodney's whereabouts the night of the murder, and those prepared to testify that Rodney knew Stacey and was romantically involved with her; and


Whereas, three of the actual expert witnesses that testified during the trial have since recanted their testimony, admitted that the time of death would have been hours prior to that what which they originally states during trial, thus meaning Stacey had died to the time that she left her and Fennell's apartment to go work; and


Whereas, several world renowned forensic pathologists have concluded that Rodney's attorney's requests to have the murder weapon tested for DNA; and


Whereas, this body believes Rodney is innocent.


Whereas, killing Rodney without certainty his guilt will erode public trust, not only in the death penalty, but in the entire justice system; and


Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Polk County Republican Party hereby requests that Governor Greg Abbott stay Rodney Reed's execution; and


Be It Further Resolved, that this body calls on members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to review all of the overwhelming evidence that exonerates Mr. Reed, and eventually grant clemency with a pardon based on innocence; and


Be It Further Resolved, that this body calls on Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz to cancel the November 20 execution date, test all the evidence, and initiate a new trial; and


Be It Further Resolved, that the Polk County Republican Party asks citizens of Polk County and throughout Texas to contact the above and respectfully request the same.