© 2024 KASU
Your Connection to Music, News, Arts and Views for 65 Years
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Arkansas man seeks DNA retesting in murder case

DE QUEEN, Ark. (AP) - An Arkansas man who was previously scheduled for execution is pleading for additional DNA testing to prove he's innocent in a 1993 murder.

The Texarkana Gazette reports that Stacey Eugene Johnson has been twice convicted of the murder of Carol Heath. Johnson was among eight inmates who were scheduled for execution in April, but the Arkansas Supreme Court granted a last-minute stay so he could seek more DNA tests in hopes of proving his innocence.

Witnesses at Wednesday's hearing in De Queen discussed the improvements in DNA testing since the original tests were run nearly 25 years ago.

The prosecutor defended the DNA testing methods conducted in two previous trials.

Three other inmates who were scheduled for execution received stays. The state eventually executed four inmates over a two-week period.

___

Information from: Texarkana Gazette, http://www.texarkanagazette.com