After more than 30 years on death row, Texas inmate David Leonard Wood, who was set to be executed for the deaths of six girls and young women, received a last-minute stay of execution. This decision comes after claims were made that Wood is intellectually disabled and thus ineligible for execution. Wood, who has maintained his innocence throughout the years, was originally halted from execution in 2009 over similar claims, which were later rejected by a judge.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued the stay of execution after Wood renewed his claims of innocence in his latest appeal. The court did not provide further details on their decision. Wood had been scheduled to die on Thursday, after spending the longest time on death row in Texas history. The murders, in which Wood was implicated, took place in 1987 and involved the bodies of six victims found buried in the desert near El Paso.
Wood has sought DNA testing of evidence in his case, as previous testing found a male DNA profile on the clothing of one of the victims that did not match his own. Despite his efforts to prove his innocence, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to commute his sentence or grant him a reprieve.
Wood’s attorney, Gregory Wiercioch, has maintained his client’s innocence and criticized authorities for focusing on Wood rather than the evidence in the case. Wood’s fate remains uncertain as his case continues to be reviewed by the courts.
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