Judge: No new trial for Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — A judge has recommended no new trial for Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed. His supporters include some lawmakers and celebrities who point to evidence they say raises serious doubts about his guilt. Reed was condemned for the 1996 killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Prosecutors say Reed raped and strangled Stites as she went to work in the rural community of Bastrop. Reed says he’s innocent. The 53-year-old alleges that Stites’ fiance, former police officer Jimmy Fennell, killed her because she was having an affair with Reed. Fennell has denied killing Stites. A judge ruled Sunday that Reed “has not proven by clear and convincing evidence that he is actually innocent.”