A Texas man, Ivan Cantu, was executed despite maintaining his innocence. He was convicted in 2001 of killing his cousin and cousin’s fiancée.
His lawyers argued his trial was tainted by false testimony from his then-girlfriend and her brother, who later recanted.
“Simply put, we jurors did not hear the truth you assume you would hear from a person under oath,” 2001 head juror Jeff Calhoun wrote. “Bottom line, I feel like I was fooled.”
Texas Gov Greg Abbott is last resort for 30 day reprieve for Ivan CANTU, set to die Wednesday, Feb 28. Urge him to use his power to allow time for new evidence in Ivan’s case to be evaluated, lest Texas execute a wrongfully convicted man. Urge the Gov to grant a 30 day reprieve…
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) February 27, 2024
A podcast reinvestigated the case and a juror wrote in an op-ed that new evidence raised doubts.
Over 150,000 people signed a petition supported by Kim Kardashian urging clemency, but appeals were denied.
“Hey! Its Kim Kardashian, I just wanted to thank you guys for signing, and I hope you all get your friends to sign too!” Kardashian wrote.
Prosecutors said evidence including fingerprints on a magazine proved his guilt.
Cantu’s execution occurred hours after an Idaho execution was halted after medical staff struggled to establish IV access for the lethal injection.
“It’s my firm belief that justice has been done in this case and that a Collin County jury’s verdict should be carried out,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said.
“We are angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of Thomas Creech today,” Federal Defender Services of Idaho stated.