Larry Swearingen Granted a Stay of Execution (UA 17/09)

On January 26, Larry Swearingen was granted a stay of execution by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal court one level below the US Supreme Court with jurisdiction over Texas cases. He was scheduled to be put to death in Texas on the evening of January 27. Swearingen was sentenced to death in 2000 for the murder of Melissa Trotter in 1998. He maintains his innocence of the murder and several forensic experts have provided statements and testimonies that support his claim.