Post by thinkinkmesa on Jul 13, 2011 13:09:31 GMT -5
Inmate Brett Hartman Gets Death Penalty Hearing
Brett Hartman's lawyer said that four strands of hair that have yet to be tested for DNA at Wanda Snipes Akron apartment could prove that Hartman is innocent.
"We are still litigating the same issues today (Tuesday) that we were two and a half years ago," said David Stebbins, Hartman's federal public defender.
Stebbins suggests that the killer could have been Snipes boyfriend and not Hartman, ONN's Denise Alex reported.
Hartman was convicted of stabbing Snipes 138 times and cutting her hands off in September 1997. Her hands have never been found.
Prosecutors believe that Snipes was murdered after the two met at a bar.
On Tuesday, more of his family gave testimony.
"Please give my brother a chance because there was evidence untested and we need time to test it. I don't think anybody would like to know that they killed somebody and was wrong," said Rita Jones, Hartman's sister.
"He's really a good man," said Josh Wolpert, Hartman's nephew. "I don't believe he deserves the hand he's been dealt."
Hartman's pastor even asked the state to spare his life. He said that Hartman is a new man who studies paralegal and religion.
In hours of testimony, the clemency board heard how he suffered a tough childhood that was filled with alcohol, drugs and dysfunction.
"He was picking up women at bars and taking them back to his apartment," Stebbins said. "He was keeping their clothes. It wasn't a very pretty picture."
But Stebbins said that that doesn't mean the convicted killer actually murdered Snipes and should not die for the crime.
The clemency board will review its testimony and recommend its decision to Gov. John Kasich by next week.
Hartman will die by lethal injection August 16th unless the governor commutes his death sentence to life in prison without parole.
More;
www.onntv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2011/07/12/story-clemency-hearing.html?sid=102
Brett Hartman's lawyer said that four strands of hair that have yet to be tested for DNA at Wanda Snipes Akron apartment could prove that Hartman is innocent.
"We are still litigating the same issues today (Tuesday) that we were two and a half years ago," said David Stebbins, Hartman's federal public defender.
Stebbins suggests that the killer could have been Snipes boyfriend and not Hartman, ONN's Denise Alex reported.
Hartman was convicted of stabbing Snipes 138 times and cutting her hands off in September 1997. Her hands have never been found.
Prosecutors believe that Snipes was murdered after the two met at a bar.
On Tuesday, more of his family gave testimony.
"Please give my brother a chance because there was evidence untested and we need time to test it. I don't think anybody would like to know that they killed somebody and was wrong," said Rita Jones, Hartman's sister.
"He's really a good man," said Josh Wolpert, Hartman's nephew. "I don't believe he deserves the hand he's been dealt."
Hartman's pastor even asked the state to spare his life. He said that Hartman is a new man who studies paralegal and religion.
In hours of testimony, the clemency board heard how he suffered a tough childhood that was filled with alcohol, drugs and dysfunction.
"He was picking up women at bars and taking them back to his apartment," Stebbins said. "He was keeping their clothes. It wasn't a very pretty picture."
But Stebbins said that that doesn't mean the convicted killer actually murdered Snipes and should not die for the crime.
The clemency board will review its testimony and recommend its decision to Gov. John Kasich by next week.
Hartman will die by lethal injection August 16th unless the governor commutes his death sentence to life in prison without parole.
More;
www.onntv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2011/07/12/story-clemency-hearing.html?sid=102