Rodney Reed is scheduled to be executed in Texas on March 5. A growing group of detectives, forensic scientists, human rights advocates, lawyers, clergy, and members of the family of the victim are all coming together not only to declare that a new investigation should take place, but that they are clear on who actually killed 19-year-old Stacey Stites in 1996: her boyfriend, Jimmy Fennell,
who is now in prison for kidnapping and raping a woman in 2007.
The last-known person to see Stacey Stites, Jimmy Fennell, a police officer at the time of her death (and also at the time of the kidnapping and rape he was convicted for 11 years later), was given an unfair benefit of the doubt in her death and more evidence is pointing to Reed's innocence.
According to The Intercept:
Specifically, Gannon and the forensic experts have concluded that the state’s timeline for Stites’ death is off by several hours. They contend that the decomposing of Stites’ body — observed in crime scene photos and video — prove that she was murdered at least four hours earlier than the state claims. Moreover, they conclude that she was likely killed somewhere far from where her body was found. The findings are significant.
Family members of Stacey Stites are now standing up for Rodney Reed and his innocence. The time is quickly running out for a serious appeal to be heard and for a stay of execution to be issued for Reed.