Barry Lee Jones, who denied guilt for the nearly 28 years he was on Arizona’s death row, was freed after a judge tossed out his 1994 conviction on charges that he sexually assaulted and murdered his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, Rachel Yvonne Gray.
that would have allowed Arizona to execute him despite strong evidence to support his innocence claims.
Sandman called the evidence that supported the convictions against Jones “flawed” and said the death sentence was the result of “shoddy and constitutionally deficient defense lawyering, junk science and myopic police work.” Among the flaws in the prosecution’s case was a medically implausible timeline and heavy reliance on circumstantial evidence, Sandman’s office argued.
In May 1994, Angela Rene Gray found her daughter unresponsive in bed and took her to the hospital, where doctors determined she had been dead on arrival. Jones, a mechanic who lived with the elder Gray and four children, was later questioned for five hours and charged in the girl’s death. He was convicted that year and sentenced to death in July 1995.
The possibility for his execution or freedom hinged on the Supreme Court decision, which came in 2022. The 6-3 ruling fell along ideological lines and effectively gutted a long-standing safeguard for criminal defendants who argue that ineffective counsel at their state-level trials led to their wrongful conviction.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1994 Quad Studios shooting: How Tupac Shakur's attack ignited a hip-hop feudThe incident was more than just a robbery gone wrong for Shakur; it was a betrayal. Biggie and Tupac had once been close friends.
Read more »
Death row inmate who spent 29 years in prison released after case was re-examinedAn Arizona death row inmate whose convictions and death sentence in the 1994 death of a 4-year-old were thrown out has been released from prison.
Read more »
Arizona death row inmate released after 29 years behind barsBarry Lee Jones had spent 29 years behind bars for murder, child abuse and sexual assault convictions in the death of his girlfriend’s daughter.
Read more »
Barry Manilow’s 25 Top 40 Hits, Ranked From Worst to Best: Critic’s PicksThe entertainer turns 80 on Saturday. To mark the occasion, here are all 25 of his singles that made the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, fearlessly ranked by an OG Fanilow.
Read more »
Arizona death row inmate released from prison after 29 yearsBarry Jones was released from prison Thursday after spending 29 years on death row. The first thing he did was reunite with his family. MORE ⬇️
Read more »
San Diego's special regard for Randy Jones began with Padres debut 50 years agoDebut for curly left-hander, who would become franchise's first 20-game winner and Cy Young Award winner, is most memorable for hit he allowed to Willie Mays
Read more »