Guilt leads inmate to clear executed friend

Guilt leads inmate to clear executed friend

Breaking over the blogosphere yesterday: the Houston Chronicle's report on Ruben Cantu, who appears to have been executed for a crime he did not commit.

Proof of the execution of an innocent person has been the Holy Grail of us death penalty opponents. There's only so much legal effort available and it's been focused on stopping executions. And research into an already completed execution is the ultimate moot point. But death penalty advocates use this against us, nyah-nyah-ing that "it's never been proven."

This case has a interesting element: it seems Cantu was involved in a shooting with a cop that was dismissed. So there may have been a certain "let's get this guy" element to the case.