Texas court halts man's execution after petition challenges trial evidence

By Jon Herskovitz STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas court on Monday halted next week's scheduled execution of convicted murderer Rodney Reed after his backers petitioned a state court for a stay, saying he was wrongly convicted due to faulty evidence and unreliable testimony. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals did not elaborate on its decision. Reed's backers for years have questioned his conviction for capital murder and filed a petition this month with affidavits from forensics experts who faulted evidence used in his trial. Reed, 47, was scheduled to be executed on March 5 for the 1996 murder of Stacy Stites. "The Court orders applicant’s execution stayed pending further order of this Court," the appeals court wrote. Attorneys for Reed said Stites was likely killed by her fiance, a former police officer now in prison for the abduction and rape of a young woman while on duty, said the Death Penalty Information Center, a resource group for capital punishment. The officer has denied the allegations by Reed's lawyers. Attorneys for Reed, who are seeking a retrial, contend evidence was altered concerning the time of death to undermine Reed's alibi. They also said the officer was angry at Reed because he had a relationship with Stites. Prosecutors have said Reed was found guilty in a fair trial and should be executed. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Peter Cooney)