The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday temporarily stopped the execution of Henry Skinner slated for Wednesday after it ruled that it needs more time to review changes in state law on DNA testing, according to media reports.
Skinner, 49, was to be executed via lethal injection for the 1993 killings of his girlfriend and two sons in northern Texas. He has maintained that he is innocent.
The court order added, “Because the DNA statute has changed, and because some of those changes were because of this case, we find that it would be prudent for this court to take time to fully review the changes in statute as they pertain to this case,” according to The Houston Chronicle.
The U.S. Supreme Court in March of last year stayed his execution by one hour so that his legal team could pursue DNA testing via his federal civil rights.
The Texas code on DNA testing “has undergone several changes since its creation, but those changes have never been reviewed in the particular context of this case,” the court added, according to The Dallas Morning News.
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