AllHipHop

Meek Mill Advocates For Stopping The Execution Of Rodney Reed

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

Evidence suggests the Texas man was wrongfully convicted of murder.

(AllHipHop News) Meek Mill has become one of the most outspoken backers of prison reform and social justice initiatives. The Philadelphia-bred emcee went from fighting his own case in Pennsylvania to advocating for other people across the country.

Last night, Meek took to Twitter to bring awareness to Rodney Reed in Texas. A petition was launched to convince Governor Greg Abbott to stop Reed’s November 20th scheduled execution.

“16 days left and he will be executed for a crime he didn’t commit .. get more info here! #freerodneyreed,” tweeted Meek with a link to freerodneyreed.com.

Reed, an African-American, was found guilty by an all-white jury of the 1996 rape and murder of Stacey Stites. According to the #FreeRodneyReed website, Stiles and Reed had a consensual sexual relationship and the DNA evidence presented by the prosecution resulted from that relationship.

In addition, Stites’ fiancé, Jimmy Fennell, allegedly confessed to killing Stacey. Fennel was a police officer convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting another woman while he was on duty. He was the original prime suspect in the Stites case and apparently threatened to kill her over the affair with Reed.

“Mr. Reed’s execution is less than one month away, meaning Texas is frighteningly close to executing an innocent man,” said Bryce Benjet, Reed’s attorney. “Between the medical and scientific evidence, and multiple new, credible witnesses, the original case trial has been completely deconstructed and disproven.”

Kim Kardashian West has also spoken out on behalf of Rodney Reed. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star called on Governor Abbott to stay the execution. 

“PLEASE @GovAbbott. How can you execute a man when since his trial, substantial evidence that would exonerate Rodney Reed has come forward and even implicates the other person of interest. I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING,” wrote Kardashian West on Twitter.