By then, the sheriff’s office had arrested Cooper, and deputies didn’t want a complication. It’s important not to try to free one innocent man by rushing to judgment about another. Still, the DNA testing and these witnesses add to the evidence that Cooper is an innocent man on death row. *There is growing recognition in criminal justice circles that Kevin Cooper may be innocent. Four other federal circuit court judges joined in a remarkable 100-page dissent Fletcher wrote warning that California was preparing to execute an innocent man.

Source: New York Times January 23, 2021 19:30 UTC