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October 4, 2012

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Execution Stay for Sexual Abuse Victim 
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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the stay of execution granted
to a death row prisoner convicted of murdering his sexual abuser.
Terrance "Terry" Williams was scheduled to be executed this week for the
1984 murder of Amos Norwood. Norwood had sexually abused Williams over a
number of years up until the night before Williams took revenge by
ending Norwood’s life. But last week, a state court halted the
execution and ordered a new sentencing hearing over evidence prosecutors
had withheld evidence of Norwood’s molestation of Williams and other
minors. Williams was convicted based on the prosecution’s contention
that he had been trying to rob Norwood before the murder, not seeking
revenge for sexual abuse. Prosecutors had challenged that ruling, but on
Wednesday Pennsylvania's Supreme Court affirmed the stay. In a
statement, Williams attorney Shawn Nolan said: "The Philadelphia
District Attorney’s Office should stop its pursuit to execute Terry
Williams. The time has now come for them to heed the call from the
victim’s widow, jurors, child advocates, victim’s rights advocates,
and over 380,000 [petitioners] who do not want Terry executed."

 

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