Richard Stokley (pic­tured) is sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed in Arizona on December 5 for rape and mur­der. Stokley’s accom­plice, Randy Brazeal, was released from prison in 2011, despite DNA test­ing show­ing he was like­ly guilty of the same crime as Stokley. In 1991, Brazeal turned him­self in to author­i­ties and claimed that Stokley had held him hostage while com­mit­ting the crime. However, sub­se­quent DNA test­ing revealed that Brazeal like­ly par­tic­i­pat­ed in the crime and raped one of the vic­tims. At the time of the crime, DNA test­ing had only recent­ly become pos­si­ble, and author­i­ties made a deal with Brazeal to avoid delays that would result from such test­ing. He was sen­tenced to 20 years in prison. When the DNA test­ing was lat­er com­plet­ed, it revealed Brazeal’s DNA inside one of the vic­tims. Rod Rothrock, the detec­tive who led the inves­ti­ga­tion, said, ​“It is my opin­ion that Mr. Brazeal is no less guilty than Mr. Stokley, and I believe that DNA test proves that.”

Stokley’s attor­neys are ask­ing the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of exe­cu­tion, say­ing that his for­mer attor­neys were ineffective.

(A. Longo, ​“Convict to be exe­cut­ed in mur­ders of 2 teens as accom­plice runs free,” CBS5, November 28, 2012). See Arbitrariness.

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