Death row inmate spared execution after decades following evidence concerns

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 16:20 · Archive

Alabama governor has commuted the death sentence of Toforest Johnson, convicted in 1995 of murdering a deputy, citing insufficient evidence.

Toforest Johnson, convicted of murdering Jefferson County Deputy William Hardy in 1995, has been spared execution following Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's decision to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment without parole on Tuesday. Johnson has spent nearly three decades on death row since his 1998 sentencing.

Hardy was shot twice in the head while working off-duty security at a hotel. Johnson has consistently maintained he was at a nightclub at the time of the shooting. No physical evidence tied him to the killing, and more than ten witnesses testified that he was on the other side of town during the incident.

The conviction relied heavily on testimony from a witness who stated she overheard a man she believed was Johnson admitting to the crime during a phone call. Johnson's lawyers have argued that the state withheld evidence showing she was paid $5,000 for her testimony in 2001, which they contend demonstrates financial motivation. The original prosecutor, Danny Carr, has repeatedly called for the conviction to be overturned. His daughter, Akeriya Terry, expressed relief at the governor's decision after spending much of her life fighting to save her father's life.

How it is being reported

• Dad spared execution after decades on Death Row as governor questions murder evidenceToforest Johnson's daughter cried tears of joy after his death sentence was reduced to life without parole. She vows to keep fighting for his freedom, as his original prosecutor backs a new trialThe Mirror · 21 Oct, 16:00
• Convicted killer who spent decades on death row evades execution after governor intervenes as questions swirl around the murderFor nearly three decades, the threat of execution has hung over Toforest Johnson's family. Now, that threat has lifted under his current sentence.Daily Mail · 21 Oct, 07:13

In this story: Toforest Johnson · William Hardy · Kay Ivey · Akeriya Terry · Danny Carr · Alabama · Jefferson County

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