On Monday, September 17th, Reggie Clemons’ case will be reviewed for what could be the last time. He was sentenced to death in Missouri, despite many lingering questions about whether he was coerced to confess.
Chances like this don’t happen often and we are grateful for this special opportunity. Before we reach that step, it is important to understand a few things about the case, Reggie and just how fatal the flaws of the death penalty system can be.
The state of Missouri has accused Reggie of killing two young women — pushing them into the Mississippi River in April 1991. The pain the family of these two girls has suffered after such a staggering loss is unfathomable. But from the beginning, the case against Reggie has been riddled with grave and glaring problems.
First, Reggie’s face was so swollen after his interrogation by St. Louis police that the judge arraigning him sent him to the emergency room.
Second, not one, not two, but four federal judges have agreed that the prosecutor’s conduct when cross-examining Reggie was “abusive and boorish”. This prosecutor compared him, who at 19 years old never even had a criminal record, to two convicted serial killers.
Third, the single most reliable predictor of whether someone will be sentenced to death is the race of the victim. Reggie is a black man. The two young women who were killed were white. Add that to the disproportionate dismissal of blacks during jury selection and you get a perfect storm of racial discrimination.
Fourth, and most troubling of all — the state’s only two eye-witnesses included a man who, at one point, confessed to police that he murdered the girls and another who took a plea in exchange for a lighter sentence!
How can Reggie be about to lose his life when there is so much so clearly wrong with this case?
Reggie could really use your support right about now. Please send a simple message to help give him strength and courage.
The support Amnesty International and its members sent to Reggie and his family over the years has kept them strong, even when fighting a system that has, at times, made them feel weak.
That’s why Reggie’s family has invited Amnesty representatives to Monday’s special hearing in Missouri. We want to pack as much positive energy as we can into that courtroom! Amnesty will bring your messages to the family and they will deliver them directly to Reggie. We know it will mean a lot to him.
AIUSA Group 48 
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