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Reginald Clemons supporters rally at Mo. Capitol

Poster of Reginald Clemons at a rally in the State Capitol, Jefferson City.
Marshall Griffin | St. Louis Public Radio
Poster of Reginald Clemons at a rally in the State Capitol, Jefferson City.

By Marshall Griffin, KWMU

Jefferson City, MO – Supporters of Missouri Death Row Inmate Reginald Clemons rallied today at the State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Nearly 50 people attended the rally in support of Clemons, whose scheduled execution last month was halted by a federal appeals court.

They began by demonstrating in front of the State Supreme Court building, then marching around the State Capitol before gathering inside the Rotunda.

Redditt Hudson of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri expressed gratitude that the Missouri Supreme Court appointed a special master to examine Clemons' case.

"If this judge will take an objective and fair look at everything attached to this case, and not allow himself to be influenced by any politics, then Reggie's freedom is close," Hudson said.

Clemons was convicted along with Marlin Gray and Antonio Richarson in the 1991 rape and murders of Julie and Robin Kerry at the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis.

Clemons maintains that he's innocent.

Former State Representative Betty Thompson also called on Governor Jay Nixon to set Clemons free.

"Because those young girls that (the state) claims that they killed probably would be not at rest until the truth have really come out," Thompson told the crowd.

Gray, who also claimed to be innocent, was executed by lethal injection in 2005. Richardson's death sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole in 2003.

A fourth defendant, Daniel Winfrey, pled guilty to second-degree murder and received a 30-year sentence. He was paroled in 2007.

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