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"Mitchell and Twila left the appellant alone in the house and drove to Mitchell's trailer where a party was in progress. Twila's uncle, Robert Donnell, got very drunk at the party.""Donnell was a big man with a hot temper who carried a knife in the trunk of his car. He had used force to collect a drug debt from a woman and sexually molested a young girl when she was asleep. Donnell followed Twila around at the party as if he was stalking her and made rude sexual advances. Twila became agitated and asked Mitchell to take her home."
She arrived between 11:00 and 11:15PM. Shortly afterwards, she and her youngest son were stabbed to death. Her older son was also stabbed, but managed to flee to a neighbor's yard and collapse. He never regained consciousness and died.
A neighbor found him around midnight and called the police. Earlier that evening, Skinner drank heavily. He also ingested a near fatal codeine dose. He's severely allergic to the drug yet took it anyway. His allergy induces lethargy, delirium, hallucinations, and in Skinner's case extreme illness.
Combined with Xanax and alcohol, testimony and evidence showed he was unconscious when the murders were committed.
Forensic toxicologist William T. Lowry testified at trial that Skinner's condition rendered him physically incapable of committing the crimes. He also said the positioning of his handprints around the crime scene was consistent with someone stumbling around in a stupor. He was pharmacologically incapacitated.
Other forensic evidence showed Twila was also strangled by someone strong enough to leave permanent flesh indentations. The killer had extremely powerful hand strength.
In contrast, Skinner's right hand was impaired by an earlier injury. He's also a small man, weighing about 140 pounds. At trial, the medical examiner showed how Twila was strangled powerfully with both hands.
Skinner was clearly innocent. He also lacked motive. Only someone strong in a rage could have done it.
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