Missouri plans to execute an innocent autistic man October 6th. Ferguson prosecutor Robert McCulloch and his team presided over the case. The same St. Louis County Police Department charged with brutality and overt criminality in the Ferguson debacle, helped secure the arrest and coerce testimony leading to state sanctioned murder. Additionally, the Missouri Supreme Court has refused a defense request, to hear the case or appoint a special master to review the case for any prosecutorial improprieties. At this point, the only appeal venue is Missouri Governor Jay Nixon. Governor Nixon has the power to 'stay' the execution pending independent investigation of police and prosecutorial mis-conduct regarding coerced confessions and suborned perjury of prosecution witnesses. To date, Governor Nixon has refused to respond.
On a more personal note; the man scheduled to die October 6th is Kimber Edwards.
Kimber Edwards was charged and convicted of murder and armed criminal action carrying the death penalty in 2002. He is scheduled to die in the execution chamber October 6th. The case was under the jurisdiction of Ferguson Prosecutor, Robert McCulloch of St. Louis County. McCulloch's prosecutors claimed that in 2000, Edwards hired Orthell Wilson to murder his ex-wife, Kimberly Cantrell, in order to evade criminal prosecution regarding delinquent child support payments.
Allegations have been made accusing St. Louis County Police of coercing a confession from Edwards, and forcing a plea deal on the actual murderer in return for witness testimony against Edwards. The man who recently signed a formally witnessed affidavit recanting his previous testimony and confessing to the murder was that same prosecution witness, Orthell Wilson. Wilson claims he was threatened by police with the death penalty if he didn't accept the plea which included alleged perjured testimony against Kimber Edwards. Wilson is white and Edwards is black. No actual physical evidence has ever linked Edwards to the crime.
One last thing; Kimber Edwards is autistic.
The basic facts in quotes were derived from the U.S. District Court, Missouri Eastern Division, Judge Carol Jackson presiding. This description was presented as the rationale for Kimber Edwards alleged murder for hire plot.
-- In March 2000, petitioner was charged with the class D felony of failing to pay court-ordered child support for a 12-month period. On August 25, 2000, petitioner was scheduled to appear at a settlement conference where he was expected to accept or reject an offered plea agreement.2 Ms. Cantrell was listed as a witness for the prosecution. Petitioner had recently been terminated from his employment as a correctional officer with the City of St. Louis. He and his wife Jada owned and operated an apartment complex on Palm Street in St. Louis."
2.""The proposed plea agreement required petitioner to make a lump-sum payment of $1,500 and monthly payments of $500. In exchange, he would receive a suspended imposition of sentence and a five-year term of probation."
(Source : https://casetext.com/case/edwards-v-roper-4)
Additional facts regarding the crime scene are as follows:
*Kimber Edwards shared custody of his daughter Erica with ex-wife Kimberly Cantrell.
*Edwards was a year behind in his child support and faced charges with a court date 08/25/00.
*The daughter was staying with Edwards for 3 weeks before his court date.
*Kimberly Cantrell was found dead from two shots to her head, days before the child support hearing.
*Kimber Edwards and a tenant, Orthell Wilson were arrested in connection with the Cantrell death.
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