In a significant decision announced on Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has commuted the death sentence of Robin “Rocky” Myers, transitioning it to life imprisonment without parole. The decision follows lingering doubts regarding Myers’s guilt in the murder case dating back to 1991. Governor Ivey, although a proponent of the death penalty, said the presence of uncertainties in Myers’s conviction drove her to halt his impending execution.
Governor Ivey emphasized that the jury during Myers’s 1994 trial had suggested a life sentence without parole, and she believes it prudent to honor their recommendation amidst these unresolved questions. She stated, “I am not wholly convinced of Mr. Myers’s innocence, yet the lack of certitude regarding his guilt compels me to refrain from endorsing his execution.”
Myers was found guilty of the fatal stabbing of Ludie Mae Tucker, aged 69, in Decatur. Despite his conviction, Myers has consistently professed his innocence. A juror from the initial trial has also advocated for clemency since, asserting that the case against Myers is questionable.
The Alabama Supreme Court recently permitted the state attorney general to proceed with scheduling an execution date for Myers, specifically employing nitrogen gas. This placed Governor Ivey in a position to finalize that date, but she chose to halt it instead.
This marks the first execution block by Ivey since assuming office in 2017, during which she has overseen more than two dozen executions. She described this decision as “one of the toughest choices” of her gubernatorial career and expressed hope that the Tucker family might find solace in the closure of the case and Myers’s subsequent lifelong imprisonment.
Myers’s defense pointed to numerous inconsistencies within the case. No tangible evidence linked him to Tucker’s murder scene. Tucker’s description of her attacker conflicted with Myers’s attributes, and despite having interacted with him previously, she did not identify him as her assailant. The jury initially voted 9-3 in favor of a life sentence, but under Alabama’s now-defunct judicial system, the presiding judge mandated execution.Despite this circumstantial evidence pointing toward Myers’s complicity, significant contradictions muddle the narrative. A primary component of the prosecution revolved around a VCR allegedly taken from Tucker’s residence, with accusations suggesting Myers attempted to sell it illegally.
Juror Mae Puckett voiced gratitude for Ivey’s intervention. Believing in Myers’s innocence, Puckett stated, “Governor Ivey restored the original jury’s verdict.” Myers’s attorney, Kacey Keeton, echoed this sentiment, praising the governor’s decision. Myers’s legal case faced challenges, including inadequate representation, leading to missed opportunities to address concerns in federal courts, particularly considering a predominantly white jury convicted Myers, a Black man.
Keeton elaborated on having represented Myers since 2007 and consistently fighting against the alleged miscarriages of justice he faced. She expressed hope for justice, mercy, and humanity in this latest development. This commutation marks a significant gubernatorial intervention not seen since 1999.
