(FeaturedHeadlines.com) The US Supreme Court indefinitely spared the life of a death-row inmate in Texas, just minutes before he was set to be executed. The Supreme Court issued a stay of execution for Ruben Gutierrez in a rare intervention into a case involving the death penalty.
The Supreme Court announced the stay of execution approximately 20 minutes before Gutierrez was scheduled to enter the death chamber. The prison warden informed Gutierrez of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Gutierrez began to pray with the prison chaplain after hearing the news, proclaiming that “God is great” and saying that he was not expecting such an intervention. Gutierrez’s wife and lawyer were also thrilled by the Supreme Court’s decision.
Gutierrez was convicted for killing a woman in 1998 as part of an attempt to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in her home. However, Gutierrez has claimed innocence and requested DNA testing to help prove his case. Gutierrez’s lawyers claim there is no physical evidence tying him to the murder.
The Supreme Court’s stay of execution will remain in effect until the court determines whether they should review Gutierrez’s request for an appeal. Should the court deny the request, the stay on execution would end.
One of Guiterrez’s attorneys, Shawn Nolan, said that they are hopeful that they can now get DNA testing to halt the execution, having been given more time by the Supreme Court. The stay of execution is the first issued by the Supreme Court since 2023.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said that state law does not permit postconviction DNA testing in death penalty cases. Even if the law did permit such testing, Gutierrez would not be entitled to it, the offices added.
The case remains unresolved, but for the time being, Gutierrez will remain alive and capable of contesting his conviction. However, his life is still in the hands of the Supreme Court, which continues to consider his case.
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