Court halts Texas execution of man who killed his 19-year-old lover - NY Times

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled on Friday to halt the execution of Rodney Reed, who was convicted of killing his 19-year-old lover in 1996, as recent calls for his exoneration and a fresh look at his case got more intense, the New York Times reported.

Some 2.9 million people have signed an online petition on the website Freerodneyreed.com, while Republicans and Democrats alike along with several high-profile celebrities have spoken out against Reed's impending execution, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. Controversy has swirled around the case against Reed since Stacey Stites, whom he was having a sexual relationship with, was found raped and strangled in Bastrop on April 23, 1996.