Oregon Public Broadcasting

The case of condemned killer Darold Stenson is under consideration in two courts. Now a third venue is reviewing his case.

Washington State’s Clemency and Pardons Board took testimony Monday on Stenson who is scheduled to die Wednesday night in Walla Walla. But the execution won’t go forward unless two court stays are lifted.

Jeff Ellis is with the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He told the Clemency Board that Washington is acting like Texas in its push to execute Stenson before all DNA evidence has been tested.

Jeff Ellis: “I was comfortable in the belief that we did things differently here than in Texas. Five days ago that belief was shattered. The state seeks to kill Darold Stenson without testing DNA.”

Prosecutors responded that DNA testing previously showed that blood on Stenson’s pants belonged to one of the two victims he was convicted of murdering in 1993.

The Clemency Board delayed making a recommendation to the Governor pending the outcome of the two court cases.