Court turns away appeal from death row inmate
Oct 29, 2012, 1:42 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from a Texas death row inmate condemned for fatally shooting a firefighter.
The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Elroy Chester. Lawyers for Chester say he is mentally impaired, making him ineligible for execution under U.S. Supreme Court guidelines for the 1998 shooting death of Willie Ryman III. Ryman was trying to keep Chester from raping his two nieces at their Port Arthur home when he was killed.
Prosecutors have argued that Chester was not mentally impaired.
Chester, who has been linked to at least five murders and three rapes, pleaded guilty to Ryman’s slaying.
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