[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 18



TEXAS----stay of imminent execution

'Tourniquet Killer' execution date reset to January 2018----
'Tourniquet Killer' claims death row inmate convinced him to confess to murder


The execution date for Anthony Allen Shore, also known as the "Tourniquet 
Killer," has been reset for Jan. 18, 2018. He was scheduled to be put to death 
Wednesday.

On the eve of his scheduled execution, Shore told investigators that a fellow 
inmate attempted to persuade Shore to take responsibility for the December 1998 
abduction and killing of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter.

Larry Ray Swearingen was convicted of Trotter's murder and is scheduled to be 
executed on Nov. 16.

Shore, who confessed to 4 slayings, was scheduled to be executed Wednesday 
evening, but the date has been reset while an investigation can be conducted.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said investigators from his 
office spoke with Shore on Tuesday and he told them he decided to expose the 
scheme and not cooperate with Swearingen.

The prosecutor said Swearingen tried a similar scheme before his trial for 
Trotter's killing.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused an appeal from Swearingen last October. His 
attorneys have long wanted additional DNA testing of evidence they say could 
show he didn't kill Trotter.

During Tuesday's interview, Shore told investigators he initially refused 
Swearingen's request, but the 2 eventually became friends and he decided to try 
to exonerate Swearingen as a favor.

Shore told investigators that Swearingen gave him a hand-drawn map of the 
location where Swearingen left physical evidence of Trotter's murder.

Ligon asked Gov. Greg Abbott to grant Shore a single 30-day reprieve in order 
to process the contents of Shore's cell.

On July 21, authorities discovered a folder in Shore's cell containing 
approximately 10 items pertaining to Trotter's murder, including copies of 
court exhibits and scene photos, a hand-drawn page of a calendar for the month 
of December 1998 with handwritten notations regarding weather conditions, and a 
hand-drawn map which appears to depict the location where Trotter's body was 
found. The handwriting on the map appears to be Swearingen's, authorities said.

(source: click2houston.com)