Condemned Man Spared During Last Meal

Murder convict Hank Skinner granted last-minute reprieve
By Emily Rauhala,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 26, 2010 5:00 AM CDT
Condemned Man Spared During Last Meal
Hank Skinner was granted a reprieve while he finished his 'last meal.'   (AP Photo/Mike Graczyk)

A death row inmate in Texas was spared Wednesday just as he was finishing his last meal on earth—chicken, a bacon cheeseburger, fries, catfish, onion rings, and a salad. Hank Skinner, who had been on death row since 1995, was convicted of bludgeoning to death his live-in girlfriend and her two mentally disabled sons. He has always maintained his innocence.

Luckily for him, a group of students also saw holes in his case. Ten years ago, the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University began investigating the matter. The team, led by teacher David Protess, found DNA evidence that was never tested for trial. "It was obvious from the start that DNA would determine the truth," Protess tells ABC. (More lethal injection stories.)

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