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Thread: Rex Allen Beckworth - Alabama Death Row

  1. #1
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    Rex Allen Beckworth - Alabama Death Row


    Bessie Lee Thweatt




    Summary of Offense:

    Rex Allen Beckworth was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2003 for the killing of an 87-year-old Wicksburg woman, Bessie Lee Thweatt. According to authorities, Walker and his stepbrother Rex Allen Beckworth broke into Thweatt’s isolated home on January 5, 2000. The pair broke through her dining room window with a cinder block to gain entry after disabling her security light and telephone lines.

    According to authorities, Thweatt was hit several times in the face by a blunt object before being shot in the head with a .22 caliber rifle. Tim Byrd, a former cellmate of Walker’s, testified that Walker was the shooter. James Earl Walker, 29, was also sentenced to death for his part in the crime.

    For more on Walker, see: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...bama-Death-Row

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    No. 06-6772 *** CAPITAL CASE ***
    Title:
    Rex Allen Beckworth, Petitioner
    v.
    Alabama
    Docketed: September 26, 2006
    Lower Ct: Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
    Case Nos.: (CR-02-1077)
    Decision Date: August 26, 2005
    Discretionary Court
    Decision Date: June 23, 2006

    ~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Sep 21 2006 Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due October 26, 2006)
    Nov 2 2006 Order extending time to file response to petition to and including November 27, 2006.
    Nov 27 2006 Brief of respondent Alabama in opposition filed.
    Dec 7 2006 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 5, 2007.
    Jan 8 2007 Petition DENIED.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/06-6772.htm

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Alabama Supreme Court asks lower court to review Beckworth death sentence in death of woman

    The Alabama Supreme Court has sent the case of a death row inmate convicted in the 2000 death of an 87-year-old widow to a lower court for further review.

    The court asked the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Wednesday to review the conviction of 46-year-old Rex Allen Beckworth. He was sentenced to death for the beating and shooting death of Bessie Lee Thweatt.

    Beckworth and his younger half- brother, James Walker, were accused of killing Thweatt after breaking into her Houston County home. Court records said Thweatt was known to keep money in the house.

    The court asked the criminal appeals court to study whether the state failed to disclose to defense attorneys a statement made be Walker that he was the one who killed Thweatt.

    http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...Penalty-Appeal
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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On April 1, 2016, Beckworth filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/al...6cv00225/59996

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    In today's orders, the United States Supreme Court declined to review Beckworth's petition for certiorari.

    Lower Ct: Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
    Case Nos.: (CR-07-0051)
    Decision Date: November 14, 2014
    Rehearing Denied: April 17, 2015
    Discretionary Court
    Decision Date: September 18, 2015

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/search.a...es/15-7451.htm

  6. #6
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Related:

    Appeal of man convicted in 2000 murder moves slowly

    By Lance Griffin
    Dothan Eagle

    It has been 15 years since James Earl Walker was sentenced to death for the murder of 87-year-old Bessie Lee Thweatt in 2000.

    It does not appear a resolution on Walker’s most recent appeal will happen soon.

    Walker and co-defendant Rex Allen Beckworth were convicted for the Jan. 5, 2000, killing near Wicksburg. According to police reports and trial testimony, Walker and stepbrother Beckworth broke through Thweatt’s dining room window with a cinder block to gain entry to her residence after disabling her security light and telephone lines. She was beaten severely and shot with a .22 caliber rifle. A trial witness testified Walker was the shooter.

    Walker appealed his conviction to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and later to the Alabama Supreme Court. Both courts upheld the conviction.

    Walker then filed a Rule 32 petition with the court, which argued that he received ineffective representation during the trial. Walker asserted, among other claims, that attorneys representing him did not adequately prepare to cross examine the state’s key witness, a cellmate of Walker who testified that Walker confessed to the murder while in prison awaiting trial. Walker also claimed his attorneys did not pursue other lines of questioning that could have raised doubt in the minds of jurors concerning his guilt.

    A hearing on some of Walker’s claims was held in Houston County in 2010, where, in a 34-page ruling, a judge determined the claims mentioned would not have changed the outcome of the trial.

    Six years later, Walker turned to the federal courts, filing a petition for relief on similar grounds. The petition argues the state’s witness who identified Walker as the trigger man may have had an ulterior motive to testify falsely against Walker and that defense counsel did not explore the witness’ motives completely during cross examination, nor did they explore his history of “untruthfulness.” The state’s position in its response that all claims have been argued previously and are without merit.

    Little movement has taken place since the original federal filing on May 13, 2016. Attorneys representing Walker and those representing the State of Alabama filed briefs on the merits of the case in January and February of 2017, respectively.

    Since then, at least one attorney representing Walker has withdrawn from the case and two others have joined the case to represent Walker free of charge.

    Walker, 46, and Beckworth, 51, are serving time on Alabama’s Death Row at Holman Prison in Atmore.

    http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/crim...e5d44024f.html
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