Will Insects Set a Death Row Inmate Free?
Will Insects Set a Death Row Inmate Free? Sunday February 1, 2009#spacer{clear:left}#abc #sidebar{margin-top:1.5em}zSB(3,3) In December, 1998, a 19-year-old woman disappeared from her college campus in Texas. Almost a month after she was last seen alive, her body was found in the woods by some hunters. Larry Swearingen, a casual acquaintance of the missing girl, was suspected in her death and jailed for traffic violations just three days after her disappearance. In 2000, he was convicted for her murder and sentenced to death. Insect evidence may determine whether Larry Swearingen is freed or executed for murder. Prison photo. Since his conviction, Swearingen’s legal team has been fighting for his release. Just this week, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution. Their decision was based in part on insect evidence that suggests the victim’s body could not have been dumped prior to Swearingen’s arrest on Dec. 11. A forensic entomologist submitted an affadavit in
