A Texas death row inmate set to be executed on Tuesday filed for appeal in the wake of the botched Oklahoma execution.
Robert James Campbell asked for a stay of execution because the state won't reveal where it got the lethal drugs and is afraid of what happened in Oklahoma happening to him. According to NBC News, the Fifth U.S. Circuit of Appeals previously hasn't halted executions over not knowing how the drugs were obtained, but since Clayton Lockett's slow death, they might be apt to view Campbell's case differently.
The death row inmate is also seeking clemency from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles because he says his IQ is low enough that he should be ineligible for capital punishment, which is information he says the state tried to keep quiet about. He lost an appeal based upon this argument.
Speaking about Campbell's latest appeal, lead counsel Maurie Levin said, "Frighteningly, Texas is pursuing the path of secrecy in the midst of these deeply troubling events, and even in the immediate wake of events in Oklahoma." He added, "Information about the source of lethal injections drugs -- particularly in today's fraught arena -- is vital."
Campbell pleaded guilty in 1991 for the robbery, rape and murder of Alexandra Rendon, while he was on parole. He grabbed her while she was at a gas station. His accomplice, Leroy Lewis, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty, but is currently out on parole.