Alabama Governor Ivey Commutes Death Sentence for Rocky Myers

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has commuted the death sentence of Robin 'Rocky' Myers to life imprisonment without parole, citing significant doubts about his guilt. Myers, who was convicted for the 1991 stabbing of his neighbor Ludie Mae Tucker, has always maintained his innocence, and there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. Ivey stated that while she is a strong supporter of capital punishment, she could not proceed with Myers' execution due to lingering uncertainties regarding his guilt, a decision she described as one of the most difficult of her tenure. The commutation drew immediate criticism from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who expressed astonishment and emphasized the thoroughness of his office's defense of the case over the past 30 years. This marks Ivey's first commutation since taking office in 2017, and it has sparked discussions about the flaws in the capital punishment system. Supporters of clemency, including the ACLU, argue that the prosecution in Myers' case was fundamentally flawed, highlighting broader issues with the death penalty in the U.S.