The Birmingham News
July 30, 2008
By STAN DIEL
Convicted killer Thomas D. Arthur today narrowly escaped execution for a third time, when the Alabama Supreme Court ordered an indefinite delay. He was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Convicted for the 1982 contract-killing of Troy Wicker Jr. of Muscle Shoals, Arthur twice last year came within a day of being executed before being granted stays.
Today's order delaying his execution followed news of an affidavit filed yesterday by another inmate claiming that it was he, not Arthur, who committed the crime.
In other developments today, Judy Wicker, an admitted conspirator in the murder of her husband, said in an affidavit it was Arthur -- not the other inmate who claimed to be the killer --who committed the crime.
The state also admitted it has lost evidence that Arthur's attorneys wanted access to for DNA tests, and Judy Wicker accused Arthur's daughter of trying to bribe her to clear her father. Arthur's daughter, Sherrie Stone, denied the allegation.