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Missouri man who killed 4 

Sounds guilty to them.
BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man convicted of killing his live-in girlfriend and her three young children was executed Tuesday despite his claims that he was in another state when the killings occurred.
Raheem Taylor, 58, was the third Missouri inmate put to death since November at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It was the nation’s fifth execution this year, following a previous execution in Missouri, two in Texas and one in Oklahoma. All were by lethal injection.
Taylor kicked his feet as the 5 grams of pentobarbital were administered, then took five or six deep breaths before all movement stopped. In a final statement, Taylor said Muslims don’t die but “live eternally in the hearts of our family and friends.”
“Death is not your enemy, it is your destiny. Look forward to meeting it. Peace!” he wrote in the statement.
Taylor, who previously went by the first name Leonard, long maintained that he was in California when Angela Rowe, her 10-year-old daughter Alexus Conley, 6-year-old daughter AcQreya Conley, and 5-year-old son Tyrese Conley were killed in 2004. His supporters included the national NAACP, nearly three dozen civil rights and religious groups and the Midwest Innocence Project.
But Taylor’s innocence claims were turned aside time and again. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democrat, last week declined Taylor’s request for a hearing before a judge, stating the “facts are not there to support a credible case of innocence.”
Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined to grant clemency on Monday, the same day the Missouri Supreme Court denied a stay request. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene.
Gerauan Rowe, Angela Rowe’s sister, said after the execution that moving on remains difficult, more than 18 years after she lost her sister, nieces and nephew.
“I’m at a point in my life right now — I’m OK but I’m not,” she said. “But I know justice was served. It’s kind of hard trying to move forward, but I think I can do it.”
There was no question that Taylor was not in Missouri when the bodies were found. What isn’t known for certain is when the family was killed.
Taylor and Angela Rowe lived with the children at a home in the St. Louis suburb of Jennings. Taylor boarded a flight to California on Nov. 26, 2004.
On Dec. 3, 2004, police were sent to the home in Jennings after worried relatives said they hadn’t heard from Rowe. Officers found the bodies of Rowe and her children. All four had been shot.
The initial finding by a medical examiner was that the killings likely happened within a few days of the discovery of the bodies — when Taylor was in California. But at Taylor’s trial, Medical Examiner Phillip Burch said the killings could have happened two or three weeks before the discovery of the bodies.
Taylor’s attorney, Kent Gipson, said that several people, including relatives of Rowe and a neighbor, saw Rowe alive in the days after Taylor left St. Louis. Meanwhile, Taylor’s daughter in California, Deja Taylor, claimed in a court filing that she and her father called Angela Rowe and one of the children during his visit. The court filing said Deja Taylor’s mother and sister corroborated her story.
Bob McCulloch, who was St. Louis County’s elected prosecutor at the time of the killings, said Taylor’s claim of innocence was “nonsense,” and the alibis provided by his daughter and her relatives were “completely made up.”
McCulloch told The Associated Press that evidence suggested Rowe and the kids were killed on the night of Nov. 22 or on Nov. 23, at a time when Taylor was still in St. Louis. He noted that Rowe typically made around 70 outgoing calls or texts each day. Starting Nov. 23, she made none.
Meanwhile, DNA from Rowe’s blood was found on Taylor’s glasses when he was arrested, a relative taking him to the airport saw Taylor toss a gun into the sewer, and Taylor’s brother told police that Taylor admitted to the crime, McCulloch said. Authorities believe Taylor shot Rowe during a violent argument, then killed the children because they were witnesses.
All three recent Missouri executions involved cases out of St. Louis County. Kevin Johnson was executed in November for killing a police officer in 2005. Amber McLaughlin was put to death Jan. 3 for killing a woman in 2003. It was believed to be the first execution of a transgender woman in the U.S. >

Isn't Mcculloch the same guy who didn't indict Darren Wilson? Not saying that he should have been indicted (I think Wilson was in the right) but interesting >

I'm not completely convinced of he committed the crime but the prosecution does have some legitimate signs of guilt.


The victim stopped all outgoing calls and texts the day he left for California.


The victims blood was found on his glasses.


The accused was allegedly seen disposing of a gun by a relative dropping him at the airport.


His own brother claims he confessed to the crime. >

What leaves you unconvinced? >

The article says a witness saw her alive days after he left for California. >

Definitely interesting. I think the fact that her phone went silent before he left is highly suspicious though. I can’t help but think somehow that witness was deemed credible somewhere along the way. Either way I’m grateful i don’t have to make these decisions! >

The problem I see is direct evidence (eyewitness) is supposed to be superior to circumstantial evidence (lack of phone activity). This is enough reasonable doubt to warrant the death penalty being off the table. Innocence or guilt isn’t for me to decide but I think the death penalty shouldn’t have been an option. 
The phone silence is very suspicious. It was also 2004, cell phones weren’t the same as they are now. I had a shitty little Nokia back then. >

You’ve ignored the direct evidence of the victim’s blood on his glasses..?
You also don’t weight evidence based on some sort of pre-conceived value based on the type of evidence. There are extremely strong circumstantial cases, occasionally which are stronger than cases with direct evidence. >

Yeah. Conveniently left out that important bit. >


The initial finding by a medical examiner was that the killings likely happened within a few days of the discovery of the bodies — when Taylor was in California. But at Taylor’s trial, Medical Examiner Phillip Burch said the killings could have happened two or three weeks before the discovery of the bodies.

I don't know this case but I feel like we have very certain ways of knowing this, >

They largely use body temperature, decomposition, insect activity, etc to determine time of death, which is largely affected by temperature, location of body and other external factors that are highly variable.
That is to say, they are getting better at it but it's not an exact science. >

Exactly it’s like trying to guess how old a dog 💩 is . After is cooled off it’s really just an educated guess >

Innocent or guilty doesn't matter the question to ask is, how many innocent people executed before death penalties aren't worth it?
What's the number?