A grandmother who has been on death row in Texas for two decades still insists that she did not murder a young mother.
Linda Carty, the only woman from Britain awaiting execution in the US, reportedly killed a mother and tried to steal her four-day-old baby.
But Carty told journalist Susanna Reid that she would have taken the punishment if she were really guilty of the crime.
“If I were guilty of this crime, I would have taken my punishment,” Carter, now 63, said.
“Anyone who knows the system knows Texas does not admit when they are wrong. I’ll fight until the end.
“If I lose my life I know I have people behind me who will not stop until they clear my name.”
It was in May 2001 when a court heard how Carty planned the kidnap of her pregnant neighbor, 25-year-old Joana Rodriguez, by three men.
Reports say that Carty had purchased scissors and scrubs at the time of the murder.
Joana’s body was found suffocated in Linda’s car but baby Ray managed to survive the kidnapping.
“The story is so twisted. Joana was a new mum, she had everything to live for, but died in the most horrific circumstances. Somebody needs to be held accountable for it. At the moment, that’s Linda Carty,” Susanna said.
The British consulate in Houston wasn’t informed when Carty was taken into custody. Lawyer Jerry Guerinot, known as the attorney who lost all 34 capital cases he defended, was assigned to her.
The jury convicted the three men – Carlos Willaims, Chris Robinson, and Gerald Anderson – of going to the victim’s home on May 16, 2001, and kidnapping her and her four-day-old Ray. All of them received long jail terms but Carty was sentenced to death.
When asked about her part in the crime, Carty answered: “I can truthfully look you in the eye and tell you I had nothing to do with this crime.”
The 63-year-old insisted that she was framed and her only mistake was letting someone borrow her car.
Baby chair and baby clothes were discovered in the hotel room where Carty was staying at that time. She had told her ex-boyfriend that she was expecting a child but she wasn’t pregnant at the time of the arrest.
Carty said that she had suffered a miscarriage but there were no medical records.
After the interview, Susanna was still not sure about the verdict. “The fact of the matter is, a woman was found bound and gagged, and she had suffocated.
“It’s horrific. Absolutely horrific. And what the court heard Linda was planning to do with the unborn baby…it’s almost unspeakable.”
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