The 'Halo' singer has become the latest celebrities adding her name to the viral petition urging Texas Governor Greg Abbott to save the death row inmate who may be innocent.
- Nov 8, 2019
AceShowbiz - Beyonce Knowles has added her name to a viral petition launched to prevent convicted murderer Rodney Reed's execution.
The superstar has signed the Change.org initiative, urging Texas Governor Greg Abbott to take another look at the evidence, which supporters insist "points to his innocence".
Rihanna, Meek Mill, and Busta Rhymes have already signed the petition and urged fans to do the same.
Reed is set to be executed on 20 November after spending more than two decades in jail for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites, but according to CNN, a former prison inmate named Arthur Snow, Jr. has claimed in an affidavit that Stites' fiance confessed to the killing.
Rihanna tweeted fans asking them to sign the petition: "One Click!!! SIGN this petition if you don't believe the Government should kill an innocent man!!!" she wrote.
Backing the Free Rodney Reed campaign on his own Twitter page, Meek, who has campaigned for justice reform after his 2017 incarceration for a parole violation, wrote: "16 days left and he will be executed for a crime he didn't commit."
Busta added on Instagram: "I just signed the petition to stop the execution of #RODNEYREED @justice4rodneyreed Thank you (campaigning activist) @shaunking for shining such a bright light on this situation where this brother will be executed in the next 16 days for a crime that he did not commit. Please everyone we cannot let this happen."
Questlove, T.I., Kim Kardashian, and LL Cool J have also used social media to highlight Reed's case.
Reed, who is African-American, was convicted by an all-white jury of sexually assaulting and murdering Stites, a 19-year-old white woman who was engaged to a Texas police officer. Witnesses have subsequently come forward to claim that Reed was in a consensual relationship with Stites, and Fennell later served a 10-year prison term for a sex crime and kidnapping.
