By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—For over two decades, William “Billy” Kuenzel has occupied a 8×5 cell on Alabama’s death row awaiting execution. Evidence withheld by prosecutors in his 1988 trial to came to light in 2010, showing Kuenzel did not murder Linda Jean Offord.
On the night of November 9, 1987, in Sylacauga, Offord, a mother of three, working the night shift at a convenience store, was murdered in the course of a robbery. “Billy” Kuenzel was charged with the crime. The case relied almost exclusively on the testimony of Harvey Venn, an alleged accomplice who received a reduced sentence for his testimony against Kuenzel.
According to evidence featured at Alabama Injustice, Kuenzel’s 1988 trial was “fatally infected with an avalanche of constitutional violations – without which, Billy would never have been found guilty.”
In a stunning 10 minute video, famed Law & Order actor, Sam Waterston, lays bare the facts and flaws in the trial that led to Kuenzel’s capitol murder conviction.
The report shows, “There is no evidence apart from Harvey’s testimony that Kuenzel committed the murder. However, there is substantial evidence that Harvey committed this murder, including the fact that, a number of witnesses place Harvey at the crime scene just before the murder – in the presence of a man other than Kuenzel.
Harvey repeatedly lied to the police, and the trial jury about what he said happened that night.
The victim’s blood was found splattered on Harvey’s pants, yet Harvey has no explanation as to how it got there.
There was no blood found anywhere on Kuenzel or any of his possessions.”
A detailed look at the new fact surrounding the case and the Waterston video can be viewed at www.youtube.com
