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On May 18, 1998, Rodney Reed, a state Golden Gloves champion boxer, was convicted of the murder of 19-year-old Stacey Stites.
The teenager was beaten, strangled, and murdered. Her body was discovered along a road in Bastrop, Texas, hours after she was reported missing. Evidence tied Rodney Reed to the crime.
He was awarded the death penalty, but the court has now stayed his execution for an indefinite period due to inadequate evidence.
The shocking murder story will be explored in Investigation Discovery's true-crime series, People Magazine Investigates. The episode, titled Is Rodney Reed Innocent?, will air on February 10.
Here's a short synopsis of the episode:
"A Texas woman is r*ped and murdered; a trial sparks a racially charged debate over whether an innocent man was condemned to death; new evidence comes to light; the truth about who killed Stacy Stites."
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of murder. Discretion is advised.
Everything you need to know about the case against Rodney Reed
1) Reed claimed to be in a relationship with Stites
Rodney maintained his innocence even after evidence claimed that he might have been the one who killed the woman. The man initially said that he did not have any connection with Stites or with her murder but later confessed that he was in a consensual relationship with her.
When asked why he kept it a secret, Reed said that since Stacey was about to get married in a few weeks, she did not want anyone to know about it.
2) Stacey's family believes Reed is lying about a consensual relationship
Stacey's family, on the other hand, do not believe that Stacy was in any kind of a relationship with the man.
The victim's sister disputed the claim and denied any kind of affair that Stacey might have had with the man. She said:
“There has never been any evidence whatsoever that there was any type of relationship."
3) Reed received support from various celebrities, including Rihanna
Reed's involvement in the muder was never proven. The concensual relationship he claimed to have with the victim provided an answer for why his DNA was found in Stacey's body.
Another piece of evidence that the police held important was his attempt to murder of another 19-year-old woman who was fortunately able to escape, and reported the matter to the police.
However, given that there was no solid evidence against him, Reed received huge support from the likes of Kim Kardashian West, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Meek Mill, Pusha T, Susan Sarandon, Seth Green, and Oprah Winfrey. His family and supporters have created platforms such as Rodney Reed Innocent, Justice For Rodney Reed, and We Demand Justice: Free Rodney Reed.
4) Reed committed various other crimes
Rodney was accused of various other crimes, including the r*pe of a 12-year-old girl and of a woman with intellectual disabilities.
The police were able to pin down Rodney after he committed another crime. He tried to murder a 19-year-old woman who somehow managed to survive. The woman led the police to Rodney, helping them establish a connection with Stacey's murder.
5) Belt used to kill Stacey was never tested for DNA
When Stacey's body was discovered, she was wearing a black bra and a pair of jeans. It was also established that she had been killed using a belt, which was also found at the crime scene.
However, the belt was never tested for DNA, eventually making the case against Rodney a tad weaker.
