Supreme Court of Missouri / Apr 27, 2020
State ex rel. Walter Barton, Relator, vs. William Stange, Respondent.
Walter Barton, a death row inmate, sought a writ of habeas corpus from the Missouri Supreme Court, arguing he was actually innocent and incompetent for execution. Barton presented additional evidence, including competing expert testimony and further impeachment of a jailhouse informant, to support his actual innocence claim. He also claimed a traumatic brain injury rendered him incompetent under constitutional and statutory standards. The Court denied Barton's petition, finding his evidence insufficient to establish actual innocence or incompetence for execution.