Life-Or-Death Legal Battle For Terrance Williams On Hold Until Monday
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The life-or-death legal battle of Terrance Williams is on hold until Monday, when a hearing will continue on defense assertions that prosecutorial and police misconduct tainted the case. Williams, convicted of the 1984 murder of Amos Norwood, is scheduled to be executed in less than two weeks. The defense is seeking a stay.
Victim Amos Norwood was beaten and stabbed 20 times. A butcher knife was found embedded in his neck and cooperating co-conspirator Marc Draper testified at trial that he and Terrance Williams did it, although Williams was the driving force behind the murder.
READ: Governor Corbett Ready To Proceed With Convicted Killer's Execution
Draper now asserts he was instructed to lie at trial about the motive for the crime by the prosecutor and police. He says the murder was linked to a sexually abusive homosexual relationship between victim Amos Norwood and Terrance Williams, but he was told to say it was a robbery.
But the trial prosecutor, Andrea Foulkes, has testified that is a lie. Foulkes, now a federal prosecutor, says co-conspirator Marc Draper cooperated and was told to tell the truth and he is now offering a new set of facts, which he never said at any time or any place and it is contrary to his testimony and multiple statements before and during trial.
Draper pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving a life sentence. Williams' execution is scheduled for October 3rd.
