A long list of stars including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pusha T and T.I. have signed a petition to prevent the upcoming execution of Rodney Reed.
Reed is scheduled for execution on November 20 for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop, Texas. However, new information that could potentially exonerate the 51-year-old has since arisen.
Reed, who is black, was convicted by an all-white jury in 1998.
According to a Change.org petition created to halt the pending execution, “Mountains of evidence exonerates Rodney Reed. All of that evidence was kept from the all white jury that convicted him. Instead, the evidence implicates the victim’s fiancé – local police officer Jimmy Fennell – who has a history of violence against women, including being convicted for kidnapping and sexual assault soon after Rodney was wrongly sent to prison.”
Signed by nearly 2.5 million people, including the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Richard Branson, Meek Mill, Pusha T, Bernie Sanders, Meek Mill and Questlove, the petition is a little over 500,000 signatures away from reaching its goal of 3 million.
In a statement posted on her website, Beyoncé wrote:
Dear [Texas] Gov. Greg Abbott,
Please take a hard look at the substantial evidence in the Rodney Reed case that points to his innocence. Be honest. Be fair. Give him back his life.
Beyoncé
“16 days left and he will be executed for a crime he didn’t commit” Meek Mill tweeted earlier in the week (November 4). Questlove tweeted: “There is an innocent man on death row with mere days before his execution. Please take time out to sign this petition to tell @GovAbbott #FreeRodneyReed”
16 days left and he will be executed for a crime he didn’t commit .. get more info here! #freerodneyreed https://t.co/Njm7QsTNtx pic.twitter.com/ifSGk6ssqg
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) November 4, 2019
There is an innocent man on death row with mere days before his execution. Please take time out to sign this petition to tell @GovAbbott #FreeRodneyReed https://t.co/u9jfiSFwQh
— Questlove from @SongsThatShook Oct 13th @AMC_tv (@questlove) November 4, 2019
Bernie Sanders wrote: “We have got to join the rest of the developed world and abolish the death penalty. Too many innocent people, particularly people of color, get caught up in this unjust policy. A civilized society should not be involved in the murder of other Americans.”
We have got to join the rest of the developed world and abolish the death penalty. Too many innocent people, particularly people of color, get caught up in this unjust policy. A civilized society should not be involved in the murder of other Americans. https://t.co/366d0w3QZu
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 8, 2019
See some of the other tweets below:
One Click!!! SIGN this petition if you don’t believe the Government should kill an innocent man!!! @GovAbbott https://t.co/L3xrvn7MJO
— Rihanna (@rihanna) November 4, 2019
Sign the petition to #FreeRodneyReed !! @GovAbbott stop the execution of an innocent man!!! https://t.co/rPaYp6Nods
— King Push (@PUSHA_T) November 5, 2019
It’s time to end the death penalty: https://t.co/BVX5YriGQo
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) November 9, 2019
I just signed this petition to tell @GovAbbott to stop the execution of Rodney Reed. You should too!!!#FreeRodneyReedhttps://t.co/HGwLatcE7S
— T.I. (@Tip) November 4, 2019
You can sign the petition urging Gov. Abbott to stop the execution of Rodney Reed here.