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Information is based on facts from case documents.
1. Thomas Arthur has sat on Alabama's death row for over 25 years for the murder
of Troy Wicker. He has always maintained his innocence.
2. He has been scheduled for execution 5 times. Hair and finger prints found at the
crime scene did not match him. No physical evidence linked him to the murder.
No murder weapon was ever found. Eye witnesses said he was 75 miles away
when the murder was committed. Recent DNA testing in 2009 of the crime scene
evidence came back negative for Thomas Arthur.
See DNA Test Results
Thomas Arthur's DNA Was Not Present On Crime Scene Evidence
3. The state's key witness, the victims wife, Judy Wicker (Mary Turner now) was
convicted of murdering her husband for $90,000.00 of insurance money. She
was given a life sentence. In her first 7 sworn statements while under oath,
Judy Wicker testified Thomas Arthur had nothing to do with the murder.
4. Judy and her sister Theresa were both found at the crime scene with blood on
their clothes. Neither woman were tested for GSR (Gun Shot Residue) to see if
they had fired a weapon. The bloody clothes have never been DNA tested to
see if Troy Wicker's blood was on them.
5. After serving 10 years in prison Judy Wicker was released from prison in exchange
for a new testimony to say Thomas Arthur killed her husband. Originally Judy has
said a black man beat her up and raped her and killed her husband. African American
hairs were found at the crime scene. Judy Wickers statements disappeared
from the records along with much of the physical evidence including the rape kit.
6. Investigators ignored key evidence and did not disclose key evidence that could
of proven Thomas Arthurs innocence. This conviction was based on very weak
circumstantial evidence and the key witness is a convicted murderer and has
committed perjury.
7. Thomas Arthur has never had his 1st habeas corpus review.
8. The execution scheduled for July 31, 2008 was stayed by the Alabama Supreme Court.
Another man, Bobby Ray Gilbert said that he committed the murder not Thomas Arthur.
Read Confession The July 31st, 2008 execution was stayed based on the confession of
Bobby Ray Gilbert.
9. A hearing was scheduled for April 15th, 2009 in Jefferson County Circuit Court before
Judge Theresa Pulliam. After hearing testimony from Bobby Ray Gilbert and several
others, Judge Pulliam ordered DNA testing on 3 pieces of physical evidence that was
collected at the crime scene in 1982. Other key pieces of physical evidence were not
available for testing, including a rape kit, because the State lost them the same day as
the confession. On July 10th, 2009, DNA test results were turned over to Judge Pulliam.
See DNA Test Results
Judge Pulliam "sealed" the test results and prevented the defense from disclosing results.
10. August 10, 2009, Judge Pulliam ruled Bobby Ray Gilbert lied and that DNA test
results proved he was not at the crime scene and could not have committed the
murder. DNA test results were negative for Thomas Arthur as well. That was
determined to be irrelevant becasue they were not testing those items to prove
Thomas Arthur's innocence.....
11. The most crucial piece of evidence, the wig worn by the killer was tested but was inconclusive.
Alabama's Forensic Lab lacked the advanced DNA Testing needed to further test the wig.
Arthur requested that the wig be tested by a more advanced lab at the defense's expense.
Pulliam denied the request.
12. April 15th, 2011, the State of Alabama files a motion to set a new execution date.
13. June 22nd, 2011 The Supreme Court of Alabama denied the State of Alabama's Motion to set
a new execution date. (click on "links to motions filed" tab on left of home page to see copy of order)
14. February 22nd, 2012, A new execution date was set for March 29, 2012.
15. The March 29th execution was stayed based on lethal injection issues.
It makes one wonder, if DNA test results prove one man was not at the crime scene and is lying about committing this murder, then how is it possible those same DNA test results cannot confirm Thomas Arthur was not at the crime scene? DNA test results were the same for both men... negative.
Additional DNA Evidence that includes blood, hair and semen was recovered and still
exists, but it has never been DNA tested!!!
Yet the State of Alabama not only REFUSES to DNA test the crime scene evidence---
but it is refusing to allow Arthur to have the evidence DNA tested at HIS EXPENSE!!!
See all the Evidence Collected By The State of Alabama
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