Opinion ID: 12712
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rector's Claims

Text: 35 Rector claims that he has satisfied the Brady requirements because the Stillwell statement proves that he could not have murdered Davis at the time and place claimed by the State. On habeas review, 7 this same claim was rejected by Texas state courts as well as the federal district court. 36
37 In its March 1988 rejection of Rector's Brady claim, the state habeas court (the trial judge who presided over Rector's criminal prosecution) concluded that Stillwell's statement was neither relevant nor material to any issue or defense raised in Rector's trial. The state court relied on the written confession of Rector's co-defendant, Howard Ray Simon (who subsequently escaped from prison and was shot and killed during a robbery attempt in Louisiana), which implicated Rector as the trigger man; 8 Rector's failure to explain adequately to the police his possession of jewelry belonging to Davis as well as possession of a .22 caliber pistol with two spent rounds; Rector's failure to file a more specific Brady request; and the lack of corroboration between Rector's statement of events to police and Stillwell's statement to Officer Anderson. 38
Rector's Brady Claim 39 The Magistrate also rejected Rector's Brady claim, concluding that the Stillwell statement was not suppressed, did not contain evidence favorable to Rector, was not material, and could have been obtained with the exercise of due diligence (i.e., Rector's failure to discover the Stillwell testimony was the result of a lack of due diligence on his part).