Federal Judge Denies Death Row Appeal

A federal judge has denied a request to stop Tuesday’s execution of a North Texas inmate. Jedidiah Murphy, 48-year-old, claimed in a lawsuit that the drugs Texas will use were exposed to extreme heat and smoke during a recent fire, making them unsafe. The Texas Attorney General’s Office says testing showed the drugs are potent and sterile. The state condemned Murphy for the fatal shooting of 80-year-old Bertie Lee Cunningham of Garland during a carjacking in October 2000.