North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt commuted a convicted killer's death sentence to life in prison without parole hours before he was to be executed.
Hunt said he had questions about whether the condemned man - who represented himself - got a fair trial.
It was the second time in his 16 years as governor that Hunt, a Democrat, commuted a death sentence. Hunt is leaving office in January; he was barred by law from seeking re-election.
Marcus Carter, 32, was scheduled to die by injection at 2 a.m. on November 22 for the 1989 slaying and attempted rape of Amelia Lewis, who was beaten to death with a brick and left in an alley.
Carter's mother and two daughters were visiting him in prison when defense attorney Mark Edwards told him his sentence had been commuted.
Carter's first trial, where he was represented by a court-appointed lawyer, ended in 1991 with a hung jury. At a second trial the following year, Carter represented himself and was convicted. Edwards said the judge had persuaded Carter to become his own lawyer.
The governor said in a statement that he still supports capital punishment and believes
Carter was guilty and mentally competent.
'But in cases where capital punishment could be imposed, we must go the extra mile to assure there is a fair trial,' Hunt said. 'In the case of Marcus Carter, I'm convinced that the overall circumstances of this case put that in question. Therefore, I cannot allow this execution to go forward.'
Edwards said the judge in the second trial told Carter he couldn't appoint new lawyers after Carter decided the ones he had didn't represent his interests.