Saturday, May 15, 2010

The Case of Ruben Cantu

Ruben Cantu is among the Pantheon of those wrongfully executed by Texas. His name appears frequently with the likes of Cameron Todd Willingham and Carlos DeLuna. His story is simple and compelling.

Two men were shot and robbed while guarding a house under construction. One of the victims, Juan Moreno, survived and identified Ruben Cantu as one of the two men who robbed and shot them. Moreno made that identification only after four previous interviews in which he was unable or unwilling to identify Cantu. Based exclusively on Moreno's testimony, and despite an alibi witness, Cantu was convicted and executed.