The Missouri man who stabbed his ex-wife and her male friend repeatedly over child support is scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Suggested Reading
Andre Cole’s ex-wife, Terri, survived the attack, but the male friend did not, and Cole was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree assault, among other charges, the wire notes.
The inmate’s execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT.
According to the report, Cole divorced his wife in 1995 and fell $3,000 behind in child support for their two children. His wages were then ordered to be garnished.
His wages were first seized in August 1998, prompting Cole to break into his ex-wife’s house, where he stabbed her and her companion repeatedly. Cole’s lawyers have argued that their client suffers from psychosis and has hallucinations, which compromises his ability to understand why he is facing the death penalty.
The lawyers have also argued that their client’s death sentence wasn’t fair because he is a black man and was judged by an all-white jury. Three potential black jurors were removed at the request of St. Louis County prosecutors, according to The Guardian.
It is because of this discrepancy, The Guardian reports, that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has come under pressure to stop Cole’s execution.
“This case highlights the disparate treatment of African Americans in the criminal justice system. Ferguson exposed unequal treatment by police, and the pending execution of Andre Cole exposes the same disparity from prosecutors and the courts,” Elston McCowan, from Missouri’s NAACP, said, according to the news site.
Read more at Reuters and The Guardian.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.