The state of Tennessee is scheduled to execute Sedley Alley for the 1985 abduction and murder of Suzanne Collins near Naval Air Station Memphis in Millington. The execution has been scheduled despite serious concerns about the reliability of his conviction.
Evidence withheld from the defense at trial indicates that police had Alley under surveillance at the time of the homicide. The coroner’s report indicates that the Ms. Collins died no earlier than 1:30 a.m. on the morning of July 12, 1985, yet police had arrested Alley at 12:10 a.m. that same morning and had kept him under surveillance after releasing him. This evidence, which had been withheld for 20 years, seriously calls into question Alley’s guilt, since the police’s own records show that he was not present at the time of the victim’s death.
Physical evidence exists that could establish, once and for all, whether or not Alley is guilty or innocent. The Memphis Criminal Court Clerk has possession of Suzanne Collins’ t-shirt, bra, shoes, underwear, and jogging shorts, as well as underwear of unknown origin, but supposedly belonging to her attacker. This evidence has never been tested for DNA evidence, which can conclusively incriminate and exclude subjects.
The testing can be done quickly, with no cost to the state and no delay of the execution, should it, in fact, point to Alley as the killer. But the state has opposed all attempts to have this evidence tested.
Sedley Alley has filed a petition with the U. S. District Court to order that this evidence be handed over for testing before he is executed. Previous scientific analysis of hairs found on Ms. Collin’s shoes and socks did not match those of Alley.
Other problems likewise call the conviction into question. For example, a witness to the abduction of Suzanne Collins described the suspect as 5’8” with a dark complexion – Alley is 6’4” with a pale white complexion.
Although Alley confessed to police, the tape of his confession is less than one hour long, yet the police records indicate that he was interrogated for more than two hours. Why the full interrogation was not recorded (as procedure dictates) has never been explained. Moreover, examples of false and coerced confessions abound. A number of innocent people confessed to being the Central Park rapist, for example. Alley’s confession is particularly dubious because the facts he related bear little resemblance to the actual facts of the crime. While Alley confessed that he had hit Suzanne Collins with his car and then struck her in the head with a screwdriver, Dr. Bell, the coroner who examined Suzanne Collins’ body, said that neither event occurred.
When taken all together, there is substantial and reasonable doubt as to the credibility of Alley’s conviction and death sentence. It is only fair and proper that the state allow proper testing of all evidence to ensure that justice is truly served. Under these circumstances, the burning question becomes, what are Shelby County and the state of Tennessee so afraid of that they would fight against a fair and just examination of all evidence?
