In San Antonio, prosecutors dropped murder charges...

In San Antonio, prosecutors dropped murder charges against Ernest Willis. On July 21 (see), U.S. District Judge Royal Furgeson threw out the conviction on the grounds Willis did not receive a fair trial and ordered that Willis be tried again or freed. Today, Pecos County District Attorney Ori White filed a motion to dismiss the charges, saying Tuesday there were strong indications the fire was an accident. James Blank, Willis' lawyer, said he hopes his client will be released from prison as early as Friday. Ernest Willis, 59, was convicted in 1987 of setting a fire that killed 2 sleeping women. Willis would be the 8th death-row inmate freed in Texas since capital punishment resumed in 1974.