USA - Texas. Gaylon George Walbey's death sentence overturned.

Gaylon George Walbey's death sentence overturned. Walbey, 34, was sentenced to die in the May, 4, 1993, slaying of Marionette Beyah, 46. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion reversing Walbey's death sentence, citing ineffectiveness of council during his punishment hearing, as the states defense attorney failed to investigate mitigating circumstances of Walbey's mental state, childhood and a host of other potentially mitigating circumstances. The appeals court ordered a new punishment phase of Walbey's capital trial or the imposition of the appropriate noncapital alternative sentence. Walbey will remain on death row while prosecutors decide whether to appeal the reversal of his death sentence. The state has 14 days to decide whether to ask the appeals court to reconsider its opinion or 90 days to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.