Death row inmate attempts to stop execution of killer to prevent own death
9/1/2010COLUMBUS, Ohio — A condemned Ohio inmate trying to prove he's mentally retarded has asked a federal judge to stop the execution of a fellow prisoner willing to testify on his behalf.
An attorney for Danny Lee Hill said in a court filing Wednesday that Hill has no option but to ask that Kevin Keith's Sept. 15 execution be delayed until he can be interviewed about Hill.
The 43-year-old Hill, who raped and killed a 12-year-old Warren boy in 1985, has argued unsuccessfully in state and federal courts that he is mentally retarded.
Keith filed a court document in May saying Hill doesn't bathe regularly or clean his cell and would not be able to understand the rules of card games.
The state says Hill's request has no merit and U.S. District Court Judge John Adams has no authority to stop Keith's execution.