Fort Worth Man On Death Row Loses Federal Appeal
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HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal from a Fort Worth man on Texas death row for a 2010 convenience store holdup that left two men dead.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday refused arguments from 41-year-old Kwame Rockwell that he had poor legal help at his Tarrant County trial when his lawyers decided to not present evidence he may be schizophrenic and that he used steroids. He also argued his mental illness should disqualify him from the death penalty and that Texas law barred juries from considering mitigating evidence.
Jurors condemned him for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old store clerk Daniel Rojas. Evidence showed that 70-year-old Mrs. Baird's Bread deliveryman Jerry Burnett was also killed during the robbery in southeast Fort Worth.
An execution date for Rockwell has not been set.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)