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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Kyle O'Sullivan

Who is Linda Carty - British grandma on death row for killing mum to steal her baby

Linda Carty is the only British woman awaiting execution on death row in the US.

The 63-year-old former school teacher was sentenced to death for the abduction and murder of a young mother in order to steal her newborn son.

If executed she will be the first female British prisoner to be put to death since Ruth Ellis in 1955, but she claims she is innocent and has appealed her conviction.

Carty, who was born on the island of Saint Kitts before it gained independence from Britain, kept her UK citizenship and passport after moving to Houston at the age of 23.

In 1992, she was convicted of car theft and the impersonation of an FBI agent and sentenced to 10 years probation on the condition that she worked as a drug informant.

In the months leading up to the sickening crimes, Carty told neighbours she was going to become a mum soon but they later told police they were surprised because she didn't look pregnant.

During her trial, the court heard that Carty orchestrated the kidnap of her pregnant neighbour, Joana Rodriguez, in May 2001.

Linda Carty was convicted in 2002 over the kidnap and murder of Joana Rodriguez (PA)

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Joana was a young mum who had given birth to her baby son, Ray, just two days before they were abducted from their apartment in Houston, Texas, by three men.

At the time of the murder, Carty had bought and scrubs and scissors and it was claimed their intention was to cut the unborn baby out of Joana's body.

However, the plan went wrong as Joana had given birth to son Ray four days earlier, so they were both kidnapped.

Later that day, the tiny baby was found alive in a car, but tragically his 25-year-old mother's lifeless body was discovered in the boot of a second car.

Joana's legs and arms had been bound with duct tape, along with her mouth and nose and she had a plastic bag over her head so suffocated to death.

Police initially suspected Carty, who had also lied to her husband and claimed she was pregnant, after interviewing neighbours who expressed their surprise at her insistence she was having a child soon.

Carty was arrested along with Gerald Anderson, Chris Robinson, and Carlos Williams and charged with the abduction and murder of Joana.

Linda remains in death row despite appeals (For all of Channel 4's latest news; images and listings visit the brand new Press Centre www.channel4.com/info/press; Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way.; CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY ROAD LONDON SW1P 2TX.; This picture may be used solely for Channel 4 programme publicity purposes in connection with the current broadcast of the programme(s) featured in the national and local press and listings. Not to be reproduced or redistributed for any use or in any medium not set out above (including the internet or other electronic form) without the prior written consent of Channel 4 Picture Publicity.)

Carty claims she was framed for the kidnap and the murder because she was working as a drug informant for the US authorities.

She also claims she had never met the three men who were her co-accused, although phone records show there were almost a dozen calls between her and Anderson on the night of the crime.

During her trial in February 2002, Carty's co-accused placed the blame firmly at her door, claiming she was the mastermind behind the whole twisted scheme.

The jury convicted Anderson, Robinson, and Williams of going to Joana’s home and abducting her and baby Ray - and they received long prison sentences.

Carty was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection.

The grandmother has lodged several appeals - all of them have failed - and now she fears the only option left to her is to what for execution by lethal injection.

She is visited by her daughter, Jovelle, and teenager grandsons, Jhori and Caden, but they cannot hug due to a thick glass divide.

Mick Jagger's ex-wife, Bianca Jagger, has taken up Carty’s case and human rights group Reprieve is also supporting her.

Carty's case has also been supported by the British Foreign Office and lawyers for the UK government have submitted objections to her sentence.

They have expressed "serious concerns for Ms Carty's human rights, fair trial, and access to justice".

A UK official said: "We have been providing support to Ms Carty for a number of years, and will continue to do so.

"We have raised our interest in her case on multiple occasions with the US authorities, and remain in close contact with her family and legal team.

"We judge each request to file an amicus curiae brief on its individual merits and following careful legal scrutiny, as we have done on this case."

Carty's time on death row at the Mountain View Unit, a maximum security prison in Texas, has been "horrid" and she had described her cell as covered in mould with water running down the walls.

Despite launching several appeals, Carty remains on death row and in 2018 the US Supreme Court declined to consider what may well be Carty's final appeal.

She said: "The sad thing is you don't get an opportunity, once you've executed someone, to go back and dig them up from the grave and say 'Oops, I made a mistake, let me just put you back together'. You're done. You're dead."

Carty is the subject of a new ITV documentary and was visited by GMB host Susanna Reid, who is still unsure if she committed the crime after spending time with her.

"I found it impossible to come to a final judgment. She has been tried by a jury and found guilty and all her appeals have failed," said Susanna.

"The justice system has found her guilty. But I have been talking to the British lawyer, who has looked into the case and listening to her American defence lawyer, who was pro death penalty before he took her case, and now says, ‘You cannot be pro death penalty when you see the injustice in this case’.

"When you talk to those people about the disputed evidence, you end up thinking, is there more to this? Who was responsible for it?

"What actually happened that night? Was she a wicked, wicked person as one of her co- defendants called her and the ringleader? Or was there a plea deal, which meant that she was held responsible? I don’t think there’s an easy or comfortable answer."

Carty insists she had nothing to do with the crime and her only mistake was lending someone her car.

"If I were guilty of this crime, I would have taken my punishment," she said. "Anyone who knows the system knows Texas does not admit when they are wrong. I’ll fight until the end.

"If I lose my life I know I have people behind me who will not stop until they clear my name."

*British Grandma On Death Row with Susanna Reid airs tonight on ITV at 9pm

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