Location

Defendant

Date of Crime

Jimmy Lee Mathers associated with Teddy Washington and Fred Robinson.  The three lived in Banning, a small town in Southern California.  Robinson was in a volatile relationship with his common-law wife, Susan Hill.  With Robinson's permission, Hill went to visit her father and stepmother, Ralph and Sterleen Hill.  The couple lived in Yuma, Arizona.  Susan then refused to return, and got a protection order to prevent Robinson from visiting her there.  She then left without telling Robinson and visited her grandmother in California.  Ralph and Sterleen then were shot during a home invasion.  Sterleen died.

The invasion appeared to be a robbery as the intruders stated they were narcotics agents and said, “We want the dope and money.”  The house was also ransacked.  There was some circumstantial evidence linking Robinson and Washington to the crime.  However, there was little evidence linking Mathers.  Nevertheless, the three were arrested and tried together.  At trial, Mathers' attorney moved for a judgment of acquittal on the grounds of insufficient evidence.  The motion was denied.  All three defendants were convicted and sentenced to death.

In 1990, the Arizona Supreme Court reviewed Mathers' case, and “viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution” found a “complete absence of probative facts.”  It noted that the evidence presented at trial had “nothing to do with Mathers.”  The court vacated Mathers' conviction and entered a judgment of acquittal.  (TWM)  [3/07]

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