Sylacauga death row inmate gains support for appeal

Sam Waterston

Law & Order actor Sam Waterston on Monday came to Birmingham with a group that will ask the Alabama Supreme Court to grant death row inmate William "Billy" Kuenzel a new trial based on evidence uncovered that they say proves Kuenzel is innocent.

Waterston, who played district attorney Jack McCoy in the television series, said the issue of someone being wrongfully convicted had played out on Law & Order.he said  "In Billy Kuenzel's case it isn't make believe it's a matter of life and death,".  Waterston, who previously made a video for a website supporting Kuenzel's innocence, said he was first told about the case and brought in to help shine the light on it by Joanna Merlin, an actress he has known for more than 50 years and who had played in episodes of both Law & Order and Law & Order SUV.  Kuenzel was convicted of capital murder in the 1987 shooting death of Sylacauga convenience store clerk Linda Offord. The judge sentenced him to death after a Talladega County jury unanimously recommended the death sentence.  Kuenzel, who has been on Alabama's death row since his conviction in 1988, has maintained his innocence throughout his trial and appeals.  Kuenzel has lost appeals in federal and state court and his attorneys say he's been prevented from getting a new trial because of procedural defaults. In the most recent appeal, the Alabama Court of Criminal appeals said it couldn't consider it because it was not timely filed after Kuenzel's attorneys uncovered the new evidence.  Kuenzel's attorneys on Nov. 9 will be submitting their request for the Alabama Supreme Court to review the case. The group that includes Waterston also will be filing a friend of the court brief as well.