Clemency, court intervention sought for death row inmate

Unless Gov. Jay Nixon or a court steps in, Richard Clay is to be executed next week.

Tuesday, his family and supporters asked reporters to spread the word that, they believe, carrying out the death penalty will kill an innocent man.

And they left the Capitol news conference with a $10,000 check given on the spur of the moment by Josh Kezer - another man who served prison time, in a different murder case - but later was exonerated and now is free.

The state Supreme Court issued its execution warrant for Clay last month.

A Callaway County jury, hearing the case on a change of venue, convicted Clay in 1995 of the 1994 murder of Randy Martindale, in Martindale's New Madrid home.

Clay's supporters are working on two tracks to stop the execution: Asking Nixon to grant clemency in the case and asking the state Supreme Court to hear new arguments in it.