ST. LOUIS (AP) - A Missouri prisoner serving a life term for murder says he lied to authorities when he told them that a former St. Louis jailer, who is now on death row, hired him to kill his ex-wife.
Orthell Wilson, 54, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2000 death of Kimberly Cantrell. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1atTHy0) in a telephone interview that he lied when he said Kimber Edwards enlisted him to kill Cantrell. Wilson did not respond to an interview request Friday from The Associated Press, and his attorney, Jeremy Weis, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Wilson said he killed Cantrell during a robbery and that he alone was responsible for her death. He said that he framed Edwards to help himself avoid the death penalty.
Edwards, 51, was set to be executed in May, but the Missouri Supreme Court halted his execution Wednesday, without explanation.
Wilson told the newspaper that he told Edwards' lawyers years ago that he had lied about being hired, and court records indicate that his recantation was ruled inadmissible.
"Him and I never had that conversation about him trying to kill his wife," Wilson said. "We never had that conversation. I'm just telling you point blank."
Phone messages seeking comment from St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch were not immediately returned.
The court decision halting the execution does not mean it won't be rescheduled. The Missouri Supreme Court in August canceled an impending execution the next month for Leon Taylor. Attorneys for Taylor had indicated days earlier that they wouldn't have the time to work on his case before his execution.
In late September, the Supreme Court reset Taylor's execution for Nov. 19, when it was carried out as scheduled.
The court did not elaborate on the reason for halting Edwards' execution, but Weis said Thursday he believed the reprieve was to allow more time to complete a clemency request.
Edwards was convicted of hiring Wilson to kill Cantrell in her apartment in University City, a St. Louis suburb. Prosecutors said Edwards wanted Cantrell, 35, dead to avoid paying child support.
Wilson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Cantrell's death and was sentenced to life in prison.
Edwards contended he was framed and had no motive because the couple had worked out a child support agreement. At trial, his attorneys said Edwards' confession to police was coerced because police were threatening to bring in his wife and children for questioning.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2002.
Wilson told the newspaper that he killed Cantrell during a robbery, saying he was after "drugs and money." Why did he lie 15 years ago?
"Things were just moving fast," he said. "I guess I just wasn't thinking. I don't know. It was 15 years ago. I have no idea what I was thinking back then."