MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Activists across the Mid-South continue to call for the freedom of Pervis Payne. They want him off death row because of intellectual disabilities. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined the campaign and held a rally Thursday afternoon in support.
“It’s been a very trying journey of course,” said Rolanda Holman Payne’s sister. “Of course it’s been long. But it has definitely required patience from us, and we have not given up.”
Payne was convicted in the 1987 murder of a Millington woman and her daughter. He’s maintained his innocence while on death row for over 30 years.
“We’ve been consistent in believing and fighting for my brother’s innocence and our consistency had brought us to the movement and the action that you see today,” Holman said.
“We all looked at this case and said ‘my god, he’s innocent. This man is innocent’ and I had people tell me you got be careful, you got to watch what you say they can take it out on your other clients,” said Kelley Henry, Payne’s attorney. “No more!”
Tennessee lawmakers passed a law earlier this year banning the executions of people with intellectual disabilities.
“I believe in in the Constitution, the Constitution has already indicated that those with that intellectual disability should not be executed and so we believe that,” Holman said.
Payne’s sister said for so many years there was such a hard time to try to get support and Payne’s story out, but said she now feels supported by those who have rallied on street corners calling for her brother’s release. Meanwhile D.A. Amy Weirich said the evidence against Payne is overwhelming.
“Now knowing that we have 750,000 signatures and we have people who have supported wearing the free Pervis Payne t-shirts it makes us know that we are not alone,” Holman said.
Payne will present evidence supporting his intellectual disability claim in court Friday. Faith leaders are set to gather for a prayer vigil outside the courthouse downtown that morning.