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New Ruling Puts An End To Drawn-Out Death Penalty Case In Nashville

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Twenty-nine states allow the death penalty, and there are currently more than 2,600 people on death row.

Until recently, that list included Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman, who was convicted of first-degree murder for a stabbing and armed robbery in Nashville that left one person dead and another wounded.

But in August, a Tennessee judge reversed Abdur'Rahman's scheduled execution and granted him a new sentence of life imprisonment, citing questions about the fairness of his 1987 trial.

The ruling puts an end to a drawn-out legal process that took a toll both on the defendant and victims. And as Samantha Max (@samanthaellimax) of member station WPLN reports from Nashville reports, it's a common scenario in capital cases.

This segment aired on September 19, 2019.

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