150,000 signatures reached
To: Gov. Greg Abbott, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, Texas Criminal Court of Appeals
Save Ivan Cantu Before the State of Texas Kills Him
Texas plans to execute Ivan Cantu on February 28, 2024. Ivan Cantu was convicted of killing his cousin, James Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s fiancée, Amy Kitchen, in 2001. But there is so much wrong with the case against him, including false testimony, evidence withheld by prosecution, and key witnesses later recanted. Even jurors support his appeals, believing they did not hear all the evidence at trial.
Sign the petition to demand that Collin County DA Greg Willis request to withdraw the execution date in light of new evidence just disclosed by his own office, showing that the star witness falsely testified against Ivan and lied in her testimony. Add your name now to urge Governor Greg Abbott to grant a stay of execution for Ivan Cantu until all new evidence can be examined. Our criminal justice system has failed Ivan. The DA and Governor Abbott must intervene before it's too late.
Why is this important?
Ivan Cantu was convicted of killing his cousin, James Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s fiancée, Amy Kitchen, in 2001. Prosecutors argued that Cantu killed Mosqueda, who was a drug dealer, and Kitchen while trying to steal cocaine, marijuana, and cash from Mosqueda’s home. However, Cantu has claimed that a rival drug dealer killed Mosqueda and that he was framed for the murders.
Recent vigorous investigation into Ivan’s case has uncovered serious exculpatory evidence that was suppressed or manipulated at trial by state officials. Additionally, key state witnesses have recanted their testimony and, in light of these findings, three trial jurors have stated that had they known of these wrongdoings at trial, they very possibly would have rendered a different verdict.
And according to a new filing just released before the TX Court of Criminal Appeals, the DA just disclosed that the state’s star witness in the original conviction case falsely testified and the lead detective knew she was lying.
Ivan’s death date is fast approaching. We are calling on the Collin County District Attorney to request to withdraw the execution date.
Everyone deserves a fair trial. We want the judicial system to scrutinize the new evidence in Ivan’s case that exposes fraudulent testimony and wrongdoing by state witnesses and law enforcement.
The Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s office says that their mission is "not to convict, but to see that justice is done." Justice has yet to be delivered in Ivan's case. All we are asking is for the execution to be delayed and an inquiry into new evidence to be opened.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 196 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had put them on death row. To ensure that an innocent person is not executed, our legal and judicial systems must do their due diligence to examine all evidence in Ivan's case.