Westfall Delays Execution of Defendant on Death Row In 1987

In 1987, Emanuel Kemp Jr. was charged with capital murder in Fort Worth for allegedly hijacking a city bus, raping and killing a passenger. Currently, on death row, Kemp is scheduled for execution on November 7, 2018, in Tarrant County.

Attorney Greg Westfall has filed a motion to withdraw the execution date until DNA testing can be performed.

At the time of Kemp’s sentencing, DNA testing was uncommon. 1987 was the first year in the U.S. when DNA evidence leads to a conviction.

This was, for the most part, a circumstantial case,” Westfall states in the motion. “The bus driver was the only person to make an identification at the lineup, which was a cross-racial identification. He was the only identity witness to testify.”