On Friday, Feb. 28, Governor Kay Ivey announced that she had commuted the death sentence of Robin D. “Rocky” Myers to life in prison with no chance of parole, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.

Myers was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1991 capital murder of Ludie Mae Tucker in Decatur. Governor Ivey issued the following statement in a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm:

“Thus far as governor, I have presided over 22 executions, and I will never waver in my belief that the death penalty is just punishment for society’s most serious crimes. I also reject all attempts to manipulate the system by activist lawyers for death row inmates who make unfounded claims of contrived injustices. However, in the case of Ludie Mae Tucker’s murder, I have enough questions about Mr. Myers’ guilt that I cannot move forward with executing him. For example, no murder weapon was found, and no DNA evidence or fingerprints or other physical evidence tied Mr. Myers to the scene of the crime. Although Ms. Tucker knew Mr. Myers and let her attacker inside the house, neither she nor Marie Dutton – the only two eyewitnesses to the crime – ever identified Mr. Myers as the assailant. There is also other circumstantial evidence, but it is riddled with conflicting evidence from seemingly everyone involved. In short, I am not convinced that Mr. Myers is innocent, but I am not so convinced of his guilt as to approve of his execution. I therefore must respect both the jury’s decision to convict him and its recommendation that he be sentenced to life without parole. This decision has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as governor. But it pales in comparison to the pain and suffering Ludie Mae Tucker and Marie Dutton endured on the night of October 4, 1991 – and to the many hardships the Tucker family has endured at the hands of our imperfect justice system. I pray that the Tucker family may, in some way, find closure and peace knowing this case is closed, and Mr. Myers will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

As required by law, Ivey communicated her decision to a representative of Tucker’s family first. She expressed her gratitude to the Tucker family for working with her team to discuss this case. Ivy also expressed thanks to the Attorney General’s Capital Litigation Division for their work over many years defending Myers’ lawful conviction and sentence.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued the following statement on Feb. 28 in response to Governor Ivey’s decision to commute the death sentence of Rocky Myers:

“I am astonished by Governor Ivey’s decision to commute the death sentence of Rocky Myers and am bewildered that she chose not to directly communicate with me about this case or her decision. For the last 30 years, my Office has zealously defended this case on appeal; and for 30 years, no court has reached the conclusion that the Governor reached after a cursory review. Despite my Office’s thorough response to the Governor’s request for information yesterday afternoon, her decision was announced less than 24 hours later. My capital litigation and victims’ services teams will go home tonight deeply saddened, not for themselves, but for the family of Ludie Mae Tucker. We will never stop fighting for justice.”