BACKGROUND: THE CASE AT A GLANCE
- Rocky Myers, a Black man, was convicted in 1994 in Decatur, Alabama (Morgan County) for the 1991 killing of Ludie Mae Tucker.
- The jury recommended life without parole. The trial judge overrode that recommendation and imposed a death sentence.
- No murder weapon was ever recovered, no physical evidence (DNA, fingerprints) linked Rocky to the scene, and neither eyewitness identified him as the attacker.
- On February 28, 2025, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey granted clemency, citing lingering doubts about his guilt and halting his execution.
- Clemency saved Rocky’s life, it did not clear his name. Today, he remains incarcerated at St. Clair Correctional Facility.
NEW EVIDENCE: DEFENSE LAWYER’S KLAN TIES
In August 2025, Rocky’s legal team filed a Rule 32 petition asking the court to overturn his conviction and grant a new trial. The petition rests on two claims: that Rocky is innocent, and that he was denied meaningful, conflict-free representation.
- Rocky’s court-appointed trial attorney, John Mays, served as a featured speaker at Klan rallies in at least six states between 1977 and 1981, and was identified in contemporary press as holding the title “Imperial Klonsel” to the United Klans of America.
- The United Klans of America has been tied to the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, the 1965 murder of Viola Liuzzo, and the 1981 lynching of Michael Donald in Mobile, widely cited as the last lynching in the United States.
- Trial transcripts show that Mays described Rocky as a “crackhead” and a “criminal” and called the neighborhood he lived in with his family “cracktown.”
- Mays was appointed to defend Rocky just five years after his last documented public association with the Klan.
WHERE THE CASE STANDS TODAY
Briefing on the Rule 32 petition is now complete. The State filed its Answer and Motion to Dismiss on March 13, 2026, and Rocky’s legal team filed its Reply on May 21, 2026. On May 27, 2026 the Morgan County court gave the District Attorney’s office 90 days to respond to the defense team’s latest reply.
| Date | Filing | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2025 | Rule 32 Petition filed | View filing (PDF) |
| Dec 1, 2025 | State’s Motion for Additional Time | View filing (PDF) |
| Dec 2, 2025 | Order Granting State’s Motion to Extend | View filing (PDF) |
| Feb 13, 2026 | Emergency Motion to Prevent Spoliation | View filing (PDF) |
| Feb 15, 2026 | Order Denying Emergency Motion | View filing (PDF) |
| Mar 13, 2026 | State’s Answer & Motion to Dismiss | View filing (PDF) |
| May 21, 2026 | Rocky Myers’ Reply to State’s Answer | View filing (PDF) |
HOW ADVOCATES CAN HELP
- Urge the Morgan County DA’s Office not to oppose judicial review of the petition’s constitutional claims. Decatur/Morgan County voices carry particular weight. Download a sample letter here.
Call: (+1) 256-351-4610
Write: 302 Lee St NE, Decatur, AL 35601 USA
ATTN: ADA Courtney Schellack
Email: cschellack@morgancountyda.com
KEY RESOURCES