PORT ANGELES — A hearing will be held Friday in Clallam County to determine whether convicted double-murderer Darold Stenson should have one of his two stays of execution dissolved.
Stenson was found guilty of killing his wife and business partner on his Dungeness exotic bird farm in 1993.
Also on Friday, the same court will hear a motion filed by the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to unseal eight court documents.
The stay of execution, made Nov. 25, 2008, was to allow for further DNA testing.
The final DNA report was completed May 4.
Pam Loginsky, Clallam County special deputy prosecuting attorney, filed a motion to remove the stay the same day.
The office argues that the DNA evidence still points to Stenson’s guilt since only his blood and the blood of one of the victims was found.
A second stay of execution is place to allow Stenson’s legal challenge of the state’s lethal injection policy to be heard in state Supreme Court.
Oral arguments were heard on the legal challenge in March. The Supreme Court could take up to a year to make a ruling, said state Assistant Attorney General John Samson that same month.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
