27 Years on Death Row: Texas Woman’s Conviction Tossed by Appeals Court

Brittany Holberg is a Texas woman who may have just received the best news she’s heard in a long time. According to CBS News, after being on death row for over 20 years, a federal appeals court overturned her death sentence. This decision came after the local prosecutor failed to disclose that a key witness in Brittany's case was a paid informant.

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Federal Court Exonerates Brittany Holberg, Tossing Conviction After 27 Years on Death Row

Since 1998, Brittany Holberg has been incarcerated, with Randall County prosecutors believing they could not only imprison her but also sentence her to death. This was based on the testimony of a jail inmate who had worked as a confidential informant for the Amarillo Police Department. In 2011, the informant recanted her testimony, and both the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and a federal district court found that the prosecutor had violated Brittany's constitutional rights to a proper trial.

Federal Appeals Court Declares Brittany Holberg Innocent, Tosses Death Row Conviction

After 27 years of investigation and legal efforts, the case was ultimately undermined by the unfair tactics of Texas prosecutors. Brittany was sentenced to death at the age of 23 after a jury convicted her of killing an 80-year-old man named AB Tower, a former client of Brittany’s while she worked as a sex worker.
The Texas Tribune reached out to Holberg's attorney for a comment on Monday, but no statement has been made yet. Brittany Holberg is currently being held at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit, which is a well-known Gatesville prison that houses females on death row and other inmates.