PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the convictions and sentences of a death row inmate who himself was killed in his prison cell last month.
Criminal prosecutions normally stop upon a defendant’s death, but the state high court said it issued its decision on an appeal for Kenneth Wayne Thompson II after his death because resolving legal issues in his case would help in others in the future.
Thompson was found dead at the Eyman prison complex in Florence last month.
He was convicted in 2019 of using a hatchet and a knife to kill his sister-in-law, Penelope Edwards, and her boyfriend, Troy Dunn, in Yavapai County.
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Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.