AUSTIN, Texas – The Travis County District Attorney’s Office issued an apology to the family of a murder victim following a second post-conviction innocence hearing in a decades-old case. The hearing focused on the murder of Anita Byington, for which Allen Andre Causey was convicted in 1992. Causey was paroled in 2022, and the Texas Innocence Project filed a writ for habeas corpus on his behalf that same month.
During the recent hearing in the 331st Criminal District Court, witnesses were called to debunk the state’s previous theory of Byington’s death, which included allegations about her involvement with drugs. The district attorney’s office apologized to Byington’s family and expressed the goal of seeking justice for her and her family, as well as ensuring that the person responsible for her death is held accountable.
The focus of both hearings has been on the possibility of a false confession from Causey in Byington’s death. The first hearing highlighted circumstances that could have made Causey vulnerable to a false confession, including his low IQ and alleged mistreatment by law enforcement during his testimony. Byington’s family maintained their belief that Causey was responsible for her death.
The innocence hearing shed light on the complexities of the case and the challenges in seeking justice for the victim and her family. More details on the case and the innocence hearing are available online.
In conclusion, the innocence hearing in the Travis County murder case brought to light the possibility of a false confession and the challenges of seeking justice decades after the crime. The district attorney’s office issued an apology to the victim’s family and expressed the commitment to hold the responsible party accountable. This case highlights the complexities and difficulties in post-conviction innocence hearings, as well as the impact on the families involved.