Witness, co-defendant tell newspaper man wasn't guilty

Sunday, November 20, 2005; Posted: 8:52 p.m. EST (01:52 GMT)

Ruben Cantu was charged with capital murder at age 17. He was 26 when he was executed.

Sources cast doubt on guilt. (3:16)

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Doubts are being cast on the guilt of a Texas man
executed more than a dozen years ago after the crime's lone witness recanted
and a co-defendant said he allowed his friend to be falsely accused under
police pressure, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

Ruben Cantu was 17 in 1984 when he was charged with capital murder in the fatal
shooting of a man during an attempted robbery in San Antonio. The victim was
shot nine times with a rifle before the gunman unloaded more rounds into the
only eyewitness.

The eyewitness, Juan Moreno, told the Chronicle that it wasn't Cantu who shot
him. Moreno said he identified Cantu as the killer during his 1985 trial
because he felt pressured and was afraid of authorities. (Watch the reporter
investigating the case -- 3:16)

Meanwhile, Cantu's co-defendant, David Garza, recently signed a sworn affidavit
saying he allowed his friend to be accused, even though Cantu wasn't with him
the night of the killing.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/20/texas.execution.ap/index.html