The quest for truth in a decades-old murder case continues as Allen Andre Causey, convicted in 1992, seeks exoneration for the 1991 murder of 21-year-old Anita Byington in Austin. A post-conviction hearing is in process, highlighting testimonies from new witnesses implicating another man, Kevin Harris, in the crime, according to KVUE.
The Texas Innocence Project, claiming Causey has been wrongly imprisoned for over three decades, points to a confession allegedly coerced by law enforcement without corroborating forensic evidence or eyewitness accounts linking Causey to the murder. As part of the ongoing legal battle, the Innocence Project has brought two witnesses to the stand, including Harris' former girlfriend and her friend Regina, who confirmed Harris' suspicious activities on the night of Byington's death, as per KVUE.
While Causey was paroled in 2022, he continues to fight for full exoneration with the support of The Innocence Project. They argue new evidence indicates another suspect, the man seen with Anita Byington shortly before her murder, reported by CBS Austin.
However, the legal proceedings have been a source of anguish for Byington's family, who, despite the passing of her parents, remain adamant that justice was served appropriately the first time. Kristina Byington, the victim's cousin, expressed the family's turmoil, "You kind of put it away a little bit. It never goes away, but this has been a nightmare bringing it all back," she said, stated in CBS Austin.
The case's complexity deepens as The Travis County District Attorney's Office is considering pursuing Kevin Harris, the alternative suspect identified by the new evidence presented. If Causey's defense succeeds, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will decide on the possibility of a retrial or exoneration. A forthcoming hearing in December centers around DNA findings that Causey's attorneys believe, prove his innocence.
