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Griffin was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1983 murder of inmate James Bausely when they were incarcerated at the Moberly Training Center for Men. On direct appeal, the Missouri Supreme Court reversed his sentence of death because the State admitted a record of conviction for a different person named Reginald Griffin.

Admission of Incorrect Evidence, Penalty: The record of conviction was one of the nonstatutory grounds underlying the death sentence. Because upholding Mr. Griffin’s death sentence under these circumstances would be “manifest injustice” and because it was “likely” that the admission of the criminal record was not harmless error, the Court ordered a new punishment hearing. 848 S.W.2d at 471.

Full summary: https://www.madpmo.org/missouri-death-row-exonerees