A condemned Houston man with a history of mental health issues during his nearly half-century stint on death row will not face a new trial after a Texas court vacated his death sentence, according to Harris County prosecutors.
Clarence Jordan, 70, whose death sentence was overturned Thursday by the Court of Criminal Appeals, is expected to have his punishment replaced with life imprisonment in the coming weeks. Prosecutors do not plan to seek a third death sentence against him, said prosecutor Andrew Smith, who oversees post-conviction writs for District Attorney Sean Teare.
Due to the age of the case, Jordan will be eligible for parole. He was convicted in the 1977 death of a Houston grocery store clerk, Joe Williams, following an armed robbery spree, and sentenced to die following two separate punishment trials…