Forensics

Death Watch: The Merits of Hypnosis-Induced Testimony

Charles Don Flores received a stay of execution from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals just six days before his scheduled execution date of June 2. On May 19, the court had received a series of motions filed by Flores' attorneys arguing that their client should have his execution stayed and be granted a new trial because the merits of his conviction were potentially rooted in junk science – namely, a pivotal witness who was only able to identify Flores at the scene of the murder after police put her under hypnosis in order to secure a testimony.

Flores, 46, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of capital murder for the killing of Betty Black, who was found dead in her house in Farmers Branch (northwest of Dallas) on the morning of Jan. 29, 1998. Investigators knew the murder took place at the time of an attempted burglary; Black's house had been trashed in an effort to find a five-figure stash of cash Black and her husband were holding for their son Gary while he was in prison.