Tenny v. Dretke

PATRICK E. HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judge:

James B. Tenny was convicted in a Texas state court of the murder of Joyce Mulvey, the woman with whom he was living at the time. After unsuccessful state habeas proceedings, Tenny turned to federal court. The federal district court granted habeas relief based on trial counsel’s failure to adequately investigate and elicit crucial evidence of self-defense. We affirm.

I

In 1997, Tenny and Mulvey were living together in Blanco, Texas. Mulvey worked as an attendant at Elder Haus, a residential facility for the elderly, located on the grounds of Christ of the…