Smith v. Mullin

SEYMOUR, Circuit Judge.

Roderick Lynn Smith, an Oklahoma state prisoner, was sentenced to death for the 1993 murders of his wife and stepchildren. Challenging his convictions and death sentence, Mr. Smith petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 1 The district court denied relief in an unpublished opinion, but granted a Certificate of Appealability (COA), see 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1), on eight of the eighteen claims before it. 2 We affirm in part, reverse in part, and grant a writ of habeas corpus vacating Mr. Smith’s death sentence, with the…