Bio

Linda Anita Carty was born on October 5, 1958, in St. Kitts. Her parents were from Anguilla. St. Kitts was a British colony when she was born, so she held British citizenship by birth.

She emigrated to the United States in 1982. She later became a citizen of the United States while retaining her British nationality.

Murder Story

On May 16, 2001, Joana Rodriguez, age 20, and her three-day-old baby were taken from their home in Houston, Texas. Linda Anita Carty, born October 5, 1958, was accused of taking part in the abduction with three co-defendants: Gerald Anderson, Chris Robinson, and Carlos Williams. Authorities said the motive was allegedly to steal Rodriguez's newborn son.

Two other people in the apartment were beaten and left tied with duct tape. The baby was found alive in one car. Rodriguez's body was found in the trunk of another car. Her mouth and nose were covered and a plastic bag was over her head. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as homicidal suffocation.

Police arrested Carty the same day. Neighbors had told officers that Carty had said she was pregnant and had been seen with a child's car seat. Carty led officers to a house where two cars were located. Officers found the living baby in one car and Rodriguez's body in the other. Investigators found Carty's fingerprints in both cars and baby items inside.

During the trial, the state introduced cell phone records showing calls between Carty's phone and a number linked to Anderson on the night of the crime. Witnesses testified that Carty had told people in the days before the crime that she was pregnant or that she had a baby. Other evidence included items taken from storage units and testimony about cars Carty had driven.

Carty maintained she was framed and that her trial lawyer provided poor representation. The three co-defendants later testified against her and received prison terms. Carty has appealed her conviction, arguing ineffective counsel and wrongful framing. Her appeals were denied at the state and federal levels.

Carty was convicted of capital murder on February 19, 2002. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection on February 21, 2002. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review her case on May 3, 2010. She is on death row in Texas, held at the Mountain View Unit.