A North Carolina man who confessed to a fatal stabbing in 1979 is getting a chance to prove his innocence during a hearing before three judges.
The hearing for 66-year-old James Blackmon is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a courtroom in Raleigh. In November, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission found enough evidence of Blackmon's innocence to forward his case to a three-judge panel for review.
Blackmon's attorneys argue that their client is a mentally ill man who wore a Superman-like cape during his confession and compared himself to Dracula. The prosecutor agrees Blackmon has mental health and cognitive issues. However, the prosecutor says a trial judge and the state Court of Appeals determined decades ago that Blackmon was competent to stand trial in the death of Helena Payton at what's now St. Augustine's University.