Texas Woman's Murder Conviction Overturned After 27 Years on Death Row

For nearly three decades, Brittany Holberg sat on death row in Texas, convicted of the brutal murder of 80-year-old A.B. Towery. But in March 2025, her conviction was thrown out after a federal appeals court ruled that her trial had been anything but fair. The reason? A key witness — her former cellmate — had been a paid informant for the Amarillo Police Department, and the jury never knew.

The Crime That Shocked Amarillo, Texas

It all started on Nov. 13, 1996, when 23-year-old Holberg, a sex worker battling drug addiction, found herself at Towery's Amarillo apartment after crashing her car while high on crack cocaine. The two had a prior relationship, but that night, an argument over her drug use turned deadly.

Holberg admitted to stabbing Towery, but she claimed it was in self-defense after he allegedly attacked her. Prosecutors, however, painted a far darker picture, alleging she killed him for drug money. The crime scene was horrific — Towery had been stabbed 58 times, and officers found part of a lamp shoved down his throat.

A Jailhouse Confession — or a Coached Testimony?

While awaiting trial in a north Texas jail, Holberg was placed in a cell with Vickie Kirkpatrick, an inmate who would soon become the prosecution's star witness. Kirkpatrick later testified that Holberg confessed to the murder in chilling detail, allegedly saying, according to The Independent, she killed Towery "in order to get money" and would "do it all over again for more drugs."

It was a damning piece of evidence — one that played a crucial role in Holberg's conviction and death sentence in 1998. But there was one major problem: Kirkpatrick wasn't just any fellow inmate. She was a long-time police informant who had helped secure more than 40 search warrants and multiple convictions. And, as it turned out, she was paid handsomely for her cooperation.

A Long Fight for Justice

Years after Holberg's conviction, Kirkpatrick recanted her testimony, admitting she had been working with the police all along. Yet, Texas courts initially refused to overturn the conviction. It wasn't until March 2025 that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Holberg had been denied a fair trial.

"This narrative, which the jury did not hear, razes Kirkpatrick's credibility: either her testimony at trial was supplied by the State, or her recantation was a lie," the court wrote in its ruling, as reported by The Independent.

Now, at 52, Holberg remains in custody while a lower court decides whether she will be retried or set free.

What's Next for Holberg?

For now, Holberg is no longer facing execution, but she's far from walking free. The district court will have to determine whether she should stand trial again or if the flawed testimony taints the case beyond repair.

References: Woman on Death Row for 30 Years Has Conviction Overturned After Paid Informant's Testimony Challenged | A Texas woman was on death row for 27 years. But questions over a key witness could have her soon walk free from prison