will delve deep into the story of a grandmother who is the only British woman on death row in the US, still denying the crime that got her placed inside 20 years ago.
The presenter fronts a new documentary that airs on ITV tonight, as she meets Linda Carty, who was convicted of the 2001 murder of her pregnant neighbour Joana Rodriguez.
She denies the murder of Rodriguez, who had given birth just a few days before she was Ki**ed.
It’s claimed Carty, 63, was desperate for a baby of her own, so kidnapped her neighbour and baby son Ray, assisted by three men.
The 25-year-old new mum was found in the boot of Carty’s car, where she had been suffocated to death.
In tonight’s special episode, Reid travels to Texas to meet with Carty and hear her story, as she continues to protest her innocence.
She said: ‘A young woman, who had just – four days before – given birth to a precious baby boy, ended up dead in the boot of your car.
‘And her newborn baby boy was discovered in your daughter’s car.’
As Carty nodded in agreement, Reid asked her: ‘If you weren’t the one responsible, how did that happen?’
She responds: ‘I don’t know for sure, because I wasn’t there.
‘But I can truthfully say – and I can truthfully look you in the eye and tell you – that I had nothing to do with this crime.’
Carty was born St. Kitts and Nevis, which was a British territory when she was born, meaning she is also a UK citizen.Â
Reid shared: ‘The court heard Linda orchestrated the kidnap of her pregnant neighbour, Joana Rodriguez, equipped with scrubs and scissors, as she intended to cut the baby out.
‘Linda didn’t know that Joana had already had her baby four days earlier. Joana and her tiny baby boy were kidnapped and Joana was suffocated to death.’
Carty’s daughter, Jovelle Joubert, also maintains her belief her mother did not carry out the crime, saying: ‘That’s just crazy.’
She also admitted she would not attend her mother’s execution as Carty still awaits her fate on death row.
Later on in the documentary, viewers hear from barrister Hugh Southey, who tells the presenter that there is no DNA evidence linking Carty to the crime.
‘If Linda put a plastic bag over Joana’s head, presumably there would be forensic evidence – DNA evidence – to show that?’ Reid asked.
Southey replies: ‘Well, there is no DNA evidence. It’s surprising, given what’s alleged, that there is no DNA evidence, but to be fair, many criminal cases lack DNA evidence.
‘But that’s an important part of the context, in one sense, because it means that you rely on the evidence of individuals, and individuals are never necessarily the most reliable people – partly because people deliberately lie, but partly also because our memories are faulty.’
So far, Carty has made several applications for an appeal of her case, all of which have been denied as she remains behind bars.
British Grandma on Death Row with Susanna Reid airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.
