A tribute to Sandra Reed

Sandra “Sister” Hunter Reed, a decades-long activist and death penalty abolitionist, passed away on April 18, 2026, in Bastrop, TX, where she was born. Sandra was the mother of six sons, the most well-known of whom is Rodney Reed, wrongfully-convicted and incarcerated on Texas’ death row since 1998. Sandra organized for decades to win her son’s freedom and for an end to the death penalty, a leader on the front lines in the state she described as the “belly of the beast.”

Rodney was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Engaged to a police officer, Stacey was in a relationship with Rodney, who is Black; Stacey’s fiancée was an open racist who knew about their relationship. Yet prosecutors hammered at the racist assumption that Rodney’s relationship with Stacy, who was white, must have been nonconsensual. This claim was offered as the sole “evidence” in the crime and Rodney was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to death.

Rodney’s conviction—and the implementation of the death penalty in the U.S. today—echoes the era of Southern lynchings and a so-called justice system that denies justice for Black people and people of color. “Until a person is in our place, you can’t really describe it,” Sandra said in an interview. “It’s a hard pill to swallow—the corruption and injustice that’s dwelling in my son’s case.” Despite this, Sandra said that “Rodney’s handling things very well—he’s remaining strong for himself. The truth keeps us all strong and believing that justice will prevail.”

George W. Bush and Rick Perry—both former governors—built their national profiles on “tough on crime” agendas, including accelerating the pace of executions at a brutal rate. Texas’ death row today, although less busy than under Bush and Perry, retains a barbaric track record: exactly 600 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in 1982, and 59 percent of those on death row are people of color. Black people are 12 percent of the state’s population yet make up over 40 percent of the executed.

In the face of this overwhelming opposition, Sandra was an unceasing activist and brought many into the movement. She began organizing with the Austin chapter of the national Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) in 1999. She later joined the CEDP’s national board, serving alongside other abolitionists including exonerees Yusef Salaam of the formerly-known Central Park 5, and Shuja’a Graham, exonerated from California’s death row,

In a statement shared at her memorial service, Lily Hughes, a former national director of the Campaign to End the Penalty based in Austin, TX, reflected on the joys of Sandra’s friendship and the work they shared for close to three decades:

Sandra was a fierce advocate for Rodney and for so many other wrongfully convicted death row prisoners and victims of the criminal “injustice system.” She spoke at rallies, marches, meetings, and conventions in Texas and all over the country. She was a powerful voice in the abolition movement.

Sandra was so brave. She hated flying, but still she flew around the country to speak out. She disliked the limelight, yet she spoke in front of huge crowds of people. When she took the podium, she commanded the attention of all with her Grace and passion.

Sandra was so loving and supportive to her family, friends, and fellow activists. She welcomed everyone into the movement, into her community and into her home with open arms.

The campaign for Rodney has been a very long, hard road. He and his family suffered the torture of three scheduled execution dates. He has fought for many years for DNA testing of the murder weapon, a leather belt used to strangle Stacey Stites. Despite finally winning a favorable ruling with the U,S. Supreme Court in 2023, when the Court ordered the evidence to be tested, the state of Texas continued to block Rodney’s request, shifting the goal posts to argue against DNA testing on new grounds. Rodney once again fought for his case to be heard by the highest court but in March of this year, just weeks before Sandra’s death, the Supreme Court dealt his case a major blow when it refused to hear his latest appeal.

Sandra was so well-loved for her warmth, humor and generosity, and for her ongoing activism despite serious health problems in later years; her passing leaves a hole not easily filled. She was a crucial voice in shining a light on the realities of criminal “justice” in the rural South and for keeping the movement for social justice at the center. In 2009, standing alongside exonerees and family members, she joined historian Howard Zinn and writer Dave Zirin onstage at the University of Chicago for the CEDP’s national convention. “I’m in this fight for life,” she declared to the over 1,000 audience members.

Because of Sandra, many others made that same commitment. She will be in our hearts always. Sandra Reed presente!

How to support Rodney Reed:

Rodney urgently needs movement support to stop his execution from moving forward and to finally free him from decades behind bars. With the recent Supreme Court ruling against him, the way is clear for Texas to set another execution date. Please take some of these steps to join this fight:

• Sign and share the petition
• Follow the Reed Justice Initiative for updates and actions.
• Watch and share the documentary State vs Reed streaming on YouTube
• Across the country, the pace of executions has begun to pick up after a period of decline. Donald Trump is a strong supporter of capital punishment, potentially threatening those on federal and military death rows. Find out about and support ongoing campaigns including Rodney’s at Death Penalty Action.

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Featured Image credit: ARTIST NAME; modified by Tempest.