In my opinion it's
better that ten guilty persons escape the death penalty than one
innocent person to be put to death in error. Put yourself in the same position.
From
The Economist 4/26
ON
THE morning of December 23rd 1991 a fire destroyed a home in
Corsicana, Texas shared by Cameron Todd Willingham, his wife and
their three daughters. The fire killed the girls; Mrs Willingham was
at the Salvation Army store shopping for Christmas gifts. Mr
Willingham survived. The next year he was convicted of setting the
fire. He was sentenced to death and executed in 2004.
His
conviction rested on arson investigators’ findings and the
testimony of Johnny Webb, a jailhouse informant who claimed that
Willingham had confessed to him. Shortly before the execution,
Willingham’s lawyers sent the governor and parole board a report
from Gerald Hurst, another arson investigator, detailing multiple
flaws in the first investigation. He concluded that the fire was
caused by a space heater or faulty electrical wiring. Officials
appear to have received this report before Willingham’s execution,
but did nothing with it. Several independent arson investigators
reached similar conclusions.
Willingham
insisted on his innocence, refusing to plead guilty even to avoid
execution. Mr Webb testified that, as he was passing Willingham’s
cell, he heard him confess to having done the deed to cover up child
abuse committed by his wife. But no bruises or signs of abuse were
found on the children’s bodies.
Mr
Webb recanted his testimony in 2000. He then recanted his
recantation, but admitted to a journalist that “It’s very
possible I misunderstood what [Willingham] said.” Mr Webb also
testified that he was promised no benefit in exchange for his
testimony. In February, however, lawyers working to get Willingham a
posthumous pardon revealed a note discovered in Mr Webb’s file with
the Navarro County prosecutor promising a reduced charge “based on
cooperation in Willingham”. On April 3rd Texas denied Willingham
a pardon. His lawyers can reapply in April 2016.
Paul Hunter
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