Doubts from Death Row
March 10, 2015 10:13 AM Subscribe
The case of Cameron Todd Willingham, executed in 2004 for the arson murder of his daughters, is among those that have come closest to proving for the first time in the modern era of capital punishment that an innocent person has been put to death in the United States.
The case against Willingham is apparently even weaker than previously thought (and it was previously thought pretty weak, especially after a scientific expert discredited the forensic evidence purporting to prove that Willingham set the fire): the evidence now shows that a Texas prosecutor cut a shady deal with a jailhouse informant in order to secure a conviction.
In 2014, the informant, Johnny Webb, gave a detailed account of how he lied on the witness stand in return for efforts by the former prosecutor, John H. Jackson, to reduce Webb’s prison sentence for robbery and get him paroled early. Had Webb's favorable treatment been revealed before the execution, Willingham might have had grounds to seek a new trial.
In 2009, the New Yorker ran a well-reported and infuriating piece on the case. According to reporter David Grann, Dr. Gerald Hurst, an acclaimed scientist and fire investigator, reviewed Willingham’s case and concluded that not a single item of physical evidence supported a finding of arson. Although Hurst sent an extensive report to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Board failed to review the report, ignoring highly probative scientific evidence and sending Willingham, very likely an innocent man, to his death.
In 2014, the informant, Johnny Webb, gave a detailed account of how he lied on the witness stand in return for efforts by the former prosecutor, John H. Jackson, to reduce Webb’s prison sentence for robbery and get him paroled early. Had Webb's favorable treatment been revealed before the execution, Willingham might have had grounds to seek a new trial.
In 2009, the New Yorker ran a well-reported and infuriating piece on the case. According to reporter David Grann, Dr. Gerald Hurst, an acclaimed scientist and fire investigator, reviewed Willingham’s case and concluded that not a single item of physical evidence supported a finding of arson. Although Hurst sent an extensive report to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Board failed to review the report, ignoring highly probative scientific evidence and sending Willingham, very likely an innocent man, to his death.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, we've seen the Webb info recently and the case itself a couple times before. -- LobsterMitten
The scary part is that this miscarriage of justice was a feature, not a bug when it came time for Rick Perry to win over the Republican primary electorate in 2012. One Republican primary voter said approvingly of Rick Perry in a focus group, "It takes balls to execute an innocent man."
posted by jonp72 at 10:22 AM on March 10, 2015
posted by jonp72 at 10:22 AM on March 10, 2015
Resume Military Reconstruction. NOW.
Or, just outlaw the death penalty.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on March 10, 2015
Or, just outlaw the death penalty.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on March 10, 2015
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posted by ocschwar at 10:20 AM on March 10, 2015