Posted on 08/25/2009 4:10:19 PM PDT by Alter Kaker
In Texas, they're conducting the first state-sponsored review of a capital punishment case. Specifically, they're looking into the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted and executed for setting a house fire that killed his three children. An expert on fire science says there was "no basis" to rule the fire an arson, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The state fire marshal on the case, Beyler concluded in his report, had "limited understanding" of fire science. The fire marshal "seems to be wholly without any realistic understanding of fires and how fire injuries are created," he wrote.
The marshal's findings, he added, "are nothing more than a collection of personal beliefs that have nothing to do with science-based fire investigation."
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.kansascity.com ...
12 years in prison and appeals... This looks more like a political anti-death-penalty story.
Bingo! Go to the head of the class!
Of course no mention of who this "expert" is or his credentials or who he is working for. Just another "ban the death penalty" group. If this is the best that they can come up with...
12 people heard all of the evidence in this case. They observed the defendent in the dock and they heard all the witnesses and concluded unanimously that he was guilty.
The fact that some of the forensics in the case might be subject to different interpretations doesn’t mean the Willingham was innocent.
This is just a political attack on capital punishment.
“The Tribune obtained a copy of the review by Craig Beyler, of Hughes Associates Inc., which was conducted for the Texas Forensic Science Commission, created to investigate allegations of forensic error and misconduct. The re-examination of the Willingham case comes as many forensic disciplines face scrutiny for playing a role in wrongful convictions that have been exposed by DNA and other scientific advances.”
I was a firefighter in the 70’s.
The expert cited in the article was hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission when they re-opened this case and is working for the state of Texas.
Neighbors Say Willingham Showed No Remorse:
The testimony at trial demonstrates that Willingham neither showed remorse for his actions nor grieved the loss of his three children. Willingham's neighbors testified that when the fire blew out the windows, Willingham hollered about his car and ran to move it away from the fire to avoid its being damaged. A fire fighter also testified that Willingham was upset that his dart board was burned.
Christmas Eve - The Day After the Fire:
One of Willingham's neighbors testified that the morning following the house fire, Christmas Eve, Willingham and his wife were at the burned house going through the debris while playing music and laughing.
Good riddance.
That's just outright stupid. Yes, the article is an attack on the death penalty. But yes, we are all human and mistakes are made, and the system must always examine itself to make sure it is doing the best possible job. 12 people. Like the OJ jury?
The testimony at trial demonstrates that Willingham neither showed remorse for his actions nor grieved the loss of his three children. Willingham’s neighbors testified that when the fire “blew out” the windows, Willingham “hollered about his car” and ran to move it away from the fire to avoid its being damaged. A fire fighter also testified that Willingham was upset that his dart board was burned. One of Willingham’s neighbors testified that the morning following the house fire, Christmas Eve, Willingham and his wife were at the burned house going through the debris while playing music and laughing.
At the punishment phase of trial, testimony was presented that Willingham has a history of violence. He has been convicted of numerous felonies and misdemeanors, both as an adult and as a juvenile, and attempts at various forms of rehabilitation have proven unsuccessful.
The jury also heard evidence of Willingham’s character. Witnesses testified that Willingham was verbally and physically abusive toward his family, and that at one time he beat his pregnant wife in an effort to cause a miscarriage. A friend of Willingham’s testified that Willingham once bragged about brutally killing a dog. In fact, Willingham openly admitted to a fellow inmate that he purposely started this fire to conceal evidence that the children had been abused.
Dr. James Grigson testified for the state at punishment. According to his testimony, Willingham fits the profile of a sociopath whose conduct becomes more violent over time, and who lacks a conscience. Grigson explained that a person with this degree of sociopathy commonly has no regard for other people’s property or for other human beings. He expressed his opinion that an individual demonstrating this type of behavior can not be rehabilitated in any manner, and that such a person certainly poses a continuing threat to society.
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/willingham899.htm
"Experts" can be hired to say any damn thing. This story would be much more credible if it revealed who paid this "expert" ... how much he was paid ... and where in the hell has he been for the last 12 years. The fire marshal was on the scene ... the "expert" wasn't.
This is despicable. The guy murdered his three children and then exhausted a very generous appeal system. Stinks of a lieberal rat sifting through cold case files looking for some cheese to freshen up his sour career and is not above playing politics with a tragedy.
This makes me sick.
On one hand he appears to be a well respected expert with a ton of expertise.
On the other, he’s a Kerry Democrat.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/craig-beyler.asp?cycle=04
So who knows?
I would hope that he would not color his professional opinion with his personal political views, but it’s been done before.
For now I give him the benefit of the doubt...
No problem with looking at it again. Who is the “expert”?
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