Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Report: Inmate wrongly executed
Chicago Tribune ^ | 5/3/6 | Maurice Possley

Posted on 05/03/2006 8:33:25 AM PDT by Crackingham

Four of the nation's top arson experts have concluded that the state of Texas executed a man in 2004 based on scientifically invalid evidence, and on Tuesday they called for an official reinvestigation of the case. In their report, the experts, assembled by the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization responsible for scores of exonerations, concluded that the conviction and 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham for the arson-murders of his three daughters were based on interpretations by fire investigators that have been scientifically disproved.

"The whole system has broken down," Barry Scheck, co-founder and director of the Innocence Project, said at a news conference at the state Capitol in Austin. "It's time to find out whether Texas has executed an innocent man."

The experts were asked to perform an independent review of the evidence after an investigation by the Tribune that showed Willingham had been found guilty on arson theories that have been repudiated by scientific advances. In fact, many of the theories were simply lore that had been handed down by generations of arson investigators who relied on what they were told.

The report's conclusions match the findings of the Tribune, published in December 2004. The newspaper began investigating the Willingham case following an October 2004 series, "Forensics Under the Microscope," which examined the use of forensics in the courtroom, including the continued use of disproved arson theories to obtain convictions.

In strong language harshly critical of the investigation of the 1991 fire in Corsicana, southeast of Dallas, the report said evidence examined in the Willingham case and "relied upon by fire investigators" was the type of evidence "routinely created by accidental fires."

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: capitalpunishment; deathpenalty; execution; hebeatroll; innocenceproject; lies; texas; zot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 301-311 next last

1 posted on 05/03/2006 8:33:28 AM PDT by Crackingham
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

Oh yeah? What do you think about the article you just posted?


2 posted on 05/03/2006 8:34:55 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
Barry Scheck

'Nuff said.

3 posted on 05/03/2006 8:35:52 AM PDT by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
Opps... Can Government get ANYTHING right?
4 posted on 05/03/2006 8:36:34 AM PDT by Mikey_1962 (If you build it, they won't come...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

Crackingham. Willingham. Are you guys related?


5 posted on 05/03/2006 8:36:42 AM PDT by Hegemony Cricket (Rage is the fuel that powers the islamic machine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

I remember this case. The guy was a piece of scum and there was little doubt he was guilty. The world is better off without him.


6 posted on 05/03/2006 8:37:18 AM PDT by COEXERJ145 (Real Leaders Base Their Decisions on Their Convictions. Wannabes Base Decisions on the Latest Poll.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
Innocence Project

I see their namesake television show got cancelled.

7 posted on 05/03/2006 8:37:39 AM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (More people died in Ted Kennedy's car than hunting with Dick Cheney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hegemony Cricket
Crackingham. Willingham. Are you guys related?

They were, but at least one of them is now dead!

8 posted on 05/03/2006 8:38:15 AM PDT by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

Since this guy is already dead... I guess they should've started this investigation a little earlier than they did.

In the words of the immortal Homer.... Doh!!!!


9 posted on 05/03/2006 8:39:21 AM PDT by jerod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

"Crazed glass" was but one of the indicators of arson. This was not the only piece of evidence in this case, was it?


10 posted on 05/03/2006 8:39:47 AM PDT by AbeKrieger (I miss President Reagan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

The article is remarkably lacking in details.


11 posted on 05/03/2006 8:39:47 AM PDT by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
...the experts, assembled by the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization responsible for scores of exonerations

So, not an objective panel, then.

"The whole system has broken down," Barry Scheck, co-founder and director of the Innocence Project

Barry Sheck? Jeez. Helped OJ find the real killers yet, Barry?

12 posted on 05/03/2006 8:40:22 AM PDT by Sloth (Archaeologists test for intelligent design all the time.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

At some point it's going to happen; it'll be proved that a man was executed on the basis of testimony or evidence that will be found to have been false. It may even happen that it will be proved that an innocent man was executed. And that's when there will be a serious push in America to abolish the death penalty.


13 posted on 05/03/2006 8:40:53 AM PDT by RonF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham

Great lesson about intuition(faith?) versus science and the potentially deadly consequences.


14 posted on 05/03/2006 8:41:04 AM PDT by mc6809e
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COEXERJ145
The guy was a piece of scum and there was little doubt he was guilty. The world is better off without him.

So, is this article just leftist propaganda? I am a strong proponent of the death penalty but when the 'left' can find a case where we wrongly gave such a penalty, we would have a hard time to enforce it going forward.

Last thing the death penalty needs is a wrongful conviction proven 'after the fact'. World may be better off with a lot of 'pieces of scum' but the key question was there 'litle doubt he was guilty!'

15 posted on 05/03/2006 8:42:07 AM PDT by AgThorn (Bush is my president, but he needs to protect our borders. FIRST, before any talk of "Amnesty.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: RonF

Doubt it........


16 posted on 05/03/2006 8:42:09 AM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (More people died in Ted Kennedy's car than hunting with Dick Cheney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
Basically, after paragraphs of bluster, we get down to brass tacks: one piece of evidence, out of many other pieces, was interpreted by an arson expert at the trial differently from the way other arson experts paid by Barry Scheck interpret it.

That hardly exonerates Willingham.

17 posted on 05/03/2006 8:42:18 AM PDT by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
...was the type of evidence "routinely created by accidental fires."

That does not prove anything.
18 posted on 05/03/2006 8:42:49 AM PDT by TalonDJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crackingham
"There is no crime other than homicide by arson for which a person can be sent to Death Row based on the unsupported opinion of someone who received all of his training `on the job,'" the report states.

No problem with science improving forensics in this area. However "the prisoners are the victims" groups will use it as yet another excuse in their attempt to ban the death penalty where it is most assuredly warranted: Premeditated first degree murder.

19 posted on 05/03/2006 8:43:22 AM PDT by CedarDave (Gen. McCaffrey: "There is a rapidly growing animosity" among U.S. troops in Iraq toward the press...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mikey_1962
Can Government get ANYTHING right?

Not many things. That is why, as a conservative, I can't support the death penalty.

This guys may very well have been guilty, though.

20 posted on 05/03/2006 8:44:02 AM PDT by TankerKC (¿José puede usted ver?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 301-311 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson