"A PANEL OF EXPERTS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DISCUSS THE CASE OF CAMERON TODD WILLINGHAM, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS IN 2004. WILLINGHAM WAS CONVICTED IN 1992 OF MURDERING HIS THREE YOUNG DAUGHTERS IN A HOUSE FIRE THAT THE STATE DETERMINED WAS ARSON. A REPORT ISSUED BY (CRAIG) BEYLER (WHO WILL BE ON THE PANEL) IN 2009 CLAIMED THAT IN CONVICTING WILLINGHAM, THE STATE USED TECHNIQUES AND ASSUMPTIONS THAT WERE NO LONGER RECOGNIZED AS SCIENTIFICALLY VALID AND THAT THE ORIGINAL FINDING OF ARSON COULD NOT BE SUSTAINED. THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE GEORGETOWN LAW INNOCENCE PROJECT."
GEORGETOWN LAW INNOCENCE PROJECT;
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BACKGROUND: (Wikipedia); Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004), born in Carter County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to death by the state of Texas for murdering his three daughters—two year old Amber Louise Kuykendall, and one year old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham— by setting his house on fire. The fire occurred on December 23, 1991 in Corsicana, Texas. Lighter fluid was kept on the front porch of Willingham’s house as evidenced by a melted container found there. Some of this fluid may have entered the front doorway of the house carried along by fire hose water. It was alleged this fluid was deliberately poured to start the fire and that Willingham chose this entrance way so as to impede rescue attempts. The prosecution also used other arson theories that have since been brought into question. In addition to the arson evidence, a jailhouse informant claimed Willingham confessed that he set the fire to hide his wife's physical abuse of the girls, although the girls showed no other injuries besides those caused by the fire. Neighbors also testified that Willingham did not try hard enough to save his children. They allege he "crouched down" in his front yard and watched the house burn for a period of time without attempting to enter the home or go to neighbors for help or request they call firefighters. He claimed that he tried to go back into the house but it was "too hot". As firefighters arrived, however, he rushed towards the garage and pushed his car away from the burning building, requesting firefighters do the same rather than put out the fire. After the fire, Willingham showed no emotion at the death of his children and spent the next day sorting through the debris, laughing and playing music. He expressed anger after finding his dartboard burned in the fire. Firefighters and other witnesses found him suspicious of how he reacted during and after the fire. Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. During his trial in August 1992, he was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea, which he turned down insisting he was innocent. After his conviction, he and his wife divorced. She later stated that she believed that Willingham was guilty. Prosecutors alleged this was part of a pattern of behavior intended to rid himself of his children. Willingham had a history of committing crimes, including burglary, grand larceny and car theft. There was also an incident when he beat his pregnant wife over the stomach with a telephone to induce a miscarriage. When asked if he had a final statement, Willingham said: "Yeah. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man - convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. I gotta go, road dog. I love you Gabby." However, his final words were directed at his ex-wife, Stacy Willingham. He turned to her and said "I hope you rot in hell, bitch" several times while attempting to extend his middle finger in an obscene gesture. His ex-wife did not show any reaction to this. He was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. Subsequent to that date, persistent questions have been raised as to the accuracy of the forensic evidence used in the conviction, specifically, whether it can be proven that an accelerant (such as the lighter fluid mentioned above) was used to start the fatal fire. Fire investigator Gerald L. Hurst reviewed the case documents including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene. Hurst said, "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. It was just a fire." Two days before the Forensic Science Commission was to question Beyler in a public forum, the governor replaced its chairman and two other members whose terms were up. That forced the commission to delay the hearing so new members could read up on the case, and no new date has been set. Perry has since replaced a third member of the commission.
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: In my books Radley Balko, who will be moderating the panel, is one of the finest commentators on America's criminal justice system. The panel is especially significant as it will be held shortly before Hank Skinner is scheduled to be executed. Hank Skinner is a possibly innocent man whose many requests over the years for DNA testing of key exhibits which he says will prove his innocence have been rebuffed by the State of Texas and its Courts.
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BASIC DETAILS: BAD SCIENCE: THE EXECUTION OF CAMERON TODD WILLINGHAM AND THE CASE FOR FORENSIC REFORM:
WHO:
Craig Beyler, Fire Scientist hired by Texas Forensic Science Commission to review Willingham case
John Lentini, Owner, Scientific Fire Analysis, LLC and Author, Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigation
Juan Hinojosa, Texas State Senator
Stephen Saloom, National Policy Director, The Innocence Project
MODERATOR:
Radley Balko, Senior Editor, Reason Magazine
WHEN:
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Georgetown University Law Center
McDonough Hall - Hart Auditorium
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
NOTE:
A panel of experts in forensic science and criminal justice discuss the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed by the state of Texas in 2004. Willingham was convicted in 1992 of murdering his three young daughters in a house fire that the state determined was arson.
A report issued by Beyler in 2009 claimed that in convicting Willingham, the state used techniques and assumptions that were no longer recognized as scientifically valid and that the original finding of arson could not be sustained.
This event is sponsored by the Georgetown Law Innocence Project."
A Webcast will be available at:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/webcast/
The unedited news release can be found at:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/releases/march.23.2010.html
Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;
