"When Willingham is cleared, it will be the first time an official in the nation's most active death penalty state, Texas, has formally declared that someone was wrongfully executed.
Cameron Todd Willingham deserves justice. Rick Perry's mistake in allowing the execution of an innocent man is only compounded by his attempt at cover-up. Perry is proof the system is imperfect and fallible.
The criminal justice system cannot be trusted with life and death. As Governor, Perry was responsible to prevent the execution of an innocent man. Perry failed, and justice suffered."
COLUMNIST MICHAEL STONE; PORTLAND PROGRESSIVE EXAMINER;
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BACKGROUND OF REVIEW: District Judge Charlie Baird agreed to hold the unprecedented two-day hearing to consider evidence on whether Cameron Todd Willingham was actually innocent of and executed for a crime that never occurred. Willingham was executed in 2004 in connection with a fire in his home in Corsicana that claimed the lives of his three young children. State officials – including the State Fire Marshal's Office – concluded that the 1991 fire had been deliberately set by Willingham; Willingham maintained his innocence, including in his last words before death...Baird, who will retire at the end of the year, will consider testimony and evidence in the case on Oct. 6 and 7. Baird last year presided over the state's first posthumous hearing in the case of Tim Cole.
BACKGROUND OF WILLINGHAM CASE: (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 were 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. Legendary "Innocence" lawyer Barry Scheck asked participants at a conference of the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers held in Toronto in August, 2010, how Willingham, who had lost his family to the fire, must have felt to hear the horrific allegations made against him on the basis of the bogus evidence, "and nobody pays any attention to it as he gets executed." "It's the Dreyfus Affair, and you all know what that is," Scheck continued. "It's the Dreyfus AffaIr of the United States. Luke Power's music video "Texas Death Row Blues," can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2010/09/cameron-todd-willingham-texas-death-row_02.html
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"A Texas judge began a hearing Thursday to determine whether Cameron Todd Willingham was an innocent victim of capital punishment. Willingham, convicted of arson, was put to death in 2004 for killing his three children," the Portland Progressive Examiner column by Michael Stone published on Octoeber 15, 2010 under the heading, "Cameron Todd Willingham: Rick Perry's capital punishment cover-up exposed, begins.
"In 2004 Texas Governor Rick Perry allowed Willingham's execution to go forth despite a mountain of evidence indicating Willingham's lack of guilt. Since then Perry has been engaged in a campaign to cover-up the facts surrounding the case and subsequent execution, as well as silence those looking for the truth," the column continues.
"Prior to 2004, evidence used against Willingham was proven to be "junk science," yet Perry ignored the truth and permitted the execution of an innocent man.
Experts now agree, as they did in 2004, that the fire was not arson, but an accident, probably caused by faulty wiring. Perry was aware of the overwhelming and compelling forensic evidence clearing Willingham of arson, yet chose to ignore it.
Now, desperate to halt the hearing and avoid public humiliation and rebuke, Perry's proxy, Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson, whose office convicted Willingham in 1992, managed to get a last minute temporary stay from a state appeals court.
However, the appeals court order came at the end of an afternoon of testimony in which two fire experts testified the blaze that killed Willingham's three daughters was an accident, not arson.
The stay is only temporary, and legal experts seem certain the hearing will continue, and Willingham will be cleared.
When Willingham is cleared, it will be the first time an official in the nation's most active death penalty state, Texas, has formally declared that someone was wrongfully executed.
Cameron Todd Willingham deserves justice. Rick Perry's mistake in allowing the execution of an innocent man is only compounded by his attempt at cover-up. Perry is proof the system is imperfect and fallible.
The criminal justice system cannot be trusted with life and death. As Governor, Perry was responsible to prevent the execution of an innocent man. Perry failed, and justice suffered.
Capital punishment is legal in Oregon. The last two individuals to be executed by the state of Oregon were Harry Charles Moore and Douglas Franklin Wright, both executed in the mid 90's."
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The story can be found at:
http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-portland/cameron-todd-willingham-rick-perry-s-capital-punishment-cover-up-exposed
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be accessed at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
For a breakdown of some of the cases, issues and controversies this Blog is currently following, please turn to:
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=120008354894645705&postID=8369513443994476774
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/09/alter-rick-perry-texas-and-the-death-penalty.html#
