Forensic Panel Must Resist Panel’s Efforts at Sabotage New Report Shows that Cameron Todd Willingham, Executed in Texas in 2004, Was Innocent, 5/2/06: Forensic Panel must Resist Chair’s Efforts at Sabotage (9/17/10), Associated Press: Final Texas Forensic Science Commission report on Willingham / Willis cases, • In 2011, the state's highest court made it clear that post-conviction DNA testing was intended to allow convicted people, like Mr. Alley, to prove their innocence and, if possible, find the person who committed the crime through a database "hit." (9/17/10), KERA Public TV and Radio for North Texas: I was filling for a divorce after Christmas so todd believed in his sick mind that if he took the girls from me that I wouldn't leave him. Read more about the TFSC and download key documents relating to the panel here (9/17/10), Dallas Morning News Blog: (09/09/10), Corsicana Daily Sun: Innocence Project Submits Two Arson Cases to Texas Commission and Requests System-Wide Review, September 2011 Rick Perry’s Role Deserves Scrutiny Prosecutors had successfully argued that Willingham had set the blaze intentionally to cover up child abuse. Editorial: Forensics Panel Should Hear Experts (9/17/10), Associated Press: Eugenia Willingham was the stepmother of Cameron Todd Willingham. Dousing a Troublesome Arson Probe On February 17, 2004, the State of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for triple homicide, specifically regarding a 1991 fire that killed his three daughters. On this day in 1991 four members of the Willingham family were inside the home: a two-year-old named Amber, two one-year-old twins named Karmon and Kameron and the girls father, Cameron Todd Willingham. "An independent review that claims the arson investigation that led to the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham was flawed will be presented to a state panel Oct. 2 in Dallas. (10/15/10), The Wall Street Journal law blog: Photo courtesy of the Todd Willingham family. Thank you for visiting us. (7/26/10), Austin American-Statesman: Patricia Willingham Cox was his cousin. Shame on the people that outright lied. (9/14/10), Associated Press: Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Days before the expert was set to testify, however, Gov. responded Commission: No negligence or misconduct by investigators in fatal fire (08/20/10), Austin Chronicle: Appellate Court Orders Halt to Willingham Inquiry Court blocks ruling in death-penalty inquiry – (9/8/11), Huffington Post: (9/17/10), Austin American-Statesman: At the 7th Annual March in 2006, the family of Todd Willingham attended and delivered a letter to Governor Perry that said in part: “We are the family of Cameron Todd Willingham. Looks Like Forensics Chair Bradley Will Lose Battle According to Brandi, he refused, and went to move his […] The views expressed in this article are the author's own.​​​​​, You have 4 free articles remaining this month, Sign-up to our daily newsletter for more articles like this + access to 5 extra articles. An investigative report in the September 7, 2009, issue of the New Yorker Final Texas Forensic Science Commission report on Willingham / Willis cases He was convicted based on the testimony of forensic experts who said they had determined that the fire was intentionally set and a jailhouse informant who said Willingham had confessed to him. DEATH BY FIRE 2 The story of Cameron Todd Willingham is one of a man who lost his three children in a fire. Cameron Todd Willingham's Family Seeks Posthumous Pardon For 'Wrongfully Executed' Texas Man By Michael McLaughlin FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Texas Dept. Sedley Alley was convicted of the 1985 rape and murder of Marine Lance Corporal Suzanne Marie Collins. a report from Gerald Hurst The family of Cameron "Todd" Willingham, unjustly executed in 2004, urge to test DNA in Sedley Alley's case—which was never done before Alley was executed in 2006. (9/8/11), Texas Tribune: The courts should agree to DNA testing, as well. (08/26/10), Austin American-Statesman: (9/2/11), August 2011 .). Our names are Eugenia Willingham, Trina Willingham Quinton and Joshua Easley. State Forensic Hearing on Cameron Todd Willingham Arson Case Goes Behind Closed Doors Texas Forensic Science Commission — History and Key Documents, • Advocates Urge Panel to Continue Willingham Probe 42366233, citing Rollins Cemetery, Simpson, Marshall County, Oklahoma, USA ; Maintained by HJ (contributor 46937296) . Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: • CORSICANA, Tex. (05/26/11), April 2011 (9/6/10), Houston Chronicle: And on October 15, the Texas Forensic Science Commission discussed the case in depth at its regular meeting. There is strong evidence that many people who have been executed or died while on death row were innocent, including Ruben Cantu, Carlos DeLuna, Claude Jones, Frank Lee Smith, and others. Months after Willingham was executed, The meeting adjourned without action on Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas in 2004 for allegedly setting a fire that killed his three young daughters 13 years earlier. (01/07/11), October 2010 (08/14/11), Dallas Morning News Editorial: (7/22/11), KXAN: Cameron Todd Willingham Pursuing posthumous pardon of arson and murder charges In 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for allegedly setting fire to his family home that killed his three young daughters. that the “the reasoning of the opinion is wrong and contrary to the clear intention of the legislature when it formed the Commission.”. The opinion prohibits the commission from investigating “specific items of evidence that were tested or offered into evidence prior to” September 1, 2005. Gerald Hurst Report on Willingham Arson Investigation, 2004: (10/18/10), The Dallas Morning News: Texas Reopens Case of Man Executed For Arson, Murder Fire Marshal Backs Arson Finding April Alley is trying to do the same for her dad. John Lentini presentation at Court of Inquiry hearing, 2010: The court system fails all the time. The Innocence Project assembled five of the nation’s leading independent arson experts to review the evidence in the case, and this prestigious group issued the draft addendum ( Forensic Science Commission Takes Up Willingham for more key documents. Forensic Revolt Again Is In Order (09/12/10), Austin American-Statesman: (01/09/11), Austin American Statesman: (1/21/11) Family’s Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions Resources in the case are below, along with background on the role of unvalidated forensics in wrongful convictions. Texas Forensic Panel Delays Final Decision in Willingham Arson Case . issued an opinion Just because you’re poor and made other mistakes in your life does not mean you are a murderer. Texas Tribune: Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an occasion established by the United Nations, to celebrate the achievements ... How much of what we see on TV crime labs is true? Texas Forensic Panel Adopts Arson Recommendations The Conservative Case for a $15 Minimum Wage, Democrats Are Wrong: A $15 Minimum Wage Will Hurt the Marginalized, A Gay Man is on Death Row Because of Homophobic Jurors, When a Lawyer Puts Getting Paid Ahead of Client's Life. State panel declines to clear investigators in Willingham case Science Defeats DA 8-0 (10/14/10), Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Cameron Todd Willingham Execution — Just before Mr. Alley's execution in 2006, at the request of the Innocence Project, the Tennessee Board of Parole recommended that Governor Phil Bredesen order DNA testing that could exclude Mr. Alley and potentially identify the person who committed this awful crime. – 2004, Documents Obtained from Texas via Open Records Act that raised questions about the forensic analysis. The family of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004, asked for a rare and controversial hearing to investigate whether Mr. Willingham was wrongfully convicted of … Associated Press: Incredibly, the Tennessee Supreme Court decided five years after Mr. Alley's execution that the decision to deny testing was wrong. Visit our Texas Forensic Science Commission page The 16,000-word article by David Grann shows that all of the evidence used against Willingham was invalid, including the forensic analysis, the informant’s testimony, other witness testimony and additional circumstantial evidence. Texas Panel Unwilling to End inquiry in arson case the Chicago Tribune published an investigative report Perry ‘Squashed’ Texas Execution Probe, Ex-Official Says The Texas Forensic Science Commission will hold its next quarterly meeting at 9:30 a.m. … Court of Inquiry Petition by Eugenia Willingham and Patricia Willingham Cox, 2009: He was executed in 2004. His conviction rested on junk science and a jailhouse informant. (9/8/11), Texas Tribune: Thirteen years later, in the days leading up to Willingham’s execution, his attorneys sent the governor and the Board of Pardon and Parole Since 1973, 165 innocent people have been exonerated and freed from death row. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. (9/9/11) Fire Marshals Stand by Original Arson Report White speaking to reporters after he delivered the summation of the case on behalf of Todd Willingham’s family at the Court of Inquiry on October 12, 2010. (7/20/10), Houston Chronicle: Cameron Todd Willingham in 2004 just before his execution. In July 2011, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott The amount of times I have seen films potraying the justice system Appal’s me the justice system is not fit for purpose.Only if you have money and enough of it to defend yourself…the poor do not have that privilege of justice. In 2009, an arson expert hired by the commission issued a report finding that experts who testified at Willingham’s trial should have known it was wrong at the time. See why nearly a quarter of a million subscribers begin their day with the Starting 5. (08/03/11), Houston Chronicle: The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. At the 7th Annual March in 2006, the family of Todd Willingham attended and delivered a letter to Governor Perry that said in part: “We are the family of Cameron Todd Willingham. (04/15/11), Dallas Morning News: — More than a decade after Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the arson murder of his three young daughters, new evidence has emerged that indicates that a … (9/16/10), Houston Chronicle: New Leader for Inquiry Into Forensic Evidence In Mr. Alley's case, the Governor of Tennessee should order DNA testing pursuant to his power to grant posthumous pardons. Innocence Project Co-Director Barry Scheck Texas state board says arson investigators used flawed science Sam Bassett, the Texas Tribune Interview (Video) April watched her father's execution. Let’s Have a Cheer for Small Victories Fire experts have said there was no … Todd was only 36 when Texas took his life by lethal injection and shattered the Willingham family forever. (7/26/10), Houston Chronicle: Supporting Forensic Reform to Improve the Accuracy of the Criminal Justice System, Understand the Causes: Advertisement. Cameron Todd Willingham was sentenced to death in 1992 after being convicted of murder based on arson analysis, that was later discredited, and testimony from a jailhouse informant. Innocence Project Filing to Texas Forensic Science Commission, 2004: Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 - February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted and executed for the murder of his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991. © 2021 Innocence Project. (7/26/10), Houston Chronicle: Shame on the fire investigators! Forensic Panel Off Willingham Case, Attorney General Says Ernest Willis was exonerated Everybody’s too ashamed to admit they made a mistake but to make a mistake over a person’s life is inexcusable. Willingham’s case gained renewed attention in 2009 when an investigative report by David Grann in The New Yorker, drawing upon arson investigation experts … (9/17/10), Dallas Morning News: His last words were: "I love you, April. Along with the Willingham case, the Innocence Project submitted information about another arson case in Texas where identical evidence was used to send another man to death row. I just watched a movie and started reading about Cameron’s case. Standing in the way of a pardon for a Texas man that his family considers was wrongly convicted and executed is his ex-wife. At Willingham’s 1992 trial, prosecutors claimed he intentionally set fire to his home in order to kill his own children. , a nationally recognized arson expert, saying that Willingham’s conviction was based on erroneous forensic analysis. (7/22/10), Houston Chronicle Op-Ed by Barry Scheck and Patricia Cox: In 2008, the Texas Forensic Science Commission agreed to investigate the case. Bradley loses, Forensics Panel Will Call Experts The courts refused Mr. Alley's request. Lawmakers Criticize Panel’s Arson Investigation The film, based on the 2009 New Yorker article also title Trial By Fire, chronicles events around late Texas native Cameron Todd Willingham. Todd was an innocent person executed by Texas on February 17, 2004. addendum Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted of murdering his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991.He was executed in 2004.. Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. In the days before Todd's execution in February 2004, a nationally recognized arson expert, Dr. Gerald Hurst, submitted a detailed report to Governor Rick Perry and Texas courts showing that the arson evidence was false. We are members of a club that should never have any members. (9/16/10), Associated Press: Forensic Panel Should Be Aggressive, Despite AG Opinion Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Cameron Todd Willingham (9 Jan 1968–17 Feb 2004), Find a Grave Memorial no. Arson Experts Testify Investigation Violated Standards We are the family of a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and executed despite clear and convincing evidence of his innocence. Texas Tribune: April Alley, as the executor of her father's estate, has now petitioned the court in Memphis for the DNA testing that should have been done before her father's execution. (10/15/10), Texas Observer: The family of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was found guilty of the arson death of his three daughters and executed despite evidence suggesting he was innocent, has petitioned for a posthumous pardon. 400 People from 120 Texas Towns – Including 15 Exonerated with DNA Testing – Urge State Panel to Continue Willingham Probe, 8/31/09: Cameron Todd Willingham and family. (9/10/11) The followed investigation provided evidence that proved that Cameron Todd Willingham was guilty of setting his children on fire. Associated Press: Finding Ways to Reduce Wrongful Convictions The panel’s review was interrupted several times over the last two years, however, and continues today. Our names are Eugenia Willingham, Trina Willingham Quinton and Joshua Easley. Ask our forensic science expert on Innocence Project's Instagram. Cameron Todd Willingham Appeals Conviction in Texas On a chilly December day in 1991, a home in Corsicana, Texas caught fire. He had had a reputation of abusing his wife severely, and quite often, he had a criminal record and drug use problem from a young age of ten years. Injustice, Texas Style On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the Corsicana, Texas, home Cameron Todd Willingham shared with his wife and three daughters, killing the three girls. in the Willingham / Willis cases. . At Willingham Hearing, Science Finally Takes Center Stage Willingham, who was asleep when the fire started, survived. The death penalty should be obsolete as absolutely no one can be 100% sure of a person’s guilt except for God and that person. Houston Chonicle Op-Ed by Barry Scheck: Houston Chronicle, Column by Rick Casey: In September 2011, the TFSC met to consider an addendum to its final report on the Willingham and Willis cases. (10/14/10), Newsweek: Myths and Facts About the Willingham Case. (9/17/10), Associated Press: and freed from prison because the forensic evidence was not valid. Download the full trial transcripts here Forensic Panel Calls for Review of Past Arson Cases in response to questions from the commission about jurisdiction and authority. September 2009 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on improving forensic science Man Executed on Disproved Forensics Willingham said he was asleep in the home when the fire started and always maintained his innocence. (referencing Willingham’s case). In that case, Panel Unwilling To End Arson Inquiry & Midday Roundup A movie about the Willingham case, "Trial by Fire," opens in theaters nationwide on May 17th.

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