GRAPEVINE, TEXAS -
Governor Rick Perry said despite a lawsuit filed by The Houston Chronicle, he has no plans to release the clemency report related to the execution of Todd Willingham. Perry said during a campaign stop in Grapevine, that his decision is based on "the rule of law" and that the report is a privileged document.
Willingham was put to death five years ago for setting his house on fire with his three children inside. Perry's office received a fax just 88 minutes before Willingham's execution that stated investigators made errors during the arson investigation. The Governor won't confirm he read the report and analyzed it before Willingham's execution was carried out.
The case has been a big distraction for Perry who is in the midst of a reelection campaign. Last weekend thousands of protestors gathered in Austin calling for a moratorium on capitol punishment. "I'm hoping that more people will become aware of the problems, even if just one innocent person is executed thats one to many," said Elizabeth Gilbert who was friends with Willingham.
Governor Perry maintains Willingham was guilty - the case went to 11 federal courts and was upheld four times in front of the Supreme Court. "The record is there, it is clear Mr. Willingham was guilty of the crime he was convicted of and in the state of Texas we still stand behind the death penalty for people who kill their children," said Perry.
The governor said the document he's being sued to over contains nothing that's not in the public record already. His refusal to release it however continues to draw scepticism about its contents while fueling the debate over capitol punishment in Texas.
Willingham was put to death five years ago for setting his house on fire with his three children inside. Perry's office received a fax just 88 minutes before Willingham's execution that stated investigators made errors during the arson investigation. The Governor won't confirm he read the report and analyzed it before Willingham's execution was carried out.
The case has been a big distraction for Perry who is in the midst of a reelection campaign. Last weekend thousands of protestors gathered in Austin calling for a moratorium on capitol punishment. "I'm hoping that more people will become aware of the problems, even if just one innocent person is executed thats one to many," said Elizabeth Gilbert who was friends with Willingham.
Governor Perry maintains Willingham was guilty - the case went to 11 federal courts and was upheld four times in front of the Supreme Court. "The record is there, it is clear Mr. Willingham was guilty of the crime he was convicted of and in the state of Texas we still stand behind the death penalty for people who kill their children," said Perry.
The governor said the document he's being sued to over contains nothing that's not in the public record already. His refusal to release it however continues to draw scepticism about its contents while fueling the debate over capitol punishment in Texas.
