On November 9th, 2011, another inmate in Texas, Henry Skinner, is scheduled to be executed. Skinner was convicted for the 1993 murder of his girlfriend and her two sons, but has maintained that he was too intoxicated at the time to have committed the murders. Skinner received a stay of execution in 2010 by the United States Supreme Court and has petitions at the state and federal level for DNA testing of evidence that was never tested. Perry, who you'd think would at least find "inconvenient" the accusation of executing another innocent man, has said through his spokesperson that this is a matter for the courts.
Just yesterday, a group of former prosecutors and judges called upon Perry's office to authorize the DNA testing stating that there is no justifiable reason for the state not to grant the DNA testing. Their statement:
"We believe that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for certain crimes and we understand that the DNA testing might well show that Mr. Skinner is deserving of that punishment," the authors write. "But we are also steadfast in our belief that when it comes to the ultimate penalty, we must do everything in our power to ensure certainty before taking the irreversible step of carrying out an execution. ... We implore you to take the lead in the search for the truth in this case."
Among those signing the letter were former Gov. Mark White; state Sens. Rodney Ellis and Juan Hinojosa, Democrats from Houston and McAllen, respectively; state Reps. Pete Gallego and Eddie Rodriguez, Democrats from Alpine and Austin; former Harris County assistant district attorneys Wendell Odom Jr., Earl Musick and Joanne Musick; and former Harris County state District Judge Norman Lanford.
Perry asked to grant DNA testing to death row inmate
Among the evidence that they are asking be tested :
are the female victim's fingernail clippings, swabs from a rape kit, two knives, a blood-stained windbreaker and a bloody towel found at the crime scene.
all of which, would clearly provide conclusive DNA. Skin under the finger nails, blood from the windbreaker and towel, bodily fluids from the rape kit. Any one of these could be enough to provide DNA evidence but all of the would certainly prove / disprove Skinner's involvement.
I oppose the death penalty but if it must be carried out, shouldn't the state be sure that they are executing the right person? No doubt that question, if asked at a Republican debate would be a source of laughter. To me it's a source of shame, outrage, and sadness.