Hello.... glad to be here

[Barbara Weaver]

Hi everyone, and thank you Tracy for letting me know about this board.
I'll try to keep this intro short, because my ending up here is actually a long story.
I used to be in favor of the death penalty. Looking back, I knew very little about the justice system. I figured if somebody was a cold blooded murderer, then why should they die too. These were my thoughts in comfy suburbia.
Then two years ago I started to follow the Scott Peterson case. I could write 100 pages, but I'll just say I believe that he is 100% innocent and now he sits on DR.
Scott's case led me to other wrongful convictions, and more, and more..... my God they are everywhere! I became more and more disturbed.
I no longer support the death penalty because I believe our justice system here in the US to far to corrupt to have the DP.


Glad to be here!

[ex member]

Hi Barbara,

It's very nice to meet you. I was somewhat like you, only I didn't believe in the death penalty prior to last year, I just didn't give it a thought, I didn't know we were executing people. I didn't read the papers or follow the news. That is until tragedy struck my family and my beautiful 16 year old cousin Amanda was murdered in March of 2004. That changed my life! I cannot support a system that continues with senseless killings. I now strongly oppose the death penalty.

And the kicker here is.... I am now in a relationship with a wonderful man on texas death row.

God works miracles. I'm living them every day!

Welcome to the board!!

Pam
Long Island NY but Texas bound in 4 days!!

[jj]

Hey Barbara!! Wow, what a way to get invovled with the DP by following Peterson's trial. yes, there are those on death row that are innocent.

There is no one that could ever convince me that Kia Johnson was ever guilty and I am hoping to one day bring out awareness of the injustice in his trial. He was executed June 11, 2003

We all will have to fight to bring the end to the DP

Welcome
Joy

[Maggie]

Thanks to both of you and I'm sorry for both your losses.

Pam... I saw some of your posts..... you have been through an incredible journey it seems to me... I admire your honesty and the way you have taken a stand for your loved one on DR..... you are right that you have a unique perspective..... thank you so much for sharing.

Thanks again to both of you...... I look forward to the discussion on this board.

[Maggie]

Joy.... one more thing... can you tell me what happened in the case of Kia Johnson.... I'm sorry I am not familiar.

Although... I'm learning this type of travesty is NOT a freak or isolated event....

[jj]

BarbaraWeaver said:

Joy.... one more thing... can you tell me what happened in the case of Kia Johnson.... I'm sorry I am not familiar.

Although... I'm learning this type of travesty is NOT a freak or isolated event....

The murder the Kia was executed for was a robbery of a convenience store.

The robbery was caught on tape. The DA sent this tape and a picture of Kia to the FBI to see if they could get a match on the picture. The FBI sent back the results and said the man on the tape was not Kia.

Also on the tape, it shows the man touching the counter. They lifted the finger prints and compared them to Kia's. They did not match.

These two pieces of evidence were not revealed to the Defense until LONG after the trial when the evidence could no longer be introduced. Kia was convicted on eye wittness testimony of two people. A girl that said she was with him right befor the robbery and a friend who hadn't seen Kia in 15 years. Both were up on charges of a different kind at the time they were asked to testify.

Also, he was convicted on a bloody footprint on a cash register tape that they said match the print of a shoe that Kia had.

And this, is what he was executed on.

[Maggie]

Joy,

That is horrible. Was an investigation ever done based on what the FBI concluded about the tape and the fingerprint???

Does Kia have family? I wonder if they can file a wrongful death suit against the State?

[jj]

because of the Texas rules and statues, it cannot be brought up. You see, once an inmate is executed, his case is closed and it's illegal to open it up so how are we to prove anything? It's so frustrating!