Blog #7

Look up Todd Willingham; do you think he was guilty or innocent, why/why not?

In 1991 a large fire broke out in a small home in Corsicana, Texas and 3 little girls (one was two years of age, and the other two were one year old twins) perished in the blaze. Their father who was watching them at the time was able to get out of the house unharmed. He was eventually arrested, convicted, and executed for the “crime” (Grann). The man’s name was Cameron Todd Willingham, and an incredible amount of controversy surrounds his conviction, his supposed wrongful execution, and the Texas justice system as a whole.

This case is very iffy to me. I can see where doubts about his innocence may have sprung up such as the refrigerator blocking the back door, the question of the whether or not some kind of accelerant was used to set the fire, the abuse allegations, and how he was able to get but of the house with minor injuries but his children were not. And probably the most glaring, there WAS motive. Willingham and his family were living in extreme poverty. He was unemployed and stayed home with three very young children while his wife worked at a bar. I can imagine the strain and the toll it took on his marriage, his manhood, and his sanity (Cummings). That said, I’m wondering if the jury actually listened to the evidence that was presented in the case because there is definitely cause for speculation with some of the prosecutions theories. The most obvious of these being the fire investigation evidence that came to light during (and even after) the trial which should have warranted a new trial at the very least; but was largely ignored. Not to mention unreliable witness testimonies from family members and convicted criminals used as proof his guilt (Chicago tribune). The very definition of reasonable doubt states that “Reasonable doubt is a standard of proof used in criminal trials. When a criminal defendant is put on trial, the prosecutor must prove the defendant's guilt Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.”(legaldictionary).

Do I think Todd Willingham was guilty? I honestly don’t know I think there was way more to the story, but the man did go to his grave proclaiming his innocence. The state was far too quick to execute. I know one certainty, there is something wrong with the Texas justice system, and it needs to be revised ASAP. According to the Innocence Project, “more people have been freed through DNA testing in Texas than in any other state in the country, and these exonerations have revealed deep flaws in the state’s criminal justice system.” Some 85 percent of wrongful convictions in Texas, or 35 of the 41 cases, are due to mistaken eyewitness identifications” (Diamond). There is no amount of monetary compensation you can give to an innocent person who loses their freedom, and spends decades in jail away from their family and friends. The state cannot give them back the wasted years of their life, but what they can do is make sure it never happens again by fixing the problem immediately.  


Works Cited

Cummings, Dennis. “Texas Capital Punishment System Examined as Doubts
Remain in Cameron Todd Willingham Case” findingdulcinea.com .20 Oct.
09 Web. 1 May 2012.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/October/Texas-Capital-Punishment-System-Examined.html#1

Grann, David “Trial by fire”. The New Yorker.com. 7 Sep. 09. Web. 1 May 12
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann#ixzz1tfuujcf5

legaldictionary.com Web. 1 May 2012
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Reasonable+Doubt

Staff Reporter. “Timeline of the Cameron Todd Willingham
Case”.Chicagotribune.com 25 June 2011. Web. 1 May 2012
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-25/news/ct-met-perry-execution-2-20110625_1_fire-investigation-willingham-home-texas-forensic-science-commission

Diamond, Marie. “Despite 41 DNA Exonerations In Texas In Last 9 Years, Perry Says He Never Loses Sleep Over Executing The Innocent”.Thinkprogressjustice.com. 8 Sep. 11 Web. 5 May 12

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/09/08/314493/despite-41-dna-exonerations-in-texas-in-last-9-years-perry-says-he-never-loses-sleep-over-executing-the-innocent/?mobile=nc