Cameron Todd Willingham

Texas Gov. Rick Perry Sticks His Fingers in His Ears

Radley Balko | October 2, 2009

Last August, forensic fire expert Craig Beyler published a report 
commissioned by the Texas Forensic Science Commission on the case of 
Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham was executed in 2004 for setting 
a fire that killed his three daughters. Beyler's report was damning. 
He concluded that there was no evidence Willingham set the fire, or 
even that the fire was intentional. Beyler wrote that the state fire 
investigators who testified against Willingham had "poor 
understandings of fire science," had a ""predisposition to find arson 
in his cases," and their opinions weren't founded in science but 
rather were "nothing more than a collection of personal beliefs."
Beyler was the ninth forensic fire expert to reach the conclusion 
that there was no evidence Willingham set the fire.

Last month, the New Yorker followed up with an in-depth investigation 
by David Grann arguing that Willingham was innocent. A national 
discussion followed over whether Willingham represents the first 
known innocent person executed in the modern era of capital punishment.

The Forensic Science Commission was supposed to meet today to review 
Beyler's report and Willingham's case. But that isn't going to 
happen. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who signed off on Willingham's 
execution, has abruptly replaced three of the commission's members, 
forcing the cancellation of today's meeting. Notably, he replaced the 
head of the commission—defense attorney Sam Bassett—with John 
Bradley, a district attorney. Another member Perry replaced, 
prosecutor Alan Levy, warned Perry's office weeks ago that replacing 
members now could disrupt the Willingham investigation.

Perry says the commission members had reached the end of their terms, 
so their removal was "business as usual." Those familiar with the 
commission say reappointments are common, and Perry's timing is 
suspicious.

Perry also continues to defend Willingham's execution. The Associated 
Press reports that after the Beyler report and New Yorker articles 
came out, Perry referred to the nine forensic arson experts who 
criticized the trial testimony of two local fire chiefs as  "supposed 
experts," adding that he hadn't "seen anything that would cause me to 
think that the decision" to put Willingham to death "was not correct."

http://reason.com/blog/2009/10/02/texas-gov-rick-perry-sticks-hi