Edward Green III - Texas

Most of you who keep up with issues around death penalty abolition are aware of the problems with the Houston crime lab. Reportedly, a 280 boxes evidence from crime investigations related to 8000 different crimes was recently discovered. All of this evidence was mislabeled and wrongly stored. The evidence dates back over ten years. Obviously, this creates great problems when reviewing the possible innocence (not to mention the constitutional rights) of those convicted of those crimes. Likely most of those convicted were guilty of the crime. However, just the chance that even one was not is a big big deal. The chance that that one is serving on death row or has already been executed is a change you would think that Texas officials would not want to take. Nevertheless...

Edward Green, a Texas death row inmate convicted in Harris county during the period of suspect evidence, was executed in Huntsville on Wednesday evening. State officials were convinced of Green's guilt despite the evidenciary problems existing in Harris County (Green apparently confessed). Green was only 30 years old on the night of his execution and he was 18 years old at the time of the crime. Apparently, members of his family repeatedly told Green's mother that he was in a better place after his death. How's that for a statement: that her son was better off dead than sitting on death row in Texas. As always when someone is executed, my thoughts are with his or her family. My thoughts are also with the families of the victims and with the hope that now perhaps they will find some closure and peace. Closure and peace for the victim's family is about the only "positive" I can see from an execution (if any).

Most of you who read this know that my feelings about the execution of any inmate are strong. The fact that they may be innocent only increases my objection to their execution and makes me more sad and angry. Green likely was guilty, but there just seems something wrong to me about a system that will not pause for a moment to reexamine itself after a clear mistake has been revealed. I know that the community seems to want "swift justice," but what of the Ernest Willis's out there? If justice had been "swift" in his case, there would have been even more serious injustice than there already was. Why is it we do not take the utmost care?

Houston crime lab concerns don't halt execution