• Home
  • News
  • Expert Hits Arson Finding in Case that Led to Defendant’s Execution

Death Penalty

Expert Hits Arson Finding in Case that Led to Defendant’s Execution

Posted Aug 25, 2009 5:47 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

A nationally known expert has concluded that a fire was not arson, a finding that contradicted trial testimony that led to the conviction and execution of a Texas man.

The expert, Craig Beyler, reviewed the case of Cameron Todd Willingham for the Texas Forensic Science Commission, created to investigate allegations of forensic mistakes, the Chicago Tribune reports. The newspaper obtained a copy of his report.

Willingham was convicted of murder for the deaths of his three children who perished in the fire. Beyler is one of nine top fire scientists who have reviewed the case and found that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore, the story says.

Beyler wrote that the state fire marshal investigating the case "seems to be wholly without any realistic understanding of fires and how fire injuries are created.”

Comments

1.

B. McLeod
Aug 25, 2009 6:16 AM CST

Unfortunately, a little too late for the late defendant.

Flag this comment

2.

Gary Pilcher
Aug 25, 2009 11:08 AM CST

This reminds me of a case I saw on either the Discovery Channel or the Learning Channel several years ago in which a man was convicted of murdering his wife by pushing her down the steps to the basement.  Years later he was released after an investigation conclusively proved that she accidentally fell to her death - there was no crime. Stop the death penalty now - we will never be able to sufficiently prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in every case; witnesses lie, “experts” make mistakes, eyewitness testamony is unreliable, etc..

Flag this comment

3.

Ben
Aug 25, 2009 3:18 PM CST

Stay classy Texas. Unbelievable.

Flag this comment

4.

Me
Aug 25, 2009 3:31 PM CST

Impeach Governor Perry.

Flag this comment

5.

TJ
Aug 25, 2009 5:39 PM CST

The blood of this man is on the Gov’s hands, and all of the states citizens who continue to support this barbaric practice.

Shameful.

Flag this comment

6.

Donald
Aug 25, 2009 5:59 PM CST

This about sums it up for me. With respect to the death penalty debate - before we even get to the morality and ethics of society judging that a person should be executed, it just shouldn’t happen at all until society is capable of judging a persons guilt. As has been evidenced many times, at this stage society is not in a position to make that judgement.

Flag this comment

7.

SocratesJR
Aug 25, 2009 6:00 PM CST

Well put Donald. very well put.

Flag this comment

8.

West Texas
Aug 25, 2009 6:25 PM CST

We still do not know if he was innocent. There is only doubt, not proof. But think of all the bad people who have been removed from this world.

One loss for how many wins? Those are still good odds.

Flag this comment

9.

Dan
Aug 25, 2009 6:30 PM CST

West Texas:

I hope you becomes the one loss next time.

Flag this comment

10.

barriah
Aug 25, 2009 8:09 PM CST

West Texas:

I was going to to try to respond to your comment but its clear by your comment you are either a child with no understanding of complex issues or even worse an adult with the same flaw.  So instead I say God Bless You…

Flag this comment

11.

bobm
Aug 25, 2009 8:27 PM CST

I can’t imagine anything worse than the government putting an innocent person to death.  But I guess people like West Texas can’t imagine it happening to themselves or someone they care about.

Flag this comment

12.

Joe
Aug 25, 2009 9:19 PM CST

Bush really seemed to enjoy executing people.  He even spent a good portion of his Presidency doing it.

Flag this comment

13.

Ryan
Aug 25, 2009 11:25 PM CST

You see, West Texas, we don’t know if he was innocent, but we do know there’s a doubt he was guilty, and according to this justice system he shouldn’t have been punished.

I think about the bad people removed from this world. Then I think about the equally bad or worse people who by some quirk in the system did not receive capital punishment. And then I think how the bad people who did receive it would be removed from this world if they were put in maximum security for life with no parole. I think of all that and it makes me say, with total conviction, we need to abolish the death penalty.

Flag this comment

14.

Jim
Aug 26, 2009 12:58 AM CST

Funny isn’t it that Texas wants to secede from the USA to get away from “government intrusion” in their lives, yet their own state government is practically gleeful in leading the nation in executions.  Congrats Texas, for killing an innocent man.  His blood is on your hands, Governor Perry.  I don’t know how you sleep at night, because you are no better than a murderer now.

Flag this comment

15.

Daecon
Aug 26, 2009 3:47 AM CST

Remember that according to Scalia, being innocent of the crime is not a valid defense.  The man should have been executed even if the victims turned out to still be alive and healthy.

Flag this comment

16.

John
Aug 26, 2009 6:38 AM CST

The entire state of Texas deserves shame and loathing as the cowards they have shown themselves to be, since all the evidence of arson was debunked with plenty of time to avoid murdering an innocent man.  Within a few weeks of the issuance of the Fire Marshal’s report which determined arson to be the cause of the fire, the first edition of NFPA 921 was published by the National Fire Protection Association debunking the texas fire marshall’s report.  Further, on more than one occasion fire safety experts have since reported that there was not enought evidence to be 100% certain the fire was caused by arson, and in fact such a conclusion was highly doubtful.  Texas knowingly murdered an innocent man.

However, if as some suggest, that his innocence is not 101% certain is good enough caused to have murdered him, then texas should cede from the union, since in the union if the state kills someone, it must be 101% certain of his *guilt*.  Frankly, the USA can do without such backward cowards.  Perhaps the USA should just kick texas out.

And yes, the entire state of texas deserves such a treatment, since texans could have gotten up off their cowardly asses and done the right thing and prevented needless murder by the state.  You, texas, are a state of lowly cowards, and don’t belong here.  If perhaps you removed gov perry by force and put him in prison, then you might gain a little status as people with a moral backbone.  The stain of wrongful murder, however, will never leave your face.

Flag this comment

17.

Daniel
Aug 26, 2009 7:48 AM CST

John: The entire state of Texas? You do realize there are many people here who oppose and abhor the death penalty, right? I hate it when people judge an entire population of people. Sure, the majority sucks, but we have a sizeable liberal minority who oppose this barbaric act.

West Texas: The possibility of executing an innocent person far outweighs the execution of any number of truly guilty people. It is a true miscarriage of justice.

There cannot be 100% proof of guilt, even with 100 eyewitnesses, video and DNA evidence. “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.” Abolish the death penalty NOW.

Flag this comment

18.

TexMom
Aug 26, 2009 7:50 AM CST

While this certainly was a terrible tragedy, I find it IRONIC so many of you on here posting comments are judgemental of an entire state, ready and willing to judge all for the actions of a few. Pot meet Kettle.

Flag this comment

19.

Daniel
Aug 26, 2009 7:54 AM CST

John’s comment is no different from those people who shout “Nuke Iran!” because of the barbaric government that rules the place.

Those who oppose and protest over there must be cowards for not overthrowing their government! They can die, too! - John

Flag this comment

20.

Sam
Aug 26, 2009 8:14 AM CST

TexMom, I agree, stereotyping the inhabitants of a state based on the actions of a government most of them voted for is exactly the same kind of mistake as killing someone based on pseudoscientific evidence. Dead guy on one side, miffed people on the internet on the other… you can see how they sort of balance each other out.

Flag this comment

21.

TW
Aug 26, 2009 8:17 AM CST

What do you expect from Texas.  They put in an express lane for execution.  This is also the state that produced the worst attorney general in history.  Alberto “No grant of Habeas Corpus in the Constitution” Gonzales (see Texas Clemency memos).  Somewhere in Hell John Mitchell is doing a dance because he is no longer the the most reviled man in legal history.

Flag this comment

22.

Tex
Aug 26, 2009 9:19 AM CST

John….. if we are going to suspend reality let’s go ahead and take this to its illogical conclusion: Texas is a part of the United States and subject to federal laws your representatives inacted. What are you prepared to do to atone for your part in this murder?

TW….. A good point you made is diminished by using a friggin’ Ron White punchline in you post.

There is a growing minority in Texas that is determined to pull this state out of its backward, racist, redneck cycle of stupidity.

Flag this comment

23.

Disgraced TX
Aug 26, 2009 10:48 AM CST

Blackstone, “Better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer.”

Bible (Genesis 18:23-32), “And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

Benjamin Franklin, “It is better that one hundred guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer.”

VERSUS

Pol Pot, “It is better that ten innocent men suffer than one guilty man escape.” Pol Pot was leader of the Cambodian communist movement, Khmer Rouge, and executed 21% of the Cambodian population or 2.5 million people.

Justice Scalia, “Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached”.

Based on the number of wrongful convictions and wrongful executions in Texas, is Pol Pot’s and Scalia’s philosophy what the U.S. people stand for?

Flag this comment

24.

B. McLeod
Aug 26, 2009 11:22 AM CST

Now, colleagues, be fair.  As a few of the prior posters have pointed out, the liberal minority in Texas oppose executing the innocent.  Perhaps that is why God has not yet completely destroyed Texas (unlike Sodom).

Flag this comment

25.

Diana Magdalen
Aug 26, 2009 3:22 PM CST

“one loss for how many wins”?

you have got to be kidding me. are you saying it’s ok to kill innocent people - or people who might be innocent - as long as more guilty people are killed? what ratio is acceptable to you?

Texas must be one of the least Christian places on the planet!

Flag this comment

26.

susanwob
Aug 26, 2009 3:36 PM CST

Well, yes, West Texas and others, we DO know that he was innocent.  It’s been shown that there was no arson.  There was no crime for him to have been guilty of.

Flag this comment

27.

Brett
Aug 26, 2009 4:51 PM CST

Who Would Jesus Execute?

Flag this comment

28.

Chris
Aug 26, 2009 8:08 PM CST

Brett. I hope he would start with LIBERAL Lawyers.  Wait that’s an oxymoron.

Flag this comment

29.

Jay Gerber
Aug 26, 2009 11:40 PM CST

Who saves one life is as if he has saves the whole universe.(Talmud)

Flag this comment

30.

Andy Pro-Life
Aug 27, 2009 1:12 AM CST

Thou shalt not kill.

Flag this comment

31.

mjzm
Aug 27, 2009 1:52 PM CST

Chris, so you think there are no liberal lawyers?  Your post makes no sense.

Flag this comment

32.

Libertarian
Aug 29, 2009 2:29 PM CST

Comment removed by moderator.

Flag this comment

33.

Jim 2009-08-31-Mon 22:47 -0400
Aug 31, 2009 8:51 PM CST

Scalia and Thomas are the ones to fear.

  Texas has thinking district attorney in Dallas.

  There have been murder convictions where the “victim” was alive and well!

Flag this comment

Add a Comment

We welcome your comments, but please adhere to our comment policy.

Commenting has expired on this post.