Did the state of Texas murder an innocent man?

[Archae]

On PBS' "Frontline" tonight, they are going to show how abysmally stupid the investigators were in an arson investigation, that ended with a suspect being executed for a crime that didn't happen.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-by-fire/

[damntexdem]

1. No, likely many innocent men.

But in this case, it likely wasn't the execution of the wrong person for a crime, it may have been the execution of a man when there was no crime.

[zbdent]

3. Don't forget ... Dumbya opened up the express lane ...

[iscooterliberally]

2. dang....

Now it means the entire state of Texas is guilty of murder and should be put to death. :sarcasm:

[Ishoutandscream2]

10. Careful. There are quite a few here that wishes we would disappear

We Texans aren't very well loved here.

[iscooterliberally]

11. For the record I happen to like the state of Texas.

I have been all over the state, and I like the place. I'm from Florida so I'm in no position to put any other state down. I just don't understand the idea of capital punishment being justice. It would seem that vengeance describes the act more closely than justice does. I wish the death penalty would end in every state. :patriot:

[Archae]

4. Watching it now...

They used a jailhouse snitch who has a history of changing his story.

Fire "investigators" who don't know what they were doing.

Politicians who interfered with the investigation, going up to Governor Goodhair.

[Scruffy1]

5. To me capital punishment is murder

Those without the capital get the punishment. I've never seen a rich man get the penalty and they usually get off for whatever crimes they commit. just the fact that the death penalty is invoked so rarely also makes it cruel and Unusual.
As Johhny Cochrane said, "In America you are innocent until you run out of money."

[AwakeAtLast]

9. I would love to K & R your reply.

:thumbsup:

[TexasObserver]

6. At least one, and probably others.

[Rex]

7. Most states that support the death penalty have put an innocent person

down without any knowledge of the wrongness. I can guarantee it.

[Schema Thing]

8. I'm sure there are many wrongful convictions for arson around the country

Much of what passed for evidence in the past wrt the origins of a fire is malarkey.