Gary Etheridge
Gary Etheridge - AP Photo
You can email your condolences to his wife Claudia at: for_claudia2002@yahoo.com
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HOW COULD THEY DO
THIS ??? By Claudia Etheridge
Gary's wife Claudia writes about Gary's last hours and his execution. |
| Gary Etheridge speaks to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles |
Governor Perry Challenged to Witness Execution
Cowardly Governor Perry doesn't even have
the courtesy to respond to Gary's wife !
| August 17th, 2002 Registered Letter To Governor Perry Inviting Him to Execution |
| May 17th, 2002 Letter to Governor Perry Inviting Him to Execution |
| CCADP's August 18th Press Release in Printable Format |
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Gobernador Perry Invitado a Atestiguar la Ejecución de Gary
Etheridge, el 20 de Agosto
CCADP's August 18th Press release and Letter to Governor Perry - in Spanish |
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Gouverneur Perry zu Hinrichtung von Gary Etheridge am 20. August eingeladen.
CCADP's August 18th Press release and Letter to Governor Perry - in German |
|
Le Gouverneur Perry est invité à assister à l'exécution
de Gary Etheridge le 20 août 2002.
CCADP's August 18th Press release and Letter to Governor Perry - in French |
CCADP Press Release - August 18, 2002
Governor Perry Invited to Witness Execution of Gary Etheridge, Aug. 20th
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Livingston,
TX - August 18, 2002
"...if you allow Texas to carry out the execution I will invite you to
attend his execution together with me because in this case I need your
support and guidance. I need a shoulder
to
lean on and someone who explain to me that it was the right thing to kill
my husband. "
- Gary's wife Claudia, in a letter to Governor Rick Perry - May 17, 2002.
Governor
Rick Perry has been formally invited to attend the August 20th execution
of
Gary
Etheridge as a witness, in the event he fails to intervene to stop the
execution pending
further
investigation. The invitation was extended by Gary's wife Claudia,
along with The
Canadian
Coalition Against The Death Penalty, on behalf of Gary Etheridge.
The
Governor was originally invited to the execution in May, when Gary faced
another
execution
date that was stayed. Perry at that time did not respond to
Mrs. Etheridge's
letter
and invitation. On August 17, a registered letter was sent to the
office of the
Governor
again extending the invitation.
"...It’s now time for you to have the courage of
your
convictions and stand up to your own words. I think it would be important
to you to
finally
witness an execution since you already signed so many death warrants,"
the letter
reads.
The
involvement of the Canadian group is
"indicative of the level of concern now rising in
the
international community over the continued enthusiasm for 'Texecutions,'
" Coalition
Director
Dave Parkinson, in Toronto, says.
The
Canadian group is also encouraging its supporters both in Texas and around
the world
to
join Texas activists recent call for an all out boycott of the Lone Star
State for its
continued
application of the death penalty.
"The
Governor has to answer not only to his own constituents in Texas, but to
political and
economic
allies internationally," Parkinson
says, " Perry's response to the invitation
to
attend
the execution will indicate whether he takes his responsibility on this
matter
seriously,
or if a death warrant is just another piece of paper to be signed from
a stack on his
desk
without any concern for the implications of what his endorsement means."
CCADP's
Tracy Lamourie adds, "Etheridge's invitation
extends to the governor a unique
opportunity
to make a public stand, to either have the courage to stand up for his
ideals
which
apparently involve the taking of life; or to show the international community
how little
concern
he has for the gravity of this issue by ignoring the invitation."
The
Governor has been asked to recuse himself for the reason of prior involvement
with the
case.
If Governor Perry recuses himself, this invitation still stands as he is
the signatory not
only
to Gary's warrant on several occasions, but to the warrants of dozens of
prisoners on a
regular
basis since he replaced Governor Bush.
The
invitation to the Governor ended with the words :
"With this letter I respectfully invite
you
in the name of Mr. Gary Etheridge, in the name of the Canadian Coalition
Against The
Death
Penalty and in my name, to witness the murder of Mr. Etheridge on August
20, 2002
after
6:00 PM. Sincerely yours, -Claudia Schweiger-Etheridge."
We
await a response from the Governor as to whether he will have the courage
of his
convictions
and attend.
The
CCADP and Claudia Etheridge, both maintain websites for Gary Etheridge.
Visit
those pages at :
http://ccadp.org/garyetheridge.htm
http://www.garyetheridge.com/
August
17/02 Letter inviting Governor http://www.ccadp.org/aug17claudia.htm
May17/02
Letter inviting Governor http://ccadp.org/garyetheridge-lettertogov.htm
For
more info on whether the Governor will be attending :
Contact
the Governor's Office
Phone:
512-463-2000
Fax:
512-463-1849
For
more information on the invitation, Gary Etheridge and his case, or the
CCADP;
or
to contact Claudia through the CCADP, contact;
Dave
Parkinson or Tracy Lamourie
Directors,
Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
http://www.ccadp.org
info@ccadp.org
416-693-9112
The judge hated Gary from childhood on. It was him who made the statement that he hated the Etheridge brothers and he wanted to see Gary getting a death sentence already BEFORE the trial and he sentenced him to die with the following words:
"You know, Etheridge,
I have handled you since you were a kid and you have really graduated to
the big time and you don't want to hear anymore from me, but Mr. Coate
(defense lawyer) made one statement that I want to answer. He told this
jury that nothing would be accomplished by giving you the death penalty.
Well, I can tell you one thing that's going to be accomplished. In
my opinion we are going to clean up a piece of garbage that has become
nothing than a blight on society because that's all you are. You
are going to die, young man, sooner or later by lethal injection.
Take him out of here."
This same Judge
Gayle now writes the Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles
Executive Clemency
Section to demand that Gary Etheridge be executed:
Re: Gary Wayne Etheridge No. 000986;
Opposition to petition for clemency.
Gary Wayne Etheridge's
crime was one of the most heinous crimes over which I have ever presided.
He earned the death sentence awarded him and deserves to be executed.
He received a fair trial
with experienced, good lawyers representing him at the trial level and
on his appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals. In addition, he has filed
numerous post-trial writs and has had them all denied, both at the state
and federal level.
It is my understanding
that the mother of the child Etheridge murdered has long since died, her
death resulting from a blood infection she received from blood transfusions
made necessary by the many stab wounds he inflicted on her at the time
he killed her daughter.
In my opinion the granting
of any form of clemency will be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice
in the history of the Criminal Justice System.
I adamantly oppose any
reprieve or commutation of his sentence or any type of conditional pardon.
Yours truly,
J. Ray Gayle III
239th District Court
Is there still anyone who thinks that Gary received a fair trial ?
Visit Gary's Official Homepage for more information on his case...
Images courtesy of Gary's Official webpage http://www.garyetheridge.com/
NCADP Execution Alert On Gary Etheridge
From http://www.ncadp.org/html/augalerttx01.html
Gary Etheridge, a 38-year old white male, was convicted of the 1990 murder
of Christi Chauvierre, and is now scheduled to be executed by the
State of Texas on Aug. 20. Etheridge, a heroin addict at the time,
initially acknowledged his guilt and had proceeded to turn himself in at
the time he was arrested.
Etheridge has appealed his conviction on the grounds that his attorney
failed to adequately provide the jury with evidence of mitigating circumstances
on Etheridge’s behalf during sentencing. In fact, the jury
was offered no evidence relating to Etheridge’s childhood abuse and severe
drug addiction. Etheridge’s habeas appeal testified to the brutality
of his childhood, stating the jury had not heard evidence that “[he] had
been raped at an early age by an older brother, that he had been physically
abused by a drunken father, that he had observed his mother attempt suicide
several times, that that he had endured a drug dependency since adolescence.”
Moreover,
the prosecution had used a previous altercation Etheridge had in prison
to vouch for his future dangerousness. In fact, Etheridge had resisted
being raped by another prisoner.
Stories such as Etheridge’s are familiar on death row. An early life
of abuse and addiction often leads to a later life of crime and violence.
Clearly Etheridge’s early family life was troubled and this violence spared
no one in the family. Etheridge and each one of his four brothers had spent
a considerable amount of time in prison before his arrest for murder.
Gary Etheridge is an example of how children who learn violence at home
often take it back out into the streets.
Previously, Etheridge had an execution date for June 27. That date
was stayed because the judge setting the date had referred to Etheridge
as a “piece of trash” during Etheridge’s sentencing. No court has
saw fit to look into charges of the judges obvious bias against Etheridge
and the stay of execution was a mere technicality.
Texas is currently scheduling anywhere from five to seven executions per
month. Please write to the Governor of Texas and let him know how
his state’s resources can be better used to fight crime.
Gary's Original Pen pal Request Sent to the CCADP
Hello, My name is GARY
WAYNE ETHERIDGE. I was born in Houston Texas on January 3rd, 1964
...and have lived my entire life on the coast of Texas near Galveston.
I came to death row November
9th, 1990 for a crime I was accused of involving
murder / robbery...I
was at the crime and I robbed but my hand did not kill.
I am 35 years old and
was married and have two gorgeous precious daughters named Brittany and
Brandy.. .my former wife has since remarried and moved on in life with
her new husband...I am glad that my children have a family and security
and can grow and be happy...but nonetheless I miss them terribly and wish
that I could be part of their lives.
I do not hear from them
or my former wife at all.
I was a carpenter and
apprentice electrician while free and I also spent many years working offshore
on supply boat and fishing boats, but my heart is with carpentry and building
things and seeing the result of my labor.
I am average height and
have light brown hair and blue/grey eyes. I exercise and try to stay in
good health...we are constantly locked in our cages (cells) here and do
not have freedom to go outside or exercise properly as we would like, so
it is a perpetual challenge.
I pay alot of attention
to world events and news.. I read all of the news magazines and newspapers
that I can get a hold of....I also enjoy to read novels such as Robert
Ludlum and Dean Coontz...Stephen King and practically anything interesting....one
of the best books I ever read was by Sydney Sheldon "Master of the Game"
and another book called Cain and Abel by another author.
I have studied lawbooks
and have a very political and strong opinion about courts and rights and
I try to make sure that I and all of my peers here are always kept abreast
of current legal developments. ..I take the threat to our life very seriously
and I sometimes may seem dull and without humour because of the situation
I am in...but I do try to relax and have some laughs and learn to care
and share with a new friend.
I have never wrote to
anyone in Canada but I am aware that French is spoken in some parts
of Canada and I am learning
to read and write French and German and Italian. I am a huge geography
nut.. .I had many maps here that I would study and travel guide that had
pictures
I would see parts of
Canada and the world...otherwise I may never see those places. ..but recently
the guards had a major festival of taking inmates property and they took
all of the maps and books I had about geography and postcards and stuff.
I enjoy all types of
music and have mostly listened to old rock music like the Beatles and
Led Zeppelin and Rolling
Stones and that sort of old music and I like Shania Twain and Garth Brooks.
Some classical music such as Vivaldi and Mozart and Bach. Liszt.
I believe that there
are people all around the world that suffer and that need help.. and that
we are created with a inherent instinct to adapt and survive and reason
overcome what oppresses and robs us of liberty and justice. From the beginning
of mankind there have been serious struggles and battles to survive and
together people have overcome 'rise challenges... it is not the size
of the dog in the fight...but it is the SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG.
We must value what we believe in and let our values be the fuel that feeds
us.
As for what I am seeking
in a friendship...well..that is Simple..I have no preferences and
I will try to meet anyone [that offers me their friendship] in the middle...We
are all humans and we are all different to some degree and I celebrate
the individuality of that natural fact.
I am open to anyone that
is open to me.... and I find something beautiful and interesting in all
people.....but I would like to meet someone that likes to write about once
every week or every two weeks as I would like to share alot and talk alot....I
believe that friendship is like a garden and we can grow what we want and
cultivate and care for it and make it a beautiful thing if we put the value
and concern into it.. ..and since I am locked in a cage and have no contact
to the outside world other than via letters...I take friendships seriously
and spend most of my time thinking and focused on what we share as friends...of
course when I am not otherwise engaged with my legal battle..and sometimes
the two become one and we fight together, but helping me fight for my life
IS NOT a requisite of being my friend. I only ask that anyone whom offers
to be my friend will have some understanding about this situation and not
demand too much of me as I will not demand too much of them.
The death row in Texas
does not allow inmates to possess pictures of themselves so I do not have
a photo to offer...
I'll be glad to plant
some seeds and grow a garden with whoever writes.
SINCERELY,
GARY ETHERIDGE
Gary Etheridge met his wife Claudia as a result of this pen pal request - They married in 2001.
Images courtesy of Gary's Official webpage
http://www.garyetheridge.com/
GARY ETHERIDGE #000986
Polunsky Unit D.R.
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas
77351 USA
How to make a donation:
Please do not send cash.
Please wire your donation to the following bank account:
Account holder: Claudia Schweiger
Defense Fund Gary Etheridge
Bank: Stadtsparkasse München
Address of bank: Plinganserstreet 55
81369 Munich / Germany
Bank account number: 908-176 134
Routing number: 701 500 00
If you prefer to send a check please
get in touch with Claudia at:
Claudia@GaryEtheridge.com
Please do not send cash or cheques to Gary.
At the prison he of course is not allowed to
get any money in the mail at all !
Visit Gary's Official Homepage at:
Gary and his wife Claudia
met in June 2000 via letters.
Claudia wrote him as
a result of seeing his original pen pal request (above) on this webpage.
(thank you to Claudia for the pictures below)
02/27th, 2001. Gary & Claudia
on the day they got married.
May 19th, 2001. Gary, Claudia, and Gary's
Gary, age 15, with his younger brother.
daughters Brittany (L, age 12) and Brandi
(R, age 11) when they met after 11 years !
The CCADP offers free webpages to over 500 Death Row Prisoners
Contact us for more information.
"The Eyes Of The World Are Watching Now"