The clemency petition is seeking a commutation of Hank's death sentence to life in prison in order to enable him to prove his innocence and seek a pardon.
The letters can be mailed in support of his clemency petition to arrive no later than March 17th.
Please write the following reference: "Attention: Hank Skinner Case - #999143" on each page of your letter (as well as the covering page if you send it by fax) and on the front of the envelope.
Clemency Section
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
8610 Shoal Creek Blvd.
Austin, TX 78757-6814
Fax: (512) 467-0945
Email: bpp-pio@tdcj.state.tx.us
Do not send your letter to individual members of the board! It would sidetrack your letter and it might not even reach the board in good time to be considered.
Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849
Website email contact form: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact/
All the details of the case are available on the website, however, here are some of the points you can raise:
Hank was sentenced to die on the basis of a perjured testimony and circumstancial evidence.
The accusation theory relied on that one witness, who later recanted and explained how she was threatened to make a false statement to the police and give a deposition at trial which was based on a script supplied by the district attorney's office.
Both the State's star witnesses (Andrea Reed & Howard Mitchell) have testified that they believe Hank to be innocent.
The little forensic analysis done before his trial excluded him as the killer.
The additional and minimum testing done during his post conviction appeals excluded him too.
The available scientific evidence proves his physical incapacitation at the time of the crime.
The important quantity of evidence remaining to be tested is essential to reveal the truth about his innocence.
His motions for DNA testing have been denied although he has always offered to pay for the costs.
The state of Texas has a very poor record in terms of wrongful convictions and DNA exonerations.
The interest of justice is to find out the truth and to not execute an innocent.
The state is withholding the untested evidence that can prove Hank's innocence.
All three of the previous D.A.s have publicly stated that they believe the evidence needs to be tested.
The D.A. has admitted in Ch 64 DNA pleadings that the evidence is in a condition making testing possible, that the chain of custody has been maintained, that the evidence is capable of providing a probative result and idendity is an issue in Hank's case.
Texas should not execute a man it does not know for a fact to be guilty. After Andrea Reed's recantation, according to the state own's experts, the remaining evidence does nothing to prove guilt at all. The A.G has stated through his spokesman that it would violate the constitution to murder someone who is innocent - that has got to apply equally to someone they do not know for a fact to be guilty.
Both petitions (commutation and reprieve) as well as three statements attached to the petitions can be dowloaded in the "legal documents" section of the website.
Death warrant for March 24th is upheld by the CCA, help Hank get the DNA testing.
On March 4th, the CCA affirmed the March 24th date for Hank's execution, or more exactly it states it doesn't have jurisdiction to overrule the Judge's order. The order has been posted in the legal documents section on the website.
Please help Hank get the DNA testing. I have added a list of newspapers and journalists to whom you can copy your letter to the DA, below:
Hank sent a 5-page letter to the Gray County D.A. Lynn Switzer with a number of exhibits, which was received by her office on January 27th 2010.
These documents can be downloaded in the "legal documents" section - "DNA Issue" paragraph on the website.
Please take the time to read the letter, the exhibits document all the points and statements made by Hank in his letter.
As you will understand from his letter, Hank is asking the D.A. to put the execution warrant on hold, to grant him a 120-day reprieve and order the DNA testing. It is important to support him in this vital attempt. Of course the purpose is NOT to write to the D.A. and attack her for what she hasn't done or should have done. What needs to be emphasized is that justice calls for the truth and the untested evidence is crucial to prove his innocence. Her position as D.A. is to ensure that justice is served and not to allow the execution of an innocent man when so many issues remain unresolved just a few weeks from his execution date.
You can send your letters with reference "Hank Skinner - Execution Date March 24, 2010" to:
Ms. Lynn Switzer
District Attorney
Gray County Courthouse
Pampa TX 79065
For more impact, you may consider copying your letter to a local media of your choice and also to enclose a copy of Hank's letter as well. If you do so, make sure you include the information after your signature; ie: cc. Houston Chronicle (whathever newpaper you choose or the journalist's name). Here is a non-exhaustive short list of newspapers and/or journalists you can cc your letter to:
The Pampa news
PO Box 2198
Pampa TX 79066
Editor bphillips@thepampanews.com
The Amarillo Globe news
Letters to the Editor
PO Box 2091
Amarillo TX 79166
Fax: (806) 345 3400
Letters@amarillo.com
The Houston Chronicle
Roma Khanna - roma.khanna@chron.com
The Austin American-Statesman
Chuck Lindell - clindell@statesman.com
Steven Kreytak - skreytak@statesman.com
The Dallas Morning News
Emily Ramshaw - eramshaw@dallasnews.com
Editor Michael Grabell - mgrabell@dallasnews.com
The Texas Tribune
Brandi Grissom - bgrissom@texastribune.org
CBS News - 60 minutes
60m@cbsnews.com
The Chicago Tribune
Steve Mills - smmills@tribune.com
The Columbus Dispatch
Jeff Dutton - jdutton@dispatch.com
Here are some points you can raise:
A series of articles Hank has written about the deplorable conditions at the Polunsky Unit where Texas death row prisoners are housed. ( Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. )
Most of us believe in the principle of justice, even though we all may have differing views regarding what is and what is not just punishment. But what happens when an individual is sentenced for a crime - found guilty by a jury of his or her peers despite the existence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary? What happens when the crime is murder and the sentence death?
YOU CAN DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS, because here is just such a case.
Review the evidence for yourself at:
hankskinner.org
When the guilty verdict was passed in this case, Hank Skinner suffered a fatal injury in every sense of the phrase - injurious because his name was tarnished with a murder he could not possibly have committed - fatal because without your help he will certainly be executed.
On December 31st, 1993, Twila Busby and her two sons were brutally murdered in their home in Pampa, Texas. The man who is currently under sentence of death for their murders is Henry Watkins "Hank" Skinner, Twila's live-in partner.
To say that there is only reasonable doubt as to Hank's guilt would be a gross underestimation of the vast amount of available vindication evidence. In order to fully appreciate the "quality" of justice he has received so far, it is necessary to examine some of the key areas of concern pertaining to the investigation of the three murders and the subsequent trial of Henry W. "Hank" Skinner.
Hank Skinner #999143
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX
77351 USA
This information is provided by Hank Skinner and his supporters.
http://www.hankskinner.org
Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
The CCADP offers free webpages to over 500 Death Row Prisoners
"The Eyes Of The World Are Watching Now."