ODELL BARNES

AN INNOCENT MAN EXECUTED IN TEXAS ! "...the blood spot contained extremely high levels of citric acid, which is used in vials to preserve blood that has been collected from a body. The blood, he says, could not have come from a person bleeding directly onto the coveralls..."  - independent forensics show evidence tampering                     ODELL'S LAST WORDS: "I thank you for proving my innocence, although it has not been acknowledged in the courts. May you continue in the struggle and may you change all that's being done here today and in the past."   - Odell, moments before he was killed. " I know that Randy is capable of murder," McKinney wrote, citing his violent behavior against her. "I believe he killed Mrs. Bass." - missing witnesses who have since testified Odell wasn't the murderer

Letter from The European Union to Governor Bush

President of France Jacques Chirac has asked former President George Bush to intervene to help save the life of Odell Barnes.  Mr. Chirac spent half an hour on the phone with the former president to express the 'strong feelings' the case has raised in France. - (AFP) - Paris Feb.24

NEWS UPDATES ON ODELL'S EXECUTION

A Final Letter From Odell

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED CASE AND EXHIBIT INFORMATION

ODELL BARNES CAMPAIGN PAGE - Details & How You Can Help

PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORI

SUCCESSOR  WRIT

COPY OF WARRANT OF DEATH ISSUED

PETITION TO GOVERNOR BUSH ON BEHALF OF ODELL

PETITION TO BOARD ON BEHALF OF ODELL

READ THE HOUSTON PRESS ARTICLE

Although he kept claiming his innocence, Odell Barnes has now been for 9 years in the death row of Huntsville jail, Texas. All his respective recourses were rejected. The last filed appeal will be examined by theSupreme Court of the United States, early October 1999. In case that appeal was as well rejected, date for his execution will then be fixedwithin subsequent 90 days.

However, not only was Odell BARNES condemned at the end of a hasty prosecution (botched investigation with neither hearing of several witnesses, nor indispensable court-ordered appraisals, state designated lawyer who admitted incompetence, a tailored selection of jury, both judge and prosecutor elected by an anti abolition population) which should already justify cancellation of the sentence and a new trial.
Moreover, his culpability was not proved or demonstrated.

None of the 5 elements held against him was conclusive :

1. He was arrested on the basis of one and only testimony of a person asserting having seen him in front of the house of the victim, on that evening. But that visual witness pretended having recognised BARNES at 10.30 p.m. when it was established that Mrs. BASS had not left her work until 11.14 p.m. and had arrived home between 11.20 and 11.30 p.m.Moreover, the witness admitted having recognized the accused even though he was at about 40 yards away from him, in the middle of the night, in a street with bad lights, wearing tinted glasses and hardly knowing BARNES. On the other hand, the witness initially asserted that he was alone in his car, when his own sister has later on declared that she waswith him in the vehicle that night and that she thought that the person she had seen was BARNES without however being able to formerly identifyhim and that her brother had told her that it was not BARNES.

2. Policemen noticed presence of numerous blood splashes widely spread in the room where the victim was discovered, whereas only 2 minute bloodstains were spotted on Odell BARNES' clothes, of the same blood groupthat of Mrs. BASS and alike 50% of the black American population.Nevertheless this fact is incompatible with the presence of Odell BARNES on the scene of the crime, as, in this case, his clothes would have been spotted with the victim's blood.

3. Odell BARNES' fingerprint was found on a lamp in the house of the victim. But it was confirmed that he had been several times at Mrs. BASS who was BARNES mistress, which could perfectly explain that fingerprinton the lamp, which, according to the victim's son, had been in his mother's house since at least 5 years. No other fingerprint of Odell BARNES was found, whereas several fingerprints of other non-identified people were taken.

4. On the other hand, the investigators have established that one door of the victim's house was kicked in and held a fingerprint of a shoe susceptible to belong to Odell BARNES. The expert, however, who examinedthe door and the shoes of the accused, has concluded that thousands of shoes were susceptible to have made such a fingerprint.

5. Lastly, 2 witnesses pretended having seen Odell BARNES in possession of the weapon of the crime, shortly after it. However, the investigation proved that one of these "witnesses" had sold the gun to the other andseveral witnesses had seen both of them the night of the crime, covered with blood and in possession of the gun. More, one witness declared having seen one of these persons, near Mrs. BASS house, at the time of these occurrences.

It appears finally that these two persons, to escape their own conviction in the crime, accused ODELL BARNES.

Lastly, Odell BARNES had no motive at all to kill his friend.

Insofar as a very serious doubt exists on Odell BARNES guiltiness, his capital sentence must be canceled, without enforcing an irrevocable penalty.

Contact :

Odell Barnes Jr. #998
Ellis I Unit
Huntsville
Texas 77343
USA
        
                                                    Odell on Texas' Death Row

Association Struggle for Justice
Anne Ruquet
anneruq@club-internet.fr
Paris

October 27, 1999

Brenda L. Kelly - New Brunswick Coordinator CCADP
brenly@nb.sympatico.ca
info@ccadp.org

Dear Ms. Kelly,

I am sending you this letter regarding my son, Odell Barnes Jr., who was found guilty over 8 years ago of Capital Murder. Since that time, other evidence has been produced, along with statements from people who testified for the District Attorney in exchange for reduced or dropped charges for false statements which convicted Odell.
I request any assistance you can give in bringing this case to light for a fair trial and am praying that you will take the time to review this case's findings, which reflect some statements made after the trial.
That is because the defense lawyers were working with the District Attorney. My son's current attorneys welcome your inquiry and may be reached at:

MICHAEL CHARLTON, 3200 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77002; charlton@netropolis.net

GARY TAYLOR, PO Box 90212, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 478-3900; (512) 478--5256 (fax); gtlaw@earthlink.net

PHILIP WISCHDAEMPER,
905 Texas Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79401; MIGLIT@AOL.COM

Thank you and God Bless.
Odell Barnes Sr.