Entries tagged with “Will Speer”
Executions
Oct 27, 2023
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Issues Last-Minute Stay in William Speer’s Scheduled Execution
On October 26, 2023, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) granted a stay of execution for William Speer, who was set to be executed the same evening for the killing of another prisoner 26 years ago. Mr. Speer has been scheduled to die by lethal injection, but his attorneys asked the TCCA to pause his execution over allegations that prosecutors failed to disclose evidence at trial, knowingly presented false testimony, and that his trial lawyers provided inadequate representation by…
Facts & Research
Religion
,Jun 24, 2024
Texas Set to Execute a Death Row Prisoner Despite the Changed Opinion of the Same Expert Who Once Called Him a “Future Danger”
In 2006, Ramiro Gonzales (pictured as a child) confessed to the murder, kidnapping, and rape of Bridget Townsend and was sentenced to death. Texas death sentencing procedures uniquely require capital juries to predict whether a defendant is likely to commit future acts of violence. At Mr. Gonzales’ trial, psychiatrist Dr. Edward Gripon testified for the state and told the jury that Mr. Gonzales “has demonstrated a tendency to want to control, to manipulate, and to take advantage of certain…
Policy Issues
Victims' Families
,Clemency
,Religion
,Upcoming Executions
,Oct 17, 2023
Victim’s Sister, Faith Leaders, and Others Plead for Clemency for Will Speer, Faith Based Coordinator on Texas’ Death Row
On Friday, October 13, the sole surviving family member of murder victim Gary L. Dickerson joined dozens of faith leaders and others in asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for clemency for Will Speer. Mr. Speer is set to be executed on October 26, 2023. After a childhood of horrific abuse, a life sentence by age 18, and a judgment of death by age 23, Mr. Speer devoted himself to the study of Christianity and has become a prominent prison minister. “In my heart, I feel that he is not…