An update on an earlier post about the sad case of Todd Cameron Willingham, executed by Texas in 2004 for a crime experts now say he did not commit. Four of the nation’s top arson investigators were asked to independently review the evidence used to convict Willingham of the alleged arson that resulted in the deaths of his three daughters. He went to his death proclaiming his innocence. In their report released Tuesday, the investigators concluded that evidence relied on by prosecutors to convict Willingham was the type of evidence “routinely associated with accidental fires”.

One of the key “technologies” criticized in the report is commonly referred to as “crazed glass”, a web-like pattern of cracks in glass allegedly linked with the use of accelerants. Arson experts at Willingham’s trial relied on this “crazed glass” phenomenon to convict him. The Report released Tuesday describes “crazed glass” as “mythology” and one of the authors of the Report criticized the trial experts, saying “these guys didn’t know what they were talking about”. This particular “indicator” has been debunked in recent years once it was shown that these same web-like patterns can arise when cool water is poured on hot glass. Kind of like what happens when a firetruck arrives, you know?

The Report goes on to criticize all of the other indicators used at trial. “Each and every one of the indicators” relied on by the chief arson investigator at the trial “means absolutely nothing”.

Probably meant something to the late Mr. Willingham. As he was strapped to the gurney awaiting the lethal injection that ended his life, Willingham’s last words were: “I am an innocent man, convicted of a crime I did not commit.”

Read more about this disturbing story here.

RP

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 at 3:04 pm and is filed under News, Junk Science, You Won't Believe This. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.