Dear friends,
Thank you for contacting Governor Perry and urging him to grant clemency
to Robert Lee Thompson, who is scheduled to be executed by the State of
Texas tonight. We deeply regret to inform you that the Governor has rejected
the recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and declined
to commute Thompson’s sentence to life in prison.
TCADP Executive Director Kristin Houle issued the following statement in
response to the Governor’s decision:
“The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) is outraged that
Governor Perry has rejected the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommendation
to commute the death sentence of Robert Lee Thompson. Thompson is scheduled
to be executed this evening for the murder of Mansoor Rahim, even though
he was not the triggerman. His co-defendant, Sammy Butler, the actual killer of
Mr. Rahim, was tried separately and convicted on a lesser charge. Butler is
serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole.
This was only the fourth such recommendation for clemency from the Board
in cases where the inmate faced imminent execution, but it constitutes
the second time that Governor Perry has chosen to ignore the Board,
whose members he appoints. Perry previously rejected a recommendation
for clemency by the Board in 2004 when he allowed the execution
of Kelsey Patterson, an inmate with severe mental illness, to proceed.
The Governor’s decision comes at a time of increased public awareness
and scrutiny of the flaws and failures of the Texas death penalty system.
TCADP joins with a growing chorus of diverse voices, including those of
law enforcement, religious leaders, murder victim family members, and
state legislators in calling for an end to this arbitrary and error-prone
form of punishment.”
Please call the Governor and express your outrage that he once
again has failed to promote justice in Texas:
Office of the Governor
Citizen’s Opinion Hotline: 1-800-252-9600
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849