Test results lost; graduation on hold
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
SEAGOVILLE, Texas — Graduation is just weeks away, but the special event could now be on hold for several students at Seagoville High School. Somehow, their Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test scores got lost.
"Everything is on hold, because we don't have answers," said Norma Valadez, whose son Luis faces an uncertain month ahead. Valadez claims a school counselor lied to cover up the mistake.
"First my teacher, Ms. Lefler, she had told me I failed my test, and that like got me in a depressed mood," Luis said. "Then my mom called later and they had told her they had lost my score."
"I don't know how they can lose something that important and that critical to these students," Norma Valdez added.
Dallas Independent School District officials said they were working with Seagoville High to determine why several student test scores were unaccounted for.
Dallas ISD said it realizes the anxiety this can create and emphasized that the district is working to resolve the situation.
In the meantime, the affected students had to re-take the TAKS test while school officials continue their search for the lost scores.
Luis said the worst part was being told initially that he had failed. "I like felt I couldn't do anything right, and I was just a screw-up," he said.
Luis and the other students will find out if they passed the re-test just 10 days before graduation day. "I asked them why couldn't you just be honest about it," Norma Valadez said. "They said, 'this is what we were told to tell them.'"
She said the counselor told her Seagoville was not the only school with lost TAKS test scores. DISD would not comment or give an exact number of students who were forced to re-take the test.
"It just really makes me mad, because I tried my hardest and they lost it," Luis said. "It was all for nothing."
News from the Lone Star State
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Sex offender flees Dallas halfway house
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - State officials issued an alert Tuesday for a convicted sex-offender who apparently walked away from a halfway house in Dallas.
Mark Anthony Petersimes had recently been released from prison, where he was serving a 12-year sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of two girls, ages five and seven. The assaults took place in 1991 in Dallas County.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said the 45-year-old offender was living under electronic monitoring at the Wayback Halfway House near downtown Dallas. His absence was detected around daybreak Tuesday when an alarm went off to indicate he had left the center.
Vinger said the man was classified as among those at the highest risk of repeating their offenses. He also said Petersimes has connections to both Dallas and Houston.
He is described as white, 6-feet tall, weighing 215 pounds with brown eyes and short brown hair. A recent photo showed bags under his eyes and hair parted in the middle. The photo also showed a sparse goatee.
Anyone seeing someone matching the description was asked to call 866-786-5972 or their local police agency.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - State officials issued an alert Tuesday for a convicted sex-offender who apparently walked away from a halfway house in Dallas.
Mark Anthony Petersimes had recently been released from prison, where he was serving a 12-year sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of two girls, ages five and seven. The assaults took place in 1991 in Dallas County.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said the 45-year-old offender was living under electronic monitoring at the Wayback Halfway House near downtown Dallas. His absence was detected around daybreak Tuesday when an alarm went off to indicate he had left the center.
Vinger said the man was classified as among those at the highest risk of repeating their offenses. He also said Petersimes has connections to both Dallas and Houston.
He is described as white, 6-feet tall, weighing 215 pounds with brown eyes and short brown hair. A recent photo showed bags under his eyes and hair parted in the middle. The photo also showed a sparse goatee.
Anyone seeing someone matching the description was asked to call 866-786-5972 or their local police agency.
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Fire burns patient at Austin hospital
By CLARA TUMA / KVUE ABC 24
AUSTIN, Texas — Investigators blamed a patient's cigarette lighter for a fire Tuesday morning at South Austin Hospital that critically burned one person.
The fire began after 8:30 a.m. in a patient's room on the second floor.
A sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames, but smoke filled the second floor.
Hospital officials said the man in the room where the fire began admitted starting the fire with his lighter, but they did not know whether it was intentionally set or an accident.
The man was transfered to a burn unit. Hospital Medical Director Steve Berkowitz said the patient was burned over 25 to 30 percent of his body and was listed in critical condition. "As the patient was being transferred to intensive care (after the fire) he told several of our staff that he started the fire," Berkowitz said.
The man's name was not released.
Berkowitz said about 30 patients had to be moved to other rooms, and a few were treated for minor smoke inhalation.
The hospital canceled all elective surgeries and was not accepting emergency ambulances.
Damages, mostly due to smoke and water, were estimated at $250,000.
It was not clear whether any charges would be filed in connection with the fire.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By CLARA TUMA / KVUE ABC 24
AUSTIN, Texas — Investigators blamed a patient's cigarette lighter for a fire Tuesday morning at South Austin Hospital that critically burned one person.
The fire began after 8:30 a.m. in a patient's room on the second floor.
A sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames, but smoke filled the second floor.
Hospital officials said the man in the room where the fire began admitted starting the fire with his lighter, but they did not know whether it was intentionally set or an accident.
The man was transfered to a burn unit. Hospital Medical Director Steve Berkowitz said the patient was burned over 25 to 30 percent of his body and was listed in critical condition. "As the patient was being transferred to intensive care (after the fire) he told several of our staff that he started the fire," Berkowitz said.
The man's name was not released.
Berkowitz said about 30 patients had to be moved to other rooms, and a few were treated for minor smoke inhalation.
The hospital canceled all elective surgeries and was not accepting emergency ambulances.
Damages, mostly due to smoke and water, were estimated at $250,000.
It was not clear whether any charges would be filed in connection with the fire.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Man shot dead at Grand Prairie apartments
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Homicide detectives were investigating the early Tuesday shooting death of a 22-year-old man at his girlfriend’s apartment in northern Grand Prairie.
Police said Miguel Brown was dead when they arrived at the Hillcrest Apartments in the 1900 block of West Tarrant Road just after midnight. The apartment complex is located near the intersection of Interstate 30 and Northwest 19th Street.
Authorities did not say how he died, or what led to his death, due to what they termed the "sensitive nature of the investigation."
An apartment employee said Brown was visiting his girlfriend at the apartment complex when he was shot. She was unhurt, as was the woman’s young child who was in the apartment at the time, the employee said.
No arrests had been made by midday on Tuesday.
Police said they believe other residents in the area are in no immediate danger.
WFAA.com staff and Dallas Morning News writer Jason Trahan contributed to this report.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Homicide detectives were investigating the early Tuesday shooting death of a 22-year-old man at his girlfriend’s apartment in northern Grand Prairie.
Police said Miguel Brown was dead when they arrived at the Hillcrest Apartments in the 1900 block of West Tarrant Road just after midnight. The apartment complex is located near the intersection of Interstate 30 and Northwest 19th Street.
Authorities did not say how he died, or what led to his death, due to what they termed the "sensitive nature of the investigation."
An apartment employee said Brown was visiting his girlfriend at the apartment complex when he was shot. She was unhurt, as was the woman’s young child who was in the apartment at the time, the employee said.
No arrests had been made by midday on Tuesday.
Police said they believe other residents in the area are in no immediate danger.
WFAA.com staff and Dallas Morning News writer Jason Trahan contributed to this report.
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Group: Texas must review arson convictions
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Two years ago, Ernest Willis walked off Texas’ death row after persuading prosecutors that he did not start a fire that killed two women in West Texas.
But Mr. Willis’ passage to freedom was preceded by Cameron Willingham’s walk to the Texas death chamber. On Tuesday, Mr. Willingham’s last defenders – three female relatives and a famous New York attorney – argued that Texas executed an innocent man in February 2004.
Like Mr. Willis, Mr. Willingham was convicted of an arson that caused several deaths. And, as in Mr. Willis’ case, arson investigators staked their claim largely on methods and assumptions that have been debunked by a newer, more scientific approach to arson investigation.
“When do we start paying attention to these serious mistakes?” asked Barry Scheck, director of the New York-based Innocence Project. “There was no credible scientific evidence to lead to the conviction, much less the execution, of Cameron Todd Willingham.”
The Innocence Project asked the Texas Forensic Science Commission to investigate whether Texas wrongly executed Mr. Willingham, and it called for a review of arson convictions statewide. The nine-member state was created by the Legislature last year to investigate forensic misconduct or negligence and statewide forensics problems.
Mr. Willis was convicted of arson murder and sentenced to death, but he was exonerated after 17 years in prison. Mr. Willingham insisted to his death that he was innocent of killing three daughters in a Corsicana house fire at Christmastime 1991. Fire experts have said his conviction was based on “junk science.”
Arson expert John Lentini, who worked with the Innocence Project on a detailed report on the cases, said often the court testimony of fire officials about alleged arson is wrong and not based on scientific principles.
Mr. Willingham’s relatives appeared at a Capitol news conference to recount their unsuccessful attempts to block his execution.
“We want to keep this from ever happening again,” said his tearful stepmother, Eugenia Willingham, recounting how she visited with Willingham before his execution and held his still-warm body afterward.
His cousin, Patricia Cox, recalled in detail her dealings with the state parole board and the Texas governor’s office in what she called her “last, final, desperate appeal” for Mr. Willingham’s clemency.
Mr. Scheck said Texas leads the nation in the number of people incarcerated for arson.
He said the requests submitted Tuesday could break new ground because it’s the first time in the nation that scientific evidence proving an innocent person was executed has been presented to a governmental body that is required to investigate and reach a conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Two years ago, Ernest Willis walked off Texas’ death row after persuading prosecutors that he did not start a fire that killed two women in West Texas.
But Mr. Willis’ passage to freedom was preceded by Cameron Willingham’s walk to the Texas death chamber. On Tuesday, Mr. Willingham’s last defenders – three female relatives and a famous New York attorney – argued that Texas executed an innocent man in February 2004.
Like Mr. Willis, Mr. Willingham was convicted of an arson that caused several deaths. And, as in Mr. Willis’ case, arson investigators staked their claim largely on methods and assumptions that have been debunked by a newer, more scientific approach to arson investigation.
“When do we start paying attention to these serious mistakes?” asked Barry Scheck, director of the New York-based Innocence Project. “There was no credible scientific evidence to lead to the conviction, much less the execution, of Cameron Todd Willingham.”
The Innocence Project asked the Texas Forensic Science Commission to investigate whether Texas wrongly executed Mr. Willingham, and it called for a review of arson convictions statewide. The nine-member state was created by the Legislature last year to investigate forensic misconduct or negligence and statewide forensics problems.
Mr. Willis was convicted of arson murder and sentenced to death, but he was exonerated after 17 years in prison. Mr. Willingham insisted to his death that he was innocent of killing three daughters in a Corsicana house fire at Christmastime 1991. Fire experts have said his conviction was based on “junk science.”
Arson expert John Lentini, who worked with the Innocence Project on a detailed report on the cases, said often the court testimony of fire officials about alleged arson is wrong and not based on scientific principles.
Mr. Willingham’s relatives appeared at a Capitol news conference to recount their unsuccessful attempts to block his execution.
“We want to keep this from ever happening again,” said his tearful stepmother, Eugenia Willingham, recounting how she visited with Willingham before his execution and held his still-warm body afterward.
His cousin, Patricia Cox, recalled in detail her dealings with the state parole board and the Texas governor’s office in what she called her “last, final, desperate appeal” for Mr. Willingham’s clemency.
Mr. Scheck said Texas leads the nation in the number of people incarcerated for arson.
He said the requests submitted Tuesday could break new ground because it’s the first time in the nation that scientific evidence proving an innocent person was executed has been presented to a governmental body that is required to investigate and reach a conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Couple: Yorkie snatched near Dallas home
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Allison Wood said she is still in shock after her fiance took three of their Yorkshire terriers out for fresh air and a man snatched one of them.
The dogs were walking near the couple's home off of Elm Street when she said two men in a car pulled up and the passenger jumped out and grabbed the dog.
"It's not just a dog," Wood said. "He's like a child to me. I've had him for years. It's so sad that somebody would do that."
Wood said her fiance didn't think Neman, the stolen Yorkshire terrier, needed a leash since the dogs were going to the bathroom. But when Neman wandered ten feet away, she said it was just enough time and distance for the man to make a quick getaway with the animal.
"He's so upset, because you know, if he would have just had him on a leash that wouldn't have happened," she said. "But it was just one of those things. It happened so quick. He just really didn't expect it."
Wood put up fliers offering a reward for Neman. She said she believes the dog snatchers took the dog because he is a pure-bred Yorkshire terrier, which is worth more than a $1,000.
"This morning was horrible," she said. "But we'll work through it, and hopefully somebody will do the right thing."
She said from now on, her and her fiance will always keep their dogs on a leash.
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Allison Wood said she is still in shock after her fiance took three of their Yorkshire terriers out for fresh air and a man snatched one of them.
The dogs were walking near the couple's home off of Elm Street when she said two men in a car pulled up and the passenger jumped out and grabbed the dog.
"It's not just a dog," Wood said. "He's like a child to me. I've had him for years. It's so sad that somebody would do that."
Wood said her fiance didn't think Neman, the stolen Yorkshire terrier, needed a leash since the dogs were going to the bathroom. But when Neman wandered ten feet away, she said it was just enough time and distance for the man to make a quick getaway with the animal.
"He's so upset, because you know, if he would have just had him on a leash that wouldn't have happened," she said. "But it was just one of those things. It happened so quick. He just really didn't expect it."
Wood put up fliers offering a reward for Neman. She said she believes the dog snatchers took the dog because he is a pure-bred Yorkshire terrier, which is worth more than a $1,000.
"This morning was horrible," she said. "But we'll work through it, and hopefully somebody will do the right thing."
She said from now on, her and her fiance will always keep their dogs on a leash.
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Dallas police seek missing felons
By Rebecca Lopez / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Sex offenders, murderers, rapists and armed robbers are among 16,000 felons missing across North Texas.
In Dallas County, there are more than 11,000 parolees uncounted for, about 3,000 are missing in Tarrant County and nearly 1,000 in Denton County are nowhere in sight.
Since the state parole board can't find them, Dallas police said they are on the hunt.
"A lot of them don't have a stable home to begin with," said Sgt. Stan Bass, Dallas Fugitive Squad. "Some of them move around quite a bit, so it's pretty tough sometimes."
Hubert Smith, a convicted burglar, was picked up Tuesday for moving and not informing his parole officer.
"They put me on too many stipulations, so I quit reporting," he said. "Too much stress."
The state acknowledges there's a problem, but said it's focused on tracking the more dangerous sex offenders with ankle monitors.
However, some offenders get around that as well. Three years ago, Hattie Cole's ex-boyfriend, Reginald McDaniels, cut his ankle monitor off, broke into her home, hid in her shower and held her hostage.
"His parole officer didn't know where he was at," Cole said. "He hadn't been reporting or anything. He was like a ticking time bomb."
Police said trying to keep up with parole violators is a daunting task because for every one they pick up another decides to flee.
Dallas does have special fugitive and sex offender units to find those who are missing.
By Rebecca Lopez / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Sex offenders, murderers, rapists and armed robbers are among 16,000 felons missing across North Texas.
In Dallas County, there are more than 11,000 parolees uncounted for, about 3,000 are missing in Tarrant County and nearly 1,000 in Denton County are nowhere in sight.
Since the state parole board can't find them, Dallas police said they are on the hunt.
"A lot of them don't have a stable home to begin with," said Sgt. Stan Bass, Dallas Fugitive Squad. "Some of them move around quite a bit, so it's pretty tough sometimes."
Hubert Smith, a convicted burglar, was picked up Tuesday for moving and not informing his parole officer.
"They put me on too many stipulations, so I quit reporting," he said. "Too much stress."
The state acknowledges there's a problem, but said it's focused on tracking the more dangerous sex offenders with ankle monitors.
However, some offenders get around that as well. Three years ago, Hattie Cole's ex-boyfriend, Reginald McDaniels, cut his ankle monitor off, broke into her home, hid in her shower and held her hostage.
"His parole officer didn't know where he was at," Cole said. "He hadn't been reporting or anything. He was like a ticking time bomb."
Police said trying to keep up with parole violators is a daunting task because for every one they pick up another decides to flee.
Dallas does have special fugitive and sex offender units to find those who are missing.
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Tax plan stalls in Texas Senate
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A day after giving tentative approval to a landmark business tax overhaul, the Texas Senate was unable to send the measure to Gov. Rick Perry for final approval.
The chamber stalled Tuesday on a technical matter, which requires two-thirds of the 31-member chamber to agree to allow consideration of any legislation. The effort failed 20-11, just one vote shy of the necessary support. Republican Sen. Mike Jackson of La Porte joined with Democrats to block the bill.
The chamber recessed temporarily and could try to take the vote again later Tuesday.
The new business tax structure was a key part of Perry's efforts to address a court mandate to fix the state's unconstitutional public school funding system.
The business tax proposal, which was approved by the House last week, would tax Texas businesses on 1 percent of gross receipts, with deductions for either the cost of goods or employee benefits such as salary and health care. Retailers would pay at a rate of 0.5 percent.
An estimated 15 of every 16 companies avoid paying the current loophole-riddled business tax.
Perry's tax proposal has been widely supported by businesses, but Democrats have opposed it because the money would go to property tax cuts rather than school improvements. Some tax-averse Republicans, like Jackson, also oppose the tax because it would require most companies to pay more.
Without the business tax reform, school funding efforts could still be fruitful, but property tax relief would fall short of the one-third cuts promised.
Another measure given final Senate approval Tuesday dedicates most of the tax revenue generated from the new tax system to property tax cuts. That one will have to be worked out in negotiations with the House.
Many leaders, including Perry, have promised a one-third reduction of school property taxes, but some of the state's budget surplus would still be necessary to get to that level.
Democrats argued that more of the money should go to education improvement initiatives and that dedicating money to property tax relief now would hinder their ability to deal with future needs.
"If we take the monies that will be raised by this bill and put them in a lock box, the question is, how do we fund state government in the future?" asked Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat.
Democratic Sen. John Whitmire of Houston argued that limiting the potential uses of new tax money would force future lawmakers to legalize state-taxed gambling or increase the sales tax in order to meet needs.
The third measure approved Monday would change the way used car sales are reported for taxing purposes. It would require all cars to be taxed no more than 20 percent below blue book value.
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A day after giving tentative approval to a landmark business tax overhaul, the Texas Senate was unable to send the measure to Gov. Rick Perry for final approval.
The chamber stalled Tuesday on a technical matter, which requires two-thirds of the 31-member chamber to agree to allow consideration of any legislation. The effort failed 20-11, just one vote shy of the necessary support. Republican Sen. Mike Jackson of La Porte joined with Democrats to block the bill.
The chamber recessed temporarily and could try to take the vote again later Tuesday.
The new business tax structure was a key part of Perry's efforts to address a court mandate to fix the state's unconstitutional public school funding system.
The business tax proposal, which was approved by the House last week, would tax Texas businesses on 1 percent of gross receipts, with deductions for either the cost of goods or employee benefits such as salary and health care. Retailers would pay at a rate of 0.5 percent.
An estimated 15 of every 16 companies avoid paying the current loophole-riddled business tax.
Perry's tax proposal has been widely supported by businesses, but Democrats have opposed it because the money would go to property tax cuts rather than school improvements. Some tax-averse Republicans, like Jackson, also oppose the tax because it would require most companies to pay more.
Without the business tax reform, school funding efforts could still be fruitful, but property tax relief would fall short of the one-third cuts promised.
Another measure given final Senate approval Tuesday dedicates most of the tax revenue generated from the new tax system to property tax cuts. That one will have to be worked out in negotiations with the House.
Many leaders, including Perry, have promised a one-third reduction of school property taxes, but some of the state's budget surplus would still be necessary to get to that level.
Democrats argued that more of the money should go to education improvement initiatives and that dedicating money to property tax relief now would hinder their ability to deal with future needs.
"If we take the monies that will be raised by this bill and put them in a lock box, the question is, how do we fund state government in the future?" asked Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat.
Democratic Sen. John Whitmire of Houston argued that limiting the potential uses of new tax money would force future lawmakers to legalize state-taxed gambling or increase the sales tax in order to meet needs.
The third measure approved Monday would change the way used car sales are reported for taxing purposes. It would require all cars to be taxed no more than 20 percent below blue book value.
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Grand Prairie woman gets 3-year sentence for ID theft
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A 46-year-old Grand Prairie woman will serve more than three years in prison for running up $33,000 in credit card charges with other people's stolen identities, a federal judge ruled late Monday.
Benita A. Jordan received a 42-month sentence after pleading guilty to a single count of fraudulent use of a credit card.
U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay surpassed recommended federal sentencing guidelines for the crime, citing Ms. Jordan's criminal past linked to theft, fraud and credit card abuse – as well as the impact on identity theft victims.
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A 46-year-old Grand Prairie woman will serve more than three years in prison for running up $33,000 in credit card charges with other people's stolen identities, a federal judge ruled late Monday.
Benita A. Jordan received a 42-month sentence after pleading guilty to a single count of fraudulent use of a credit card.
U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay surpassed recommended federal sentencing guidelines for the crime, citing Ms. Jordan's criminal past linked to theft, fraud and credit card abuse – as well as the impact on identity theft victims.
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Group: Texas must review arson convictions
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Two years ago, Ernest Willis walked off Texas’ death row after persuading prosecutors that he did not start a fire that killed two women in West Texas.
But Mr. Willis’ passage to freedom was preceded by Cameron Willingham’s walk to the Texas death chamber. On Tuesday, Mr. Willingham’s last defenders – three female relatives and a famous New York attorney – argued that Texas executed an innocent man in February 2004.
Like Mr. Willis, Mr. Willingham was convicted of an arson that caused several deaths. And, as in Mr. Willis’ case, arson investigators staked their claim largely on methods and assumptions that have been debunked by a newer, more scientific approach to arson investigation.
“When do we start paying attention to these serious mistakes?” asked Barry Scheck, director of the New York-based Innocence Project. “There was no credible scientific evidence to lead to the conviction, much less the execution, of Cameron Todd Willingham.”
The Innocence Project asked the Texas Forensic Science Commission to investigate whether Texas wrongly executed Mr. Willingham, and it called for a review of arson convictions statewide. The nine-member state was created by the Legislature last year to investigate forensic misconduct or negligence and statewide forensics problems.
Mr. Willis was convicted of arson murder and sentenced to death, but he was exonerated after 17 years in prison. Mr. Willingham insisted to his death that he was innocent of killing three daughters in a Corsicana house fire at Christmastime 1991. Fire experts have said his conviction was based on “junk science.”
Arson expert John Lentini, who worked with the Innocence Project on a detailed report on the cases, said often the court testimony of fire officials about alleged arson is wrong and not based on scientific principles.
Mr. Willingham’s relatives appeared at a Capitol news conference to recount their unsuccessful attempts to block his execution.
“We want to keep this from ever happening again,” said his tearful stepmother, Eugenia Willingham, recounting how she visited with Willingham before his execution and held his still-warm body afterward.
His cousin, Patricia Cox, recalled in detail her dealings with the state parole board and the Texas governor’s office in what she called her “last, final, desperate appeal” for Mr. Willingham’s clemency.
Mr. Scheck said Texas leads the nation in the number of people incarcerated for arson.
He said the requests submitted Tuesday could break new ground because it’s the first time in the nation that scientific evidence proving an innocent person was executed has been presented to a governmental body that is required to investigate and reach a conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Two years ago, Ernest Willis walked off Texas’ death row after persuading prosecutors that he did not start a fire that killed two women in West Texas.
But Mr. Willis’ passage to freedom was preceded by Cameron Willingham’s walk to the Texas death chamber. On Tuesday, Mr. Willingham’s last defenders – three female relatives and a famous New York attorney – argued that Texas executed an innocent man in February 2004.
Like Mr. Willis, Mr. Willingham was convicted of an arson that caused several deaths. And, as in Mr. Willis’ case, arson investigators staked their claim largely on methods and assumptions that have been debunked by a newer, more scientific approach to arson investigation.
“When do we start paying attention to these serious mistakes?” asked Barry Scheck, director of the New York-based Innocence Project. “There was no credible scientific evidence to lead to the conviction, much less the execution, of Cameron Todd Willingham.”
The Innocence Project asked the Texas Forensic Science Commission to investigate whether Texas wrongly executed Mr. Willingham, and it called for a review of arson convictions statewide. The nine-member state was created by the Legislature last year to investigate forensic misconduct or negligence and statewide forensics problems.
Mr. Willis was convicted of arson murder and sentenced to death, but he was exonerated after 17 years in prison. Mr. Willingham insisted to his death that he was innocent of killing three daughters in a Corsicana house fire at Christmastime 1991. Fire experts have said his conviction was based on “junk science.”
Arson expert John Lentini, who worked with the Innocence Project on a detailed report on the cases, said often the court testimony of fire officials about alleged arson is wrong and not based on scientific principles.
Mr. Willingham’s relatives appeared at a Capitol news conference to recount their unsuccessful attempts to block his execution.
“We want to keep this from ever happening again,” said his tearful stepmother, Eugenia Willingham, recounting how she visited with Willingham before his execution and held his still-warm body afterward.
His cousin, Patricia Cox, recalled in detail her dealings with the state parole board and the Texas governor’s office in what she called her “last, final, desperate appeal” for Mr. Willingham’s clemency.
Mr. Scheck said Texas leads the nation in the number of people incarcerated for arson.
He said the requests submitted Tuesday could break new ground because it’s the first time in the nation that scientific evidence proving an innocent person was executed has been presented to a governmental body that is required to investigate and reach a conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Dallas ISD candidate cites poor judgment in shoplifting case
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas school board candidate who has drawn the support of prominent civic leaders has been arrested in the past for shoplifting women's undergarments.
Walter Lewis Price, president of the Dallas Council of PTAs, pleaded no contest to stealing four pairs of women's thong underwear and three bras from Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center on Dec. 24, 1997, according to Dallas County court documents.
Mr. Price, a 43-year-old professor at two Christian colleges and owner of a human resources company, was 35 at the time of the crime. He faces six candidates in the May 13 election for the District 6 post, which covers southwest Dallas.
Mr. Price said Tuesday that committing the crime was poor judgment.
"I think at that time I had a lot of challenges," he said. "Money was short."
He said he took the undergarments for his wife.
The arrest came to light after The Dallas Morning News conducted background checks on school board candidates. The research on other District 6 candidates found that Marion Barnett, a minister, has a conviction for possession of marijuana. And candidate Joe Tave, a teacher, has a federal tax lien of $7,096, records show, although he says he has made payment arrangements.
Longtime trustee Hollis Brashear, who is leaving the District 6 seat to devote more time to his family and business, endorsed Mr. Price. Mr. Price also was supported by other local leaders, including state Sen. Royce West, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk.
According to court documents, a security officer observed Mr. Price attempting to leave the upscale Neiman Marcus store without paying for the undergarments, valued at $516. He was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum jail term of one year and/or a maximum fine of $4,000.
Mr. Price pleaded no contest on Feb. 17, 1998, and agreed to a plea bargain. He received 12 months of probation and had to pay a $300 fine and attend an anti-theft program. He successfully completed the terms of the agreement, and his probation ended March 1, 1999, according to court records.
Mr. Price had denied in a Morning News questionnaire having been arrested or involved in any criminal proceeding. His supporters were surprised when asked about the theft on Tuesday.
"It gives me some pause," said John Wiley Price, who is not related to Walter Price. "I'm taken aback."
Mr. Brashear and Mr. West, a Dallas Democrat, also said they were unaware of the incident. Mr. Brashear didn't want to comment, saying he would talk to Mr. Price. Mr. West said the incident didn't sound like the man he knows.
"Walter Price has been involved in school activities for a long time," Mr. West said.
Mr. Kirk said he wants to speak to Mr. Price and learn more about the incident.
"I've known Walter a long time, and he's a diligent, hardworking and caring individual," Mr. Kirk said. "I can't speak to this charge. I can tell you all of my exposure to him has been positive."
Mr. Price, who teaches at Jarvis Christian College and Southwestern Christian College, said he has made amends for the incident by being involved with Dallas schools and the community. He serves on the school district's Dallas Achieves commission, created to find ways for the district to run more efficiently. He has led the Dallas Council of PTAs, which covers DISD, for about a year.
Mr. Barnett, another District 6 candidate and pastor of Heavenly Joy Church in Dallas, said he had learned from his crime. He was convicted of possessing marijuana in August 1973 and served six months of probation.
"It was one time, and it was a $25 fine," said Mr. Barnett, 58.
Mr. Tave, a teacher in Fort Worth and a District 6 candidate, said his debt to the Internal Revenue Service is being paid down.
"They've been taking all of my refunds," Mr. Tave said of the IRS. He added that he doesn't know if the debt has been paid off.
The other candidates in the District 6 race are Carol King Arnold, Carla Ranger, Stephen Poole and Jordan R. Blair.
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas school board candidate who has drawn the support of prominent civic leaders has been arrested in the past for shoplifting women's undergarments.
Walter Lewis Price, president of the Dallas Council of PTAs, pleaded no contest to stealing four pairs of women's thong underwear and three bras from Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center on Dec. 24, 1997, according to Dallas County court documents.
Mr. Price, a 43-year-old professor at two Christian colleges and owner of a human resources company, was 35 at the time of the crime. He faces six candidates in the May 13 election for the District 6 post, which covers southwest Dallas.
Mr. Price said Tuesday that committing the crime was poor judgment.
"I think at that time I had a lot of challenges," he said. "Money was short."
He said he took the undergarments for his wife.
The arrest came to light after The Dallas Morning News conducted background checks on school board candidates. The research on other District 6 candidates found that Marion Barnett, a minister, has a conviction for possession of marijuana. And candidate Joe Tave, a teacher, has a federal tax lien of $7,096, records show, although he says he has made payment arrangements.
Longtime trustee Hollis Brashear, who is leaving the District 6 seat to devote more time to his family and business, endorsed Mr. Price. Mr. Price also was supported by other local leaders, including state Sen. Royce West, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk.
According to court documents, a security officer observed Mr. Price attempting to leave the upscale Neiman Marcus store without paying for the undergarments, valued at $516. He was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum jail term of one year and/or a maximum fine of $4,000.
Mr. Price pleaded no contest on Feb. 17, 1998, and agreed to a plea bargain. He received 12 months of probation and had to pay a $300 fine and attend an anti-theft program. He successfully completed the terms of the agreement, and his probation ended March 1, 1999, according to court records.
Mr. Price had denied in a Morning News questionnaire having been arrested or involved in any criminal proceeding. His supporters were surprised when asked about the theft on Tuesday.
"It gives me some pause," said John Wiley Price, who is not related to Walter Price. "I'm taken aback."
Mr. Brashear and Mr. West, a Dallas Democrat, also said they were unaware of the incident. Mr. Brashear didn't want to comment, saying he would talk to Mr. Price. Mr. West said the incident didn't sound like the man he knows.
"Walter Price has been involved in school activities for a long time," Mr. West said.
Mr. Kirk said he wants to speak to Mr. Price and learn more about the incident.
"I've known Walter a long time, and he's a diligent, hardworking and caring individual," Mr. Kirk said. "I can't speak to this charge. I can tell you all of my exposure to him has been positive."
Mr. Price, who teaches at Jarvis Christian College and Southwestern Christian College, said he has made amends for the incident by being involved with Dallas schools and the community. He serves on the school district's Dallas Achieves commission, created to find ways for the district to run more efficiently. He has led the Dallas Council of PTAs, which covers DISD, for about a year.
Mr. Barnett, another District 6 candidate and pastor of Heavenly Joy Church in Dallas, said he had learned from his crime. He was convicted of possessing marijuana in August 1973 and served six months of probation.
"It was one time, and it was a $25 fine," said Mr. Barnett, 58.
Mr. Tave, a teacher in Fort Worth and a District 6 candidate, said his debt to the Internal Revenue Service is being paid down.
"They've been taking all of my refunds," Mr. Tave said of the IRS. He added that he doesn't know if the debt has been paid off.
The other candidates in the District 6 race are Carol King Arnold, Carla Ranger, Stephen Poole and Jordan R. Blair.
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Who's making noise at Love?
Loudest flights aren't commercial airliners, says research that could recast Wright amendment debate
By ERIC TORBENSON and SUZANNE MARTA / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The 10 loudest planes that flew into Dallas Love Field in March were not the commercial jetliners flown by American and Southwest airlines. They were cargo planes, business jets and sports team charters, according to the city's aviation department research obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
General aviation and cargo flights, with older engines and far fewer noise restrictions, make up about two-thirds of Love's total flights. That puts the noise debate – and the tussle over the Wright amendment – in a new light.
Wright amendment backers have made noise the central focus of their campaign, through television ads, direct mailings and door-to-door canvassing.
Any changes to the 26-year-old law that restricts long-haul flights from Love would bring more planes and more noise to neighborhoods, they contend.
"We just don't want Love Field to get any bigger and bring more large jets in there," said Jay Pritchard, executive director of Stop-and-Think, funded by American Airlines Inc. to get residents to oppose changes to the Wright amendment.
But pro-repeal forces say more commercial flights would actually make Love Field quieter by pushing out louder business jets and cargo planes – an assertion backed by the airport's staff. Theoretically, they say, the business jets would seek less congested airports so they wouldn't have to compete with commercial schedules.
"It's consistent with what we've thought all along, that the general aviation planes are to blame for most of the noise," said Anthony Page of Friends of Love Field, a pro-repeal group.
Stop-and-Think, which received $1 million from Fort Worth-based American, is set to hold a news conference today on noise.
According to the city's rankings, some of the planes flown by the group's sponsor are among the 20 loudest during takeoff.
"We realize our planes make noise, and that's in no way beneficial to the neighborhoods around Love," said American spokesman Tim Wagner.
If neighbors realize the trade-off of more noise resulting from more passenger flights at Love, they'll reconsider Southwest's campaign to repeal the Wright law, he said. "They're hearing it 100 times a day, and what would the impact be if it were 300 or 400 times a day?"
Southwest's 120 flights a day dominate Love's passenger side, while American is flying seven MD-80 flights a day split between St. Louis and Kansas City. American also flies quieter regional jets, as does Continental Airlines Inc., the third commercial passenger airline at Love.
Southwest's older planes, Boeing 737-300s, rank No. 11 in terms of approach noise. American's MD-80s come in at No. 22, by the same measure, but are louder than any Southwest aircraft on takeoff.
There are some caveats on the city's noisy-plane list. It measures only the takeoff sound of the engines measured by federal regulators at a distance of one-eighth of a mile from the end of a runway. And it measures approach noise only between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, though the measurement can vary slightly.
The city's list also doesn't account for Southwest's planes that have noise-reducing winglets, and it also may not reflect some modifications to engines.
Most important, it doesn't show how far the loud noise from some jets extends from the airport. According to Boeing Co. and Love Field's own noise research, American's jets have a noise footprint – the area where noise is heard – twice as large as newer Southwest planes. That means American planes are heard longer and farther from the airport.
Southwest's take
The noise issue is overblown by people fronting for American, Southwest Airlines chairman Herb Kelleher said Tuesday.
"There are more households affected by noise from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport than by any noise from Love," Mr. Kelleher said. "Why don't these people take it up with D/FW?"
The list of noisiest planes shows the real culprit isn't commercial planes, Mr. Page said.
Love Field staff said that it's possible that smaller general aviation fliers could leave if the airport gets more commercial passenger flights.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller has also advocated moving some cargo and business jet activity from Love to Dallas Executive Airport, where the city just unveiled a new terminal and other improvements. Executive, in southwest Dallas, faces its share of noise critics as well.
Noise is a complicated issue because so many factors – including humidity, wind and temperature – change how planes sound from the ground.
And people's sensitivities vary.
A jet that flies late at night or during pre-dawn hours may be just as loud as one that flies at noon. But it also may be more annoying. Some Love cargo operators have to fly during pre-dawn hours; Southwest and American stop flying before midnight.
The Federal Aviation Administration considers 65 decibels to be the average noise level incompatible with homes and other development. At Love Field, that's a fairly limited area of 2 square miles – most of which is on airport property.
Southwest's Mr. Kelleher said his airline's flying creates 65 decibels only to Mockingbird Lane. "We are not the problem here," he said.
Peter Kirsch, a Denver-based attorney who represented Grapevine, Euless and Irving in their fight against D/FW Airport in the late 1980s, said the 65-decibel threshold is merely a planning guideline and doesn't reflect how much airport noise exists.
The guideline is an annual average, created by taking measurements throughout the day, under a variety of weather conditions.
"If you put one hand in ice water and one in a flame, you'd technically be at room temperature, but that doesn't reflect the situation," Mr. Kirsch said. "It could mean sometimes there are noise events at 105 decibels, and sometimes there's no noise at all."
Noise levels improving
During the last two decades, the number of people affected by average noise levels above the 65-decibel level dropped to 1 million from 10 million.
"But noise is relative, and as the environment improves, people's expectations increase," he said.
Love Field had one of the nation's earliest noise programs, an effort that marked the birth of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee. The airport has 13 noise monitors and uses them to track airplanes or helicopters that stray from the established – and least intrusive – procedures.
The airport is quieter than it was before 2001 because commercial passenger activity remains down, meaning fewer large jets.
Pat White, co-chair of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee, said noise contour maps don't tell the whole story.
While her home in Bluffview is outside even the 55-decibel zone calculated in 2000 as part of the Love Field Master Plan, "that doesn't mean we don't have impact."
"It's not like it's quiet once you cross over the line," she said.
And while the Master Plan's projections for noise in 2010 show the noise footprint shrinking, that assumes a fleet mix of mostly regional jets, which are much quieter than mainline jets used by Southwest and American.
"If they open up Love Field, the 65[-decibel] area is going to creep much further out, and we can't do anything about it," Ms. White said. "We don't want to move backwards, and that's what would happen."
Loudest flights aren't commercial airliners, says research that could recast Wright amendment debate
By ERIC TORBENSON and SUZANNE MARTA / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The 10 loudest planes that flew into Dallas Love Field in March were not the commercial jetliners flown by American and Southwest airlines. They were cargo planes, business jets and sports team charters, according to the city's aviation department research obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
General aviation and cargo flights, with older engines and far fewer noise restrictions, make up about two-thirds of Love's total flights. That puts the noise debate – and the tussle over the Wright amendment – in a new light.
Wright amendment backers have made noise the central focus of their campaign, through television ads, direct mailings and door-to-door canvassing.
Any changes to the 26-year-old law that restricts long-haul flights from Love would bring more planes and more noise to neighborhoods, they contend.
"We just don't want Love Field to get any bigger and bring more large jets in there," said Jay Pritchard, executive director of Stop-and-Think, funded by American Airlines Inc. to get residents to oppose changes to the Wright amendment.
But pro-repeal forces say more commercial flights would actually make Love Field quieter by pushing out louder business jets and cargo planes – an assertion backed by the airport's staff. Theoretically, they say, the business jets would seek less congested airports so they wouldn't have to compete with commercial schedules.
"It's consistent with what we've thought all along, that the general aviation planes are to blame for most of the noise," said Anthony Page of Friends of Love Field, a pro-repeal group.
Stop-and-Think, which received $1 million from Fort Worth-based American, is set to hold a news conference today on noise.
According to the city's rankings, some of the planes flown by the group's sponsor are among the 20 loudest during takeoff.
"We realize our planes make noise, and that's in no way beneficial to the neighborhoods around Love," said American spokesman Tim Wagner.
If neighbors realize the trade-off of more noise resulting from more passenger flights at Love, they'll reconsider Southwest's campaign to repeal the Wright law, he said. "They're hearing it 100 times a day, and what would the impact be if it were 300 or 400 times a day?"
Southwest's 120 flights a day dominate Love's passenger side, while American is flying seven MD-80 flights a day split between St. Louis and Kansas City. American also flies quieter regional jets, as does Continental Airlines Inc., the third commercial passenger airline at Love.
Southwest's older planes, Boeing 737-300s, rank No. 11 in terms of approach noise. American's MD-80s come in at No. 22, by the same measure, but are louder than any Southwest aircraft on takeoff.
There are some caveats on the city's noisy-plane list. It measures only the takeoff sound of the engines measured by federal regulators at a distance of one-eighth of a mile from the end of a runway. And it measures approach noise only between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, though the measurement can vary slightly.
The city's list also doesn't account for Southwest's planes that have noise-reducing winglets, and it also may not reflect some modifications to engines.
Most important, it doesn't show how far the loud noise from some jets extends from the airport. According to Boeing Co. and Love Field's own noise research, American's jets have a noise footprint – the area where noise is heard – twice as large as newer Southwest planes. That means American planes are heard longer and farther from the airport.
Southwest's take
The noise issue is overblown by people fronting for American, Southwest Airlines chairman Herb Kelleher said Tuesday.
"There are more households affected by noise from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport than by any noise from Love," Mr. Kelleher said. "Why don't these people take it up with D/FW?"
The list of noisiest planes shows the real culprit isn't commercial planes, Mr. Page said.
Love Field staff said that it's possible that smaller general aviation fliers could leave if the airport gets more commercial passenger flights.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller has also advocated moving some cargo and business jet activity from Love to Dallas Executive Airport, where the city just unveiled a new terminal and other improvements. Executive, in southwest Dallas, faces its share of noise critics as well.
Noise is a complicated issue because so many factors – including humidity, wind and temperature – change how planes sound from the ground.
And people's sensitivities vary.
A jet that flies late at night or during pre-dawn hours may be just as loud as one that flies at noon. But it also may be more annoying. Some Love cargo operators have to fly during pre-dawn hours; Southwest and American stop flying before midnight.
The Federal Aviation Administration considers 65 decibels to be the average noise level incompatible with homes and other development. At Love Field, that's a fairly limited area of 2 square miles – most of which is on airport property.
Southwest's Mr. Kelleher said his airline's flying creates 65 decibels only to Mockingbird Lane. "We are not the problem here," he said.
Peter Kirsch, a Denver-based attorney who represented Grapevine, Euless and Irving in their fight against D/FW Airport in the late 1980s, said the 65-decibel threshold is merely a planning guideline and doesn't reflect how much airport noise exists.
The guideline is an annual average, created by taking measurements throughout the day, under a variety of weather conditions.
"If you put one hand in ice water and one in a flame, you'd technically be at room temperature, but that doesn't reflect the situation," Mr. Kirsch said. "It could mean sometimes there are noise events at 105 decibels, and sometimes there's no noise at all."
Noise levels improving
During the last two decades, the number of people affected by average noise levels above the 65-decibel level dropped to 1 million from 10 million.
"But noise is relative, and as the environment improves, people's expectations increase," he said.
Love Field had one of the nation's earliest noise programs, an effort that marked the birth of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee. The airport has 13 noise monitors and uses them to track airplanes or helicopters that stray from the established – and least intrusive – procedures.
The airport is quieter than it was before 2001 because commercial passenger activity remains down, meaning fewer large jets.
Pat White, co-chair of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee, said noise contour maps don't tell the whole story.
While her home in Bluffview is outside even the 55-decibel zone calculated in 2000 as part of the Love Field Master Plan, "that doesn't mean we don't have impact."
"It's not like it's quiet once you cross over the line," she said.
And while the Master Plan's projections for noise in 2010 show the noise footprint shrinking, that assumes a fleet mix of mostly regional jets, which are much quieter than mainline jets used by Southwest and American.
"If they open up Love Field, the 65[-decibel] area is going to creep much further out, and we can't do anything about it," Ms. White said. "We don't want to move backwards, and that's what would happen."
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TexasStooge
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$500,000 of cocaine seized in Dallas
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas sheriff’s deputies seized a half-million dollars worth of cocaine and arrested three Mexican nationals Tuesday in an undercover sting at a hotel on Stemmons Freeway.
Ramon Hernandez, 26, Eder Ibarra-Balderas, 22, and Carlos Alejandro Vellegas, 29, were being held Wednesday on drug and immigration charges at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.
Deputies arrested the men Tuesday evening after they offered to sell five kilograms of cocaine to undercover agents in the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn on Stemmons Freeway at Wycliff Avenue.
Authorities also seized a .38-caliber revolver and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
Sheriff’s investigators trying to determine whether the men were connected to any other criminal enterprises had little success, said Sgt. Don Peritz, a department spokesman.
“These men were not cooperative with us,” he said.
They were being held without bond on felony charges of manufacturing or delivery of cocaine, unlawful carrying of a weapon and holds for federal immigration authorities.
Hernandez also faces a charge of probation violation for a prior felony drug charge from 2001.
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas sheriff’s deputies seized a half-million dollars worth of cocaine and arrested three Mexican nationals Tuesday in an undercover sting at a hotel on Stemmons Freeway.
Ramon Hernandez, 26, Eder Ibarra-Balderas, 22, and Carlos Alejandro Vellegas, 29, were being held Wednesday on drug and immigration charges at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.
Deputies arrested the men Tuesday evening after they offered to sell five kilograms of cocaine to undercover agents in the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn on Stemmons Freeway at Wycliff Avenue.
Authorities also seized a .38-caliber revolver and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
Sheriff’s investigators trying to determine whether the men were connected to any other criminal enterprises had little success, said Sgt. Don Peritz, a department spokesman.
“These men were not cooperative with us,” he said.
They were being held without bond on felony charges of manufacturing or delivery of cocaine, unlawful carrying of a weapon and holds for federal immigration authorities.
Hernandez also faces a charge of probation violation for a prior felony drug charge from 2001.
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TexasStooge
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Drills pay off in Dallas nursing home fire
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A fire forced nursing home patients from their beds this afternoon.
It broke out just after one o'clock at the Brentwood Place Community on Scyene Road in Dallas.
The fire caused by an electrical fault is now out.
But it shut down the power to the building for a time.
People who live there are being redistributed to other beds, their families or social workers.
The pace picked up in a hurry at Brentwood Place Assisted Living Center.
"I smelled it, it smelled like wire," said one employer.
"He just started yelling 'fire on 200 hall' -- from that point, it just kicked in," said Craig Williams, another employer.
He says all those monthly fire drills during his time at Brentwood Place paid off.
"I did beds, people in beds. The walkers and wheelchairs was already rolling."
Dallas Fire rescuers say the heavy lifting was done by the time they rolled up.
Just minutes after the alarm, nearly all the people who lived there were out.
"When we got here, they were rolling them out in beds, with oxygen and that kind of stuff - it could have turned into a hairy situation," said Greg Stoy from Dallas Fire-Rescue.
"It exploded. Sparks went everywhere!" said patient, Jane Eckstein.
Eckstein is one of about 120 people who live here.
She, with her books, made the most of her time in the shade.
"I said this is the ultimate in entertainment," she said.
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A fire forced nursing home patients from their beds this afternoon.
It broke out just after one o'clock at the Brentwood Place Community on Scyene Road in Dallas.
The fire caused by an electrical fault is now out.
But it shut down the power to the building for a time.
People who live there are being redistributed to other beds, their families or social workers.
The pace picked up in a hurry at Brentwood Place Assisted Living Center.
"I smelled it, it smelled like wire," said one employer.
"He just started yelling 'fire on 200 hall' -- from that point, it just kicked in," said Craig Williams, another employer.
He says all those monthly fire drills during his time at Brentwood Place paid off.
"I did beds, people in beds. The walkers and wheelchairs was already rolling."
Dallas Fire rescuers say the heavy lifting was done by the time they rolled up.
Just minutes after the alarm, nearly all the people who lived there were out.
"When we got here, they were rolling them out in beds, with oxygen and that kind of stuff - it could have turned into a hairy situation," said Greg Stoy from Dallas Fire-Rescue.
"It exploded. Sparks went everywhere!" said patient, Jane Eckstein.
Eckstein is one of about 120 people who live here.
She, with her books, made the most of her time in the shade.
"I said this is the ultimate in entertainment," she said.
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May 20th declared 'wipe out graffiti
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas City Leaders want residents to pull out their paint brushes and help wipe out graffiti.
In a news conference today, council member Angela Hunt declared Saturday May 20th as Wipe Out Graffiti day.
Volunteers with donated supplies will fan out across the city to paint over graffiti.
City leaders say graffiti that isn't cleaned up leads to crime, ruins neighborhoods, and scares away economic development.
"How can you develop a community, when everything is scribbled upon. We do not want to be recognized as scribble city," said Dallas city councilman, Leo Chaney.
The Clean up will go on from 9 until noon in every council district in the city, and lunch will be served after.
To sign up, go to Dallas City Hall.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas City Leaders want residents to pull out their paint brushes and help wipe out graffiti.
In a news conference today, council member Angela Hunt declared Saturday May 20th as Wipe Out Graffiti day.
Volunteers with donated supplies will fan out across the city to paint over graffiti.
City leaders say graffiti that isn't cleaned up leads to crime, ruins neighborhoods, and scares away economic development.
"How can you develop a community, when everything is scribbled upon. We do not want to be recognized as scribble city," said Dallas city councilman, Leo Chaney.
The Clean up will go on from 9 until noon in every council district in the city, and lunch will be served after.
To sign up, go to Dallas City Hall.
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Audit: Lottery faces significant security weaknesses
AUSTIN, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – The Texas Lottery Commission needs to better enforce its computer system security policies and more effectively ensure that its main contractor is conducting background checks on its employees, according to a state auditor's report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
The report, which is scheduled for public release on Friday, said security at the lottery is "generally satisfactory." But the auditors identified several significant security weaknesses, especially in the area of system access.
For example, the report said the commission does not sufficiently document and enforce rules and policies about passwords, firewalls and accounts with special access privileges. The report did not include details about the security flaws to prevent people from exploiting them.
Lottery spokesman Bobby Heith did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Commission Chairman C. Thomas Clowe said Wednesday morning that the audit would be discussed at the board's next meeting.
The commission is required to hire an independent firm to study all aspects of lottery security at least once every two years. The audit also addressed concerns raised by former and current lottery employees about the agency's ability to operate after a disaster.
Lawmakers grilled lottery officials about the agency's disaster recovery plan last fall after an employee sent two state representatives a scathing e-mail claiming the commission's emergency control center isn't fully functional. The employee was fired two days after he sent the e-mail for refusing to answer his supervisors' questions about the center unless they put them in writing.
The auditors said the commission should improve some aspects of its disaster recovery plan, but they pointed out that the agency's recovery center only supports its internal accounting system and other administrative processes.
They did however say weaknesses in lottery operator GTECH Corp.'s disaster recovery plan should be corrected "to better ensure that the operation of Texas lottery games can resume promptly after a disaster." GTECH controls the systems that run all lottery games.
The audit also urged lottery officials to ensure GTECH's employees have undergone proper background investigations and said all the company's employees should receive security awareness training.
A GTECH spokeswoman said she hadn't seen the report and couldn't comment on it.
Other areas of concern identified in the audit involved security aspects of each lottery game, the distribution of instant tickets and the security of lottery buildings and warehouses.
But the auditors said a 2004 reorganization of the lottery's security division did not have a significant negative effect.
The state auditor's office is expected to release another report later this year on the commission's personnel policies. Current and former lottery employees have complained the agency uses the threat of terminations to scare and intimidate anyone who questions lottery operations.
Lottery officials have said the law allows them to fire employees at any time for any lawful reason.
AUSTIN, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – The Texas Lottery Commission needs to better enforce its computer system security policies and more effectively ensure that its main contractor is conducting background checks on its employees, according to a state auditor's report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
The report, which is scheduled for public release on Friday, said security at the lottery is "generally satisfactory." But the auditors identified several significant security weaknesses, especially in the area of system access.
For example, the report said the commission does not sufficiently document and enforce rules and policies about passwords, firewalls and accounts with special access privileges. The report did not include details about the security flaws to prevent people from exploiting them.
Lottery spokesman Bobby Heith did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Commission Chairman C. Thomas Clowe said Wednesday morning that the audit would be discussed at the board's next meeting.
The commission is required to hire an independent firm to study all aspects of lottery security at least once every two years. The audit also addressed concerns raised by former and current lottery employees about the agency's ability to operate after a disaster.
Lawmakers grilled lottery officials about the agency's disaster recovery plan last fall after an employee sent two state representatives a scathing e-mail claiming the commission's emergency control center isn't fully functional. The employee was fired two days after he sent the e-mail for refusing to answer his supervisors' questions about the center unless they put them in writing.
The auditors said the commission should improve some aspects of its disaster recovery plan, but they pointed out that the agency's recovery center only supports its internal accounting system and other administrative processes.
They did however say weaknesses in lottery operator GTECH Corp.'s disaster recovery plan should be corrected "to better ensure that the operation of Texas lottery games can resume promptly after a disaster." GTECH controls the systems that run all lottery games.
The audit also urged lottery officials to ensure GTECH's employees have undergone proper background investigations and said all the company's employees should receive security awareness training.
A GTECH spokeswoman said she hadn't seen the report and couldn't comment on it.
Other areas of concern identified in the audit involved security aspects of each lottery game, the distribution of instant tickets and the security of lottery buildings and warehouses.
But the auditors said a 2004 reorganization of the lottery's security division did not have a significant negative effect.
The state auditor's office is expected to release another report later this year on the commission's personnel policies. Current and former lottery employees have complained the agency uses the threat of terminations to scare and intimidate anyone who questions lottery operations.
Lottery officials have said the law allows them to fire employees at any time for any lawful reason.
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TexasStooge
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Men rob Oak Lawn bank
OAK LAWN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two men robbed an Oak Lawn bank Wednesday morning, getting away with an undetermined amount of cash.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough said the robbery occurred around 8 a.m. at the Compass Bank in the 4200 block of Oak Lawn Avenue near Wycliff Avenue.
She said the men, who were both armed, confronted a bank employee preparing to open the drive-through for the day.
No description was released of the suspects except they were wearing all black. No one was injured in the robbery, Cpl. Kimbrough said.
OAK LAWN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two men robbed an Oak Lawn bank Wednesday morning, getting away with an undetermined amount of cash.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough said the robbery occurred around 8 a.m. at the Compass Bank in the 4200 block of Oak Lawn Avenue near Wycliff Avenue.
She said the men, who were both armed, confronted a bank employee preparing to open the drive-through for the day.
No description was released of the suspects except they were wearing all black. No one was injured in the robbery, Cpl. Kimbrough said.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Mother outraged at attempts to block execution
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - After waiting nearly 20 years, a North Texas mother said she is furious at last minute efforts to block the execution of her daughter's killer.
Jackie Wilson was scheduled to die Thursday for a crime described as so brutal, detectives signed up to watch the lethal injection.
On a November night in 1988, Maggie Rhodes, 5, was taken by Wilson after he broke into her window and snatched her.
Toni Rhodes, Maggie's mother, said she was startled when she felt a cold wind from the broken window.
"At first I didn't realize she was missing because her covers were over her animals," she said.
However, it didn't take long for it to hit that her daughter was gone.
"I started hollering for her," Rhodes said.
Maggie's body was discovered soon after along a Grand Prairie roadside only nine miles away.
Mike Basillo was lead detective, and along with his team arrested Wilson about a week later.
Police said they found Wilson's fingerprints on Maggie's broken window, his tire prints across her neck and her hair inside his car.
"...There are monsters out there," Basillo said. "Unfortunately, she saw one, Jackie Baron Wilson."
Rhodes said her pain has not dwindled with time.
"[It's been] 18 years, I get emotional about it to this day...," Rhodes said.
The Innocence Network appealed to the US Supreme Court claiming the way Texas executes inmates is cruel and unusual.
But Basillo said he bristles at the Innocence Network's appeal, and plans to watch the execution himself.
"And then laying her down on the pavement like a piece of trash and running over her, oh, that's pain," Wilson said. "That's pain."
Rhodes said she will watch too.
"For God's sake, he just goes to sleep," she said. "My daughter had to suffer all the pain. That was cruel and unusual."
Rhodes said after going through two trials, she now fears Wilson might avoid the death penalty after an appeals court overturned his first conviction.
She said the last minute effort has prolonged her misery.
"I won't be breathing the same air he's breathing," she said. "I won't be paying to keep him alive."
Maggie would have turned 23 last Sunday.
The Texas attorney general will file a response to the legal challenge Thursday, but Rhodes and two of the detectives said they hope they will watch Wilson's execution later that night.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - After waiting nearly 20 years, a North Texas mother said she is furious at last minute efforts to block the execution of her daughter's killer.
Jackie Wilson was scheduled to die Thursday for a crime described as so brutal, detectives signed up to watch the lethal injection.
On a November night in 1988, Maggie Rhodes, 5, was taken by Wilson after he broke into her window and snatched her.
Toni Rhodes, Maggie's mother, said she was startled when she felt a cold wind from the broken window.
"At first I didn't realize she was missing because her covers were over her animals," she said.
However, it didn't take long for it to hit that her daughter was gone.
"I started hollering for her," Rhodes said.
Maggie's body was discovered soon after along a Grand Prairie roadside only nine miles away.
Mike Basillo was lead detective, and along with his team arrested Wilson about a week later.
Police said they found Wilson's fingerprints on Maggie's broken window, his tire prints across her neck and her hair inside his car.
"...There are monsters out there," Basillo said. "Unfortunately, she saw one, Jackie Baron Wilson."
Rhodes said her pain has not dwindled with time.
"[It's been] 18 years, I get emotional about it to this day...," Rhodes said.
The Innocence Network appealed to the US Supreme Court claiming the way Texas executes inmates is cruel and unusual.
But Basillo said he bristles at the Innocence Network's appeal, and plans to watch the execution himself.
"And then laying her down on the pavement like a piece of trash and running over her, oh, that's pain," Wilson said. "That's pain."
Rhodes said she will watch too.
"For God's sake, he just goes to sleep," she said. "My daughter had to suffer all the pain. That was cruel and unusual."
Rhodes said after going through two trials, she now fears Wilson might avoid the death penalty after an appeals court overturned his first conviction.
She said the last minute effort has prolonged her misery.
"I won't be breathing the same air he's breathing," she said. "I won't be paying to keep him alive."
Maggie would have turned 23 last Sunday.
The Texas attorney general will file a response to the legal challenge Thursday, but Rhodes and two of the detectives said they hope they will watch Wilson's execution later that night.
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Highland Park will pass hat to fund schools
Officials: $100 million endowment would give district fiscal stability
By KRISTEN HOLLAND / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - The state Legislature has exhausted two years and four special sessions searching for a new way to finance public schools.
Highland Park schools, however, have had enough. Rather than wait for money that's unlikely to come, the district will raise cash a simpler way – by asking for it.
Lots of it.
The district's plans to build up a $100 million endowment – yes, that's $100 million – is raising some eyebrows, though. While some private schools including St. Mark's School of Texas and The Hockaday School have endowments worth nearly that much, it would be more than many colleges have in the bank.
The University of North Texas, for example, only has about $58 million in its endowment fund. Texas State, in San Marcos, has less than $39 million.
Though district officials say they need the financial security an endowment of that magnitude would provide, some say it raises equity concerns because few communities can raise that kind of cash. As public schools nationwide struggle with funding cuts, many see endowments – more common for private schools and universities – as unavoidable.
"What we're looking for are mechanisms that can assure that the gap between what the state funding formula gives you and what is needed to educate our students is covered," said Cathy Bryce, Highland Park's superintendent.
Jan Peterson, executive director of the Highland Park Education Foundation, said the goal is daunting, but doable.
"I wouldn't even say it if I didn't think it was feasible," Ms. Peterson said, adding that the nonprofit will oversee the fund.
The campaign hasn't officially begun, but an announcement about the first million-dollar donation is planned for Tuesday's school board meeting. Ms. Peterson declined to identify the donor but said it's a local resident.
She said announcements about several $250,000 and $100,000 gifts will come in the next few months.
Per-pupil spending
Though insiders are familiar with the district's financial straits, the perception that liquid gold flows from Highland Park faucets still exists.
The district is considered wealthy by the state, but it spends less per student than Dallas. Southlake Carroll, Coppell, Richardson and Plano also spend more.
During the 2004-05 school year, Highland Park spent $6,419 per student, enough to be ranked 37th out of 68 North Texas districts. The state average was $6,526 that year.
The gap would be even wider without donations.
Highland Park received $331 in private funds for each student during the 2004-05 school year. In the early 1990s, before the current school finance system started, Highland Park consistently topped the rankings statewide without private dollars.
Critics, however, say Highland Park can spend less per student because the district has minimal transportation, food service and social services costs.
Nevertheless, district leaders say they wouldn't be in a funding predicament if the tax system didn't drain their revenues. Almost three-quarters of Highland Park's property tax revenue is redistributed to poorer districts.
By the end of this summer, Highland Park will have sent almost $600 million to the state since the finance system started in 1993. Since then, parents have stepped up to fill gaps, giving more than $23.7 million.
The district's Mad for Plaid effort – which generated more than $2.5 million last year – will not be affected by the endowment.
Millions each year
Depending on the return on its investments, a $100 million endowment would allow the education foundation to give $4 million to $5 million a year to the district, Ms. Peterson said. The funds could be spent on teacher salaries, technology and campus improvements.
Unlike annual funds, endowments are like permanent savings accounts. Instead of spending the money on immediate needs, it's invested and only the earnings are used.
"The real advantage of an endowment is it provides a dedicated source of funding that's not going to be subject to budgetary crisises, changes in leadership, political clamor," said David Bass, director of governmental relations for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
Dorothy Hopkins said that type of funding is needed in Highland Park.
"Not knowing what's going to happen with Robin Hood, it makes sense to keep this foundation going and raise all the money they can," said Mrs. Hopkins, whose youngest daughter is a junior at Highland Park High.
Budgetary pressure
Highland Park isn't the first public school district to look outside the tax system for money. As funding has slipped, schools nationwide – from California to Massachusetts – have turned to private sector fundraising.
"We get a lot more calls," Mr. Bass said. "A lot of it is clearly budgetary pressure, desire on the parts of the parents to make sure institutions have the capacity to provide levels of excellence above what public financing can provide."
Just look at Boston Latin School.
In 1999, the 371-year-old public school launched its first major fundraising campaign to cover costs the Boston school district could not. The five-year effort raised about $50 million for the public college-prep school.
"It's really been a godsend," said David Weiner, president of the school's alumni group. "We were able to create an endowment to provide scholarships to our seniors. We were able to use some of the money to create a bigger, more modern library."
While few would argue that raising private money is a bad business move for school districts, some say it could be seen as unfair.
"The flip side of the Highland Park story are those districts that tax at the same rate that Highland Park does or higher but can't get nearly the resources," said Margaret Plecki, an assistant professor in educational leadership and policy studies at Washington State University.
She said that leaders of less wealthy districts may question whether Highland Park needs any state funding if it has a large endowment. "This is another example of what happens when we are drawing from unequal resource bases," in this case property taxes, Dr. Plecki explained.
No desire to outspend
Dr. Bryce defended the tactic, saying that a $100 million endowment won't generate much more than what the district must raise on an annual basis now.
"I think it's fair to say that this community has no desire for us to outspend," Dr. Bryce said. "Those days are over, they're gone."
Public schools that want to maintain high student achievement must bring in private funds because state funding is declining, she said. Even colleges and universities are feeling the pinch and leaning toward public-private partnerships.
In 2005, 334 out of 746 colleges and universities reported having endowments worth at least $100 million, according to a study conducted by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Whether Highland Park can meet its fundraising goal remains to be seen. But Bob Hopkins, founder and president of Dallas-based Philanthropy World magazine, said the endowment will be an easy sell in the Park Cities.
"Those people that live in Highland Park cherish that educational system; $100 million is not out of bounds for them," he said.
Officials: $100 million endowment would give district fiscal stability
By KRISTEN HOLLAND / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - The state Legislature has exhausted two years and four special sessions searching for a new way to finance public schools.
Highland Park schools, however, have had enough. Rather than wait for money that's unlikely to come, the district will raise cash a simpler way – by asking for it.
Lots of it.
The district's plans to build up a $100 million endowment – yes, that's $100 million – is raising some eyebrows, though. While some private schools including St. Mark's School of Texas and The Hockaday School have endowments worth nearly that much, it would be more than many colleges have in the bank.
The University of North Texas, for example, only has about $58 million in its endowment fund. Texas State, in San Marcos, has less than $39 million.
Though district officials say they need the financial security an endowment of that magnitude would provide, some say it raises equity concerns because few communities can raise that kind of cash. As public schools nationwide struggle with funding cuts, many see endowments – more common for private schools and universities – as unavoidable.
"What we're looking for are mechanisms that can assure that the gap between what the state funding formula gives you and what is needed to educate our students is covered," said Cathy Bryce, Highland Park's superintendent.
Jan Peterson, executive director of the Highland Park Education Foundation, said the goal is daunting, but doable.
"I wouldn't even say it if I didn't think it was feasible," Ms. Peterson said, adding that the nonprofit will oversee the fund.
The campaign hasn't officially begun, but an announcement about the first million-dollar donation is planned for Tuesday's school board meeting. Ms. Peterson declined to identify the donor but said it's a local resident.
She said announcements about several $250,000 and $100,000 gifts will come in the next few months.
Per-pupil spending
Though insiders are familiar with the district's financial straits, the perception that liquid gold flows from Highland Park faucets still exists.
The district is considered wealthy by the state, but it spends less per student than Dallas. Southlake Carroll, Coppell, Richardson and Plano also spend more.
During the 2004-05 school year, Highland Park spent $6,419 per student, enough to be ranked 37th out of 68 North Texas districts. The state average was $6,526 that year.
The gap would be even wider without donations.
Highland Park received $331 in private funds for each student during the 2004-05 school year. In the early 1990s, before the current school finance system started, Highland Park consistently topped the rankings statewide without private dollars.
Critics, however, say Highland Park can spend less per student because the district has minimal transportation, food service and social services costs.
Nevertheless, district leaders say they wouldn't be in a funding predicament if the tax system didn't drain their revenues. Almost three-quarters of Highland Park's property tax revenue is redistributed to poorer districts.
By the end of this summer, Highland Park will have sent almost $600 million to the state since the finance system started in 1993. Since then, parents have stepped up to fill gaps, giving more than $23.7 million.
The district's Mad for Plaid effort – which generated more than $2.5 million last year – will not be affected by the endowment.
Millions each year
Depending on the return on its investments, a $100 million endowment would allow the education foundation to give $4 million to $5 million a year to the district, Ms. Peterson said. The funds could be spent on teacher salaries, technology and campus improvements.
Unlike annual funds, endowments are like permanent savings accounts. Instead of spending the money on immediate needs, it's invested and only the earnings are used.
"The real advantage of an endowment is it provides a dedicated source of funding that's not going to be subject to budgetary crisises, changes in leadership, political clamor," said David Bass, director of governmental relations for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
Dorothy Hopkins said that type of funding is needed in Highland Park.
"Not knowing what's going to happen with Robin Hood, it makes sense to keep this foundation going and raise all the money they can," said Mrs. Hopkins, whose youngest daughter is a junior at Highland Park High.
Budgetary pressure
Highland Park isn't the first public school district to look outside the tax system for money. As funding has slipped, schools nationwide – from California to Massachusetts – have turned to private sector fundraising.
"We get a lot more calls," Mr. Bass said. "A lot of it is clearly budgetary pressure, desire on the parts of the parents to make sure institutions have the capacity to provide levels of excellence above what public financing can provide."
Just look at Boston Latin School.
In 1999, the 371-year-old public school launched its first major fundraising campaign to cover costs the Boston school district could not. The five-year effort raised about $50 million for the public college-prep school.
"It's really been a godsend," said David Weiner, president of the school's alumni group. "We were able to create an endowment to provide scholarships to our seniors. We were able to use some of the money to create a bigger, more modern library."
While few would argue that raising private money is a bad business move for school districts, some say it could be seen as unfair.
"The flip side of the Highland Park story are those districts that tax at the same rate that Highland Park does or higher but can't get nearly the resources," said Margaret Plecki, an assistant professor in educational leadership and policy studies at Washington State University.
She said that leaders of less wealthy districts may question whether Highland Park needs any state funding if it has a large endowment. "This is another example of what happens when we are drawing from unequal resource bases," in this case property taxes, Dr. Plecki explained.
No desire to outspend
Dr. Bryce defended the tactic, saying that a $100 million endowment won't generate much more than what the district must raise on an annual basis now.
"I think it's fair to say that this community has no desire for us to outspend," Dr. Bryce said. "Those days are over, they're gone."
Public schools that want to maintain high student achievement must bring in private funds because state funding is declining, she said. Even colleges and universities are feeling the pinch and leaning toward public-private partnerships.
In 2005, 334 out of 746 colleges and universities reported having endowments worth at least $100 million, according to a study conducted by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Whether Highland Park can meet its fundraising goal remains to be seen. But Bob Hopkins, founder and president of Dallas-based Philanthropy World magazine, said the endowment will be an easy sell in the Park Cities.
"Those people that live in Highland Park cherish that educational system; $100 million is not out of bounds for them," he said.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Irving man set to be executed for rape, murder of girl
HOUSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Dressed in Muppets pajamas with her pet puppy under her arm, 5-year-old Lottie Margaret Rhodes slept in her North Texas apartment bedroom in the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 1988, unaware of the danger just outside her window.
Fueled by a night of heavy drinking, cocaine and a failed sexual assault about an hour or so before, Jackie Barron Wilson broke into the little girl's room and kidnapped her. The victim, nicknamed "Maggie," was sexually assaulted, suffocated, beaten and run over by a car.
Maggie's battered body was found a few hours later about five miles from home, face down in a muddy ditch next to a rural road in Grand Prairie. The truck driver who found the girl told authorities she looked like a doll tossed on the side of the road.
Wilson, 39, was convicted of capital murder and is set to be executed Thursday night in Huntsville. He would be the eighth prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the first of four this month in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.
The condemned inmate was originally convicted and sentenced to death in September 1989. An appeals court overturned his conviction on a legal technicality. He was retried in June 1994 and again found guilty and returned to death row.
"It's just a nightmare scenario of a sleeping child taken from her bed by a stranger in the dead of night and brutally murdered and left on the roadside like a piece of trash," said Dallas County prosecutor Toby Shook.
Maggie's cause of death was strangulation and head injuries from being run over by a car.
The vast amount of forensic evidence left no doubt Wilson committed the crime, Shook said.
Several pieces of glass recovered from inside and outside the girl's bedroom had Wilson's fingerprints.
Wilson acknowledged to authorities he drove a red Mercury Cougar on the night of the murder. The two types of tire tracks found on Maggie's body were consistent with the two types of tires on the vehicle. Police also found human hairs both inside the car and underneath it that matched the victim.
Shook said just before Wilson kidnapped Maggie, he had broken into another apartment at the same complex and tried to sexually assault a woman. She chased him out but did not call authorities.
Wilson declined a recent interview request from The Associated Press.
In a 1993 interview with the AP, Wilson said he had lived in Maggie's apartment complex but denied kidnapping and murdering her. Authorities said Wilson, who lived in nearby Irving at the time of the slaying, had been in the girl's apartment before because he knew her live-in baby sitter.
"I'm not going to die for something I didn't do. This is kind of hard for me to believe," he said.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday rejected requests to commute Wilson's sentence to life or halt the execution.
This week, a federal judge in Houston and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from his attorneys to delay the execution by lethal injection because the combination of drugs constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Wilson has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Similar appeals in recent Texas death penalty cases were unsuccessful.
Robin Norris, one of Wilson's attorneys, said his client had an extremely tough childhood, including being neglected and abused by family members and witnessing the murder of a caregiver.
Norris asked for a new punishment hearing because evidence of his client's personal history, which might have swayed jurors from handing down a death sentence, wasn't presented at his trials. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals turned down the request on Monday.
Shook said Wilson's long history of criminal violence, including raping a Lubbock woman in 1984 and stabbing an inmate while he was on death row, show the jury made the right decision.
"He is just a remorseless killer," he said.
Next on the execution schedule is Derrick O'Brien, one of five gang members condemned for the savage rape-slayings of two Houston teenage girls in 1993. He is set to be executed May 16.
_____________________________________________________________
"Cruel and unusual punishment"?
Oh, please! If ya wanna talk about 'cruel and unusual', look at what Jackie B. Wilson did to the 5-year-old girl. 
HOUSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Dressed in Muppets pajamas with her pet puppy under her arm, 5-year-old Lottie Margaret Rhodes slept in her North Texas apartment bedroom in the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 1988, unaware of the danger just outside her window.
Fueled by a night of heavy drinking, cocaine and a failed sexual assault about an hour or so before, Jackie Barron Wilson broke into the little girl's room and kidnapped her. The victim, nicknamed "Maggie," was sexually assaulted, suffocated, beaten and run over by a car.
Maggie's battered body was found a few hours later about five miles from home, face down in a muddy ditch next to a rural road in Grand Prairie. The truck driver who found the girl told authorities she looked like a doll tossed on the side of the road.
Wilson, 39, was convicted of capital murder and is set to be executed Thursday night in Huntsville. He would be the eighth prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the first of four this month in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.
The condemned inmate was originally convicted and sentenced to death in September 1989. An appeals court overturned his conviction on a legal technicality. He was retried in June 1994 and again found guilty and returned to death row.
"It's just a nightmare scenario of a sleeping child taken from her bed by a stranger in the dead of night and brutally murdered and left on the roadside like a piece of trash," said Dallas County prosecutor Toby Shook.
Maggie's cause of death was strangulation and head injuries from being run over by a car.
The vast amount of forensic evidence left no doubt Wilson committed the crime, Shook said.
Several pieces of glass recovered from inside and outside the girl's bedroom had Wilson's fingerprints.
Wilson acknowledged to authorities he drove a red Mercury Cougar on the night of the murder. The two types of tire tracks found on Maggie's body were consistent with the two types of tires on the vehicle. Police also found human hairs both inside the car and underneath it that matched the victim.
Shook said just before Wilson kidnapped Maggie, he had broken into another apartment at the same complex and tried to sexually assault a woman. She chased him out but did not call authorities.
Wilson declined a recent interview request from The Associated Press.
In a 1993 interview with the AP, Wilson said he had lived in Maggie's apartment complex but denied kidnapping and murdering her. Authorities said Wilson, who lived in nearby Irving at the time of the slaying, had been in the girl's apartment before because he knew her live-in baby sitter.
"I'm not going to die for something I didn't do. This is kind of hard for me to believe," he said.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday rejected requests to commute Wilson's sentence to life or halt the execution.
This week, a federal judge in Houston and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from his attorneys to delay the execution by lethal injection because the combination of drugs constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Wilson has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Similar appeals in recent Texas death penalty cases were unsuccessful.
Robin Norris, one of Wilson's attorneys, said his client had an extremely tough childhood, including being neglected and abused by family members and witnessing the murder of a caregiver.
Norris asked for a new punishment hearing because evidence of his client's personal history, which might have swayed jurors from handing down a death sentence, wasn't presented at his trials. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals turned down the request on Monday.
Shook said Wilson's long history of criminal violence, including raping a Lubbock woman in 1984 and stabbing an inmate while he was on death row, show the jury made the right decision.
"He is just a remorseless killer," he said.
Next on the execution schedule is Derrick O'Brien, one of five gang members condemned for the savage rape-slayings of two Houston teenage girls in 1993. He is set to be executed May 16.
_____________________________________________________________
This week, a federal judge in Houston and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from his attorneys to delay the execution by lethal injection because the combination of drugs constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
"Cruel and unusual punishment"?
Oh, please! If ya wanna talk about 'cruel and unusual', look at what Jackie B. Wilson did to the 5-year-old girl.
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