Freed from Death Row • an Old Case Renews Debate About Coital Punishment in Oregon
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Lite in 11 I the Balance 11 Freed from death row • An old case renews debate about coital punishment in Oregon. By Alan Qustafson Tha Statesman Journal > When a dining car stew ard was beaten to death by a pickpocket in the railroad yards at Klamath Falls, de tectives collared their man. In a matter of days, they extracted a jailhouse confes sion from the young black suspect. So began Ted Jordan's long ordeal. He wound up on Oregon's death row for a murder he did not do. It happened in 1932. Kla math FsJls was a Southern Oregon stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan. Jordan was a marked man. "It was anti-black and anti-Catholic, and he was both." Portland lawyer Charles Paulson recalled last week. Paulson played a key role in getting Jordan's conviction set aside in the mid-1960b, freeing him after decades of imprisonment. Jordan was sent to the Or egon State Penitentiary on the strength of a confession that was tortured out of him. Detectives zapped him with a "truth tester — eiec- tncaliv charged wires at tached to his testicles. "It was a pretty amazing deal," Paulson said. "I al ways felt he was framed." Jordan's cbse sounds like a Hollywood storyline. But as Oregon awaits its first ex ecution in 34 years, some people say it illustrates a nightmarish danger of the death penalty: Innocent peo ple sometimes get sentenced to die. "Mistakes can be made with the death penalty. system is far from perfect," said Richard Dieter, director of the Death Penalty Infor mation Center in Washing- tain, D.C. Since 1973. at least 69 death row prisoners across the country have been fmd because new evidence cleared them of murder, Di eter said. "Some of them came close to being executed," he said. "The death penalty is fraught with this danger. It continues to happen. It'e not just a thing of the past." Death row houses* many monsters. It was the last stop for the likee of Ted Bundy, Westley Allan Dodd ' -and William Bonin. Pleasesee Jordan. Page3A StatoMnanJoUmalrSalwn, Ora^ Mon<(tty, Jun* 17,19ee LOCAL/NAfldN Jordan/Death-row prisoner was one of few to be spared Continued from Pege 1A Bonin, CaKrdraia'a 'Freeway Killer," raped and killed at least 14 teen-age boys, dumping their bodies bv freeways. On Feb. 23.'? he was the first to die in Califor nia by lethal injection. Dtvistve issue Last year, 56 people were ex ecuted in the United Slates, the most since 1957. Prdpnnents of the death |Kn- alty maintain that the punish ment for those people fits the crime. Executing cold-blooded killers makes society safer, they say. "When we carry out the death penalty, a sense of justice occurs •- that our society needs," said Bob .1 Kouns, a leader ofOregon Crime 1 Victims United. But with more then 3,000 pris- r oners on death row nationwide and the pace of executions ac- ' ceierating, some worry that safe guards will loosen and more in Bnieo Thorson/Staiesman Journal nocent people will be condemned KEY PLAYER: Lawyer Charles Paulson pi Portland photo) and stats public dsfendsr Lawrence Ascherv to death. 'It's clearly possible we will ex played a key role in.^ release of Teddy Jordan brenrter accompanied Jordan when he was released ecute innocent people as long as {center, in photo on desk). Ayoung Paulson (right, in from Oregon State Penitentiary. ' we have the death penalty," Di- . eter aaid. Then-Gov. Mark Hatfield com a public campaign to save Jordan said last week. muted her sentence to life im from the gallows. Aschenbrenner, who now Pleas for IHe prisonment after Oregonians re A governor-appointed investi works for the Native American In Oregon, death penalty foes pealed capital punishment in gation found evidence of preju Rights Fund in Anchorage, Alas are asking Gov. John Kitzhaber 1964. dice In Jordan's arrest and con ka, said the case was riddled to stop the scheduled Sept. 6 ex But Freeman was paroled in viction, but no one pressed for a with abuses. ecution of convicted triple-killer 1983. a move that outraged Hat- new trial. However, Gov, Meier For instance, he aaid, arresting Douglas Franklin Wright. field. The U.S. senator wanted commuted Jordan's death sen officers had failed to advise Jor- . So far, their pleas have been Freeman kept in prison for life. tence to life in prison. dan of his rights to remain silent futile. Wright continues to cling After briefly returning to pris Jordan, who entered prison and to have an attorney. to his desire to die by injection. on for violating parole i^es, with a fourth-grade education, "I was absolutely convinced he Kitzhaber, who personally op Freeman was released again in immersed himself in reading and was innocent," Aschenbrenner . poses the death penalty, has said 1985. Her parole supervision ex studies at the penitentiary. He said. "Another person had actu he would commute a sentence pired in 1986. gradually progressed to college- ally admitted to the murder." only lo correct a miscarriage of Freeman last made news in level courses. justice. In Wright's case, no legal 1988, when she filed a petition Co In 1954, Jordan was paroled. Spirit lives on abuses have been found. A new trial was ordered on the legally change her name. No one His release came a. short time olB murder charge. But in pre- Barring a change of mind by seems lo know where she is any after a woman told authorities either the governor or the con trial motions, Jordan's co- more. that her late husband, a black'^ counsels, Paulson and David demned inmate. Orego'n's first Freeman's case underscores a man named Sonny Gilbert, had Vandenburg of Klamath Falls, execution since 1962 will take point frequently made by death admitted on' his death bed that place about a minute aAer mid he, not Jordan, killed the rail sought to nave the indictment penalty advocates: Even heinous dismissed. night on Sept. 6. kilters can escape execution. road steward. In 1934, Jordan's life was Jordan's case-representa the In April 1965, Circuit Judge spared by a public outcry over counterpoint in the debate: In Problems wtth law Donald Piper granted the mo • his conviction. Then-Gov. Julius Jordan drew intense scrutiny tion, citing the forced confession. nocent people can be wrongly Meier commuted his death sen following his release. Several "Oh, my God, I'm free. I made condemned. tence to life in prison. questionable run-ins with the it," Jordan exclaimed. But Oregon history holds little Quick conviction law ensued. On June 25, 1965, the former hope for present death row in Back in 1932, Jordan was ac In 1957, he watf arrested on a death-row Inmate left the peni mates. Governors have com cused of slaying railroad worker charge of stealing liquor from the tentiary for good. It was Paul muted the death sentences of Frederick Sullivan. Police Portland nightclub where he was • son's birthday, and he rushed only seven condemned killers claimed he beat Sullivan Co employed. He was acquitted. down from Portland to pick up during the past 40 years. death with a pipe when Sullivan Foiir years later, he was ar Jordan at the penitentiary. awoke from a nap and caught rested for stealing a tube of "I got a speeding ticket on the Famous kilter freed Jordan trying to steal his wallet. toothpaste from a Safeway store. way down," Paulson said. "It was Jeannace Freeman was the With Paulson representing him, quite a day." most notorious killer to be Detectives .tortured the jailed suspect for days while denying he sbed the fll^ for false arrest, The bond between the lawyer spared. winning the case. On May 10. 1961, Freeman him legal representation. and his client endured until Jor In 1963, Jordan was sent back dan's death in the early 1970s. used a tire iron to kill her lesbian "Here's your attorney, .you lover's 6-year-old son, then black SOB," one jailer told Jor Co the penitentiary for three Today, a photograph hangs on hurled his body into the Croaked dan, patting a Luger in his years for stealing groceries. "I'm the wall of Paulson's 16th floor River Gorge near Redmond in .shoulder holster. convinced he was convicted of Portland law office. It shows Jor Central Oregon. During his. trial, one of. two stealing groceries because he dan, Paulson and Aschenbrenner The boy's 4-year-old sister was confessions made by Jordan was was known as a convicted killer," departing the Salem prison oi\ tbssed to her death in the nrge accepted into evidence, despHe Paulson said. the dayoffreedom in 1^5. by her mother, Gertrude Nunez his protests that detedtives had With his parole revoked, Jor Even now, Paulson aaid, the dan faced three years for larceny, Jackson. beaten the confession out of him. photo reminds him of Jordan's Jackson, who pleaded guilty, The jury convicted Jordan, and plus the life sentence from the spirit. murder rap. was sentenced to life in prison he was sentenced to death by "He was an amazing guy," and paroled after seven years. hanging. But in 1964, Oregon's public Paulson said. "He had a very The case attracted national at 'I didn't plead guilty, but I defender, Lawrence Aschenbren- sunny personality, despite all tention because of the nature of might as well have," Jonian said ner, sought a post-conviction those years in prison.