Seeking Justice IN TEXASCOALITIONTOA BOLISHTHEDEATHPENALTY

WORKING TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY IN TEXAS/FALL 2005

The Journey of Hope is Coming to Texas by Bill Pelke

Murder victims family Beginning in Houston, and Coalition to Abolish the Inside this issue: members who oppose the reaching out to communities in Death Penalty. On Saturday death penalty will address Beaumont, Corpus Christi, the 29th a march to the State News from Nancy 2, 3 the statement often used by Victoria and Huntsville, the Capitol for a rally will be pro death penalty forces: Journey speakers will present held. The march and rally “You would support the their testimonies in high will combine the forces of the Shout out Show 3 death penalty if someone in schools, colleges, churches and Journey, the NCADP, your family were killed.” other various venues for five TCADP, Campaign to End TCADP Chapter News 4, 5 Family members of days before moving on to the the Death Penalty and the victims will be coming to Dallas/Fort Worth area doing Moratorium Network. Activ- Legislative Update 6, 7 the Texas Journey of Hope similar events for the next four ists are greatly encouraged to Frances Newton 7 from around the country. days. join the Journey tour, the For 17 days they will be NCADP conference and the Death Penalty Articles 8,9 sharing their stories of their "I am a Christian, Capital march. The Journey own journey ‘from violence and Jesus said, couldn't happen without activ- New Staff 10 to healing’. Speakers will ist support across the state of be talking about how the ‘Whosoever has no Texas. death penalty does not heal Journey of Hope 11 sin, cast the first Please pass this information the hurt. The death of the stone.’ Under that on to any death row family accused only extends the that you think might be inter- cycle of violence. criteria, none of us ested in joining the Journey at Murder victim family mem- can cast the stone of some point along the way. Impending Executions bers lead the Journey; how- death.” They will find the Journey to ever family members of be a wonderful community of During this period several Please note that dates are tentative. death row inmates join support for their heavy bur- them. These family mem- groups of speakers will head dens. September out west to El Paso, Lubbock bers put a human face on the Mr. Pelke is President of Journey 14 Ms. Frances Newton issue and share their per- and Amarillo. From Dallas/Ft. Worth the Journey heads to of Hope…from Violence to Heal- sonal agony of waiting for ing, and Chair of the National 22 Michael Lynn Riley San Antonio for three days that the state to kill their loved Coalition to Abolish the Death will be highlighted when Sister October one. And yet they hope for Penalty some sort of miracle on their Helen Prejean, author of Dead 6 Ronald Howard Man Walking joins the Journey journey. Exonerated death September 15, 2005 for a special evening at St. 20 Luis Ramirez row inmates will also join Deadline to register or the Texas Journey and share Mary’s University. November schedule a venue. their stories of what it was The Journey will continue on 2 Jaime Elizalde like to be on death row, to Austin on Tuesday the 25th. We need your help! 3 Melvin White waiting for the state to kill After two full days of events, 9 Charles Thacker them for a crime they did the Journey will join the annual To register: not commit. conference of the National www.tcadp.org News from Nancy Page 2, Fall 2005

Death Row Prisoners Award $5,000 College Scholarship Compassion is a bi-monthly scholarship was awarded to would like to support him in oversees publication, and St. publication written by death Zach Osborne, a young man realizing his dream of becom- Rose Parish has been author- row prisoners throughout the in Jamestown, North Carolina ing an officer of the law and ized by death row prisoners to United States. One half of all whose 4 year old sister was finding a way to preve