Karl Chamberlain, Next on Texas's Execution List

Karl Chamberlain is a Texas death row inmate, with an execution date of June 11, 2008. He was convicted of the rape and murder Felicia Prechtl in 1991, five years later. Chamberlain never denied his crime, and expresses deep remorse for the killing.

Along with many flaws in Chamberlain's trial and arrest, and the incompetence of his first lawyer, there is much mitigating evidence that was never heard in court, which very well could have effected the outcome of his sentencing. In an attempt to bring awareness to these facts Karl has send me many legal paper work which I will use to do so. I will only give some of the outstanding facts to give the readers an idea of what happened in Karl's case.

In affidavits, Karl stated the arresting officer never read him his rights and promised to not seek the death penalty, and would recieve a life sentence instead. His words were changed and taken out of context and order while making his statement. Karl stated he went along with the whole interogation feeling that he would recieve a life sentence and also feels now that he was foolish.

When his words were misrepresented and it was said his victim consented to sex, and was dressed provocatively, Karl was outraged and said "I NEVER said that that poor, innocent lady 'enjoyed" having sex with me. I NEVER said or implied sex was consensual, what with me having a rifle? I NEVER said she was dressed provocatively, nor that I shot her because she threatened to tell my wife. I merely was stupid enough to cooperate blindly with the detective who said he was trying to help me, and would not try me for death"

Chamberlain feels the worse error in his trial was that he wished to take the stand all along, and to plead guilty. He stated "I merely wanted to testify to tell the jury what happened, and why, and to at least look in the eyes of the victim's family and tell them I am so terribly sorry."However when the time came he was told by his attorney's that it would be "legal suicide" to take the stand at that time. He states what really persuaded him not to take the stand was the coercion of his parents who he feels were manipulated by his attorneys. Karl's mother stated in an affidavit "I and many others asked the attorneys to ask me questions about Karl's past and especially about Karl's change in character, and his life after he quit drinking and drugs in late 1991, and they refused me, and the others these questions. They always said they'd bring it up later, after the DA brought up the issue of future dangerousness, but then they never did."

Karl states that the flaws in the punishment phase, were the fact that he was out in society for nearly five years after the crime and did not commit any crimes or violent acts and was actually one of the lowest risk levels while on probation from other charges. This was never heard to the jury. Karl also suggested that a psyche expert should testify how he was rehabilitated through AA, and it also was never brought up in court. he feels this could have helped in showing future dangerousness.

The mitigating evidence written in the affidavits is severe, but yet the jury never got to hear it. In an affidavit by his mother, in an attempt to show what kind of life style Karl was subjected to, she states that Karl was the product of date rape, and that she was abused in "vile ways" by her own father when she was just a little girl. When Karl was born, she states the doctor used forceps against her will and that he had a large hemoglobin growth on the side of his head, and she feels because of this, she never got to hold and bond with him. She goes on to state she was in unhealthy and abusive relationships while Karl was growing up. He was often left with his grandparents despite the fact that his grandfather was a pedophile. Karl wrote in a letter to me that "I was molested by a man before I could even talk, I don't remember any words in my memory, just wordless vivid sensation, like colors in my mind."

Karl's mother speaks about leaving Karl alone in the car when he was very young, while she went into bars, thinking he would be OK, and never meaning any harm. She and Karl both speak about when Karl was just five years old he was brutally raped in the bushes by an older boy, and how the trauma of the rape never quite left him. Then when he was around the ages of 7-8 he was molested by a baby-sitter for weeks.

Karl was said to have found pills in his mothers purse and "ate them like candy." Along with all the abuse Karl was beaten quite often by his mother and her boyfriends. He onetime fell from a high tree and had to rest for several hours after.

As the years past by Karl was soon to be under the discipline from his Muslim step dad. He was said to use paddles, a staff and canes to discipline the children. He was sometimes put under cold showers when he misbehaved. The strict discipline turned Karl into a problem child. At the age of fifteen, he ended up leaving home to go live with his dad.

Karl's mother ended her affidavit with these words, "Now that Karl has lost his appeal, I don't understand it, the attorney Wilkinson, did not work for Karl, Everytime I would call on the phone, he would avoid me. The only times I got him on the phone the only thing he would tell me is "Prepare a funeral for your son, prepare to bury your son. Was this guy the attorney for my son? or was he a friend of the court? It seems like he made it easy for the court to kill my son, and got paid for it too. I just wanted my son to have a fair trial, and a fair appeal."

(I am currently waiting for the answer to an interview I did with Karl, but because time is running out, I will have this published first)

I urge everyone who reads this article to contact the Governor, and Board of Parole and Pardons in Texas and ask for a stay of execution for Karl. We are not trying to dismiss the murder of Felicia Prechtl, and hope the family and friends can one day be at peace.but feel circumstances in the life of Chamberlain, could very well have led to his actions that day. Karl has expressed deep remorse for the murder. The evidence provided here is in no way being used as an excuse for the murder of Felicia Prechtl.

According to The Huntsville Item "Attorneys representing the second Texas inmate scheduled to face lethal injection this month filed a motion for stay of execution Thursday morning with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals." The first inmate Sonnier was given a stay of execution with issues surrounding lethal injection.

Please contact and ask for a stay of execution:

TEXAS:
Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
USA
Phone:
Citizen's Opinion Hotline: (800) 252-9600 [for Texas callers]
Information and Referral and Opinion Hotline: (512) 463-1782 [for
Austin, Texas and out-of-state callers]
Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000 [office hours
are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST]
Fax: (512) 463-1849
Email at: http://www2.governor.state.tx.us/contact/assistance.aspxFrom

Tollbells Yahoo group:tollbells@abolition.org

Sources:

The Huntsville Item

http://www.itemonline.com/local/local_story_158002225.html

Affidavits, letters and documents provided by Karl Chamberlain with permission to use