Open Letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry
A Clemency Plea for Michael Perry
I recently sat down and penned a letter to the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry and asked for clemency for Michael Perry. I prefaced this letter because in that letter I bring up the glaring unfairness in the sentences of these 2 men and the culpability of Michael Perry. Let me say that I don't believe one defendant is guiltier than the other. Everyone knows that I strongly support Michael Perry and will do everything to save his life. After reading this article, if anyone thinks I threw Burkett under the bus, that is not my intention. Once again, we must assume that both Perry and Burkett are guilty of these murders. Here is my letter to the Governor:
Dear Governor Perry, Tuesday, January 26, 2010
I write to you today to appeal to your sense of fairness and mercy. I am writing on behalf of Michael James Perry. Mr. Perry was convicted in 2003 for the shotgun slaying of 50 year old Sandra Stotler and was sentenced to death. His execution date is July 1 of this year. Please give me the opportunity to make a case for clemency with regards to Mr. Perry. I will tell you up front that I am not an attorney, I am a dear friend of Michael Perry and I want to see him live.
The first thing I will tell you is I am not here to debate Michael's guilt or innocence nor will I excuse the crime he was convicted of. A jury of his peers found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and recommended a sentence of death. However, there are questions that have arisen over the past 7 years that his legal team would like to address and needs the time to proceed with those issues.
I have two points that I would like to make and the first one is Michael's age and his mental capacity at the time of the murder. He was just 19 years old when this crime was committed. He suffers from bi-polar disorder and, at the time, was heavily involved in the abuse of prescription medication. He has an I.Q. of around 80 and also has an impulse control issue. Now again, I make no excuses for what he did but these are mitigating factors that the jury only heard part of. His bi-polar disorder was not diagnosed until after he went to prison. This raises the question of whether he should have been sentenced to death in the first place.
The second, and in my opinion, the most compelling argument for clemency, is the fact that his co-defendant, Jason Burkett, was convicted of two counts of capital murder and received 40 years to life. I ask you, is it fair that Burkett commits two murders and gets a life sentence while Michael Perry committed one and receives the death penalty? I think not. Is it fair that because Burkett had better attorneys he gets to live and possibly get out of prison one day while Perry's attorneys couldn't get a traffic ticket reduced if they tried? The sentences handed down to these men shouldn't depend on who had a better attorney, whether whose acts were more reprehensible. Jason Burkett shot and killed two young boys to death, ages 16 and 18, who were just beginning their lives and he got 40 years to life. Michael Perry shot a 50 year old woman to death and gets the death penalty. Please do not think that I believe that one life is more important than another, the point I'm trying to make is that one of Burkett's victims was a child.
Mr. Governor, if you allow the execution of Michael Perry to proceed, then justice will not have been served. Michael Perry will just be the fall guy and poster child for Jason Burkett's crimes. Look at the prior police records of these two individuals, the facts of this case and then tell me who deserved the death penalty more. Burkett has a long criminal history of violent crimes while Perry does not. I am begging you to please make this right, in the name of fairness to all involved. Please grant Michael James Perry clemency.
Sincerely,
K. D. Adams
This letter is intended to help Michael Perry get his sentenced reduced and that is all. I took great care in the wording of this letter as to not put all of the blame on Jason. I held Michael responsible for his part as well. Just for the record, if Jason had received the death penalty, I would be writing a letter on his behalf also. I do not wish either of these men to die at the hands of the state. I just want what's fair. I wish Jason Burkett the very best in his appeals process and his family as well. I said what I had to say to save my little brothers life...I make no apologies.
Published by K. D. Adams
New York State Employee who is seeking to abolish the death penalty not only in this country but worldwide. View profile
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7 Comments
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making friends I see KD
Interesting, incoherent and completely with our merit. Just what the heck are you taling about?
martyr that refusing to do anything but whimper about loosing your "lil brother" the pathological liar that faked his own death and worse to be his teenage son mourning his father. The princess that thought she was smarter than everyone else. And every other low life thing you could imagine all writing Jason with pseudo identies in stealth mode trying to find the truth. Meanwhile your wanna be csi and law order charade got Michael's appeal kicked from the court with prejudice. You claim to love and care for him but your little dog and pony show could cost him his life. Seriously all Perry people take a chill pill and maybe a codepency class or six. Rethink your actions and realize you're not throwing Jason under the bus you are using Perry for tires. Jason still has an active appeal in the courts and it could be the key to getting Perry a stay. Stop trying to manipulate or harm other people and focus on really helping Michael. At the end of the day this comment can be constructive or o
Jason's mom threw herself under the bus as you like to say. And lil Mike had the well my parents tried so hard defense. C'mon guys! But really all the arguing about the case just makes me sound like you. And the fact is they were both convicted and both are paying dearly. But let's discuss they way the Perry supporters have acted in trying to get help and the appellate process. Let's see KD you write these ridiculous letters here saying the can' execute him because he didn't know he had a date for two weeks um how hard is it to know that the state only has to give an offender 90 days notice and you should know that if you are really an anti death penalty activist. The Perry camp has repeatedly had money "stolen" because someone evil. Are you serious? Any money should have gone directly to his lawyers or hired experts. In fact he had some money go to buy cell phones so he could call you and his girlfriend. Err. Then let's see the cast of characters there is you the martyr that refusing
Albert Einstein defined insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Seriously when will you people ever learn that the wha wha wha Jason has a bigger pee pee defense is useless? Look at yourself KD and seriously answer this question are your actions indicative of a caring man trying to save his "lil bro" or that of a spoiled manipulative child trying to have all the attention for himself. Michael's only chance right now isn'5 telling Rick Perry poor Mikie .got a bad deal boo woo. That's not the case you say Jason had better lawyers .Seriously dude everyone knows that the Perry family has loads of money and the Burkett's barely have to dimes to rub together. Perhaps you should accept the fact that the state had a much stronger case against Perry you know the forensic evidence his detailed confession any of this ringing a bell? Oh and then there was the mitigation where Jason's mom threw herself under the bus as you like to say. And lil Mike had the well
I wish you luck with this