The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions

by Helen Prejean

From the author of the national bestseller Dead Man Walking comes a brave and fiercely argued new book that tests the moral edge of the debate on capital What if we’re executing innocent men? Two cases in point are Dobie Gillis Williams, an indigent black man with an IQ of 65, and Joseph Roger O’Dell. Both were convicted of murder on flimsy evidence (O’Dell’s principal accuser was a jailhouse informant who later recanted his testimony). Both were executed in spite of numerous appeals. Sister Helen Prejean watched both of them die.As she recounts these men’s cases and takes us through their terrible last moments, Prejean brilliantly dismantles the legal and religious arguments that have been used to justify the death penalty. Riveting, moving, and ultimately damning, The Death of Innocents is a book we dare not ignore.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, Politics, Law, History, Sociology

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ (b. April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a vowed Roman Catholic religious sister, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.

Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and she began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she also founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counselling to the families of victims of violence.

Prejean has since ministered to many other inmates on death row and witnessed several more executions. She served as National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995.

An autobiographical account of her relationship with Sonnier and other inmates on death row served as the basis for the feature film and opera Dead Man Walking. In the film, she was portrayed by Susan Sarandon, who won an Academy Award. (Although Prejean herself was uncredited, she made a minor cameo as a woman in a candlelit vigil scene outside Louisiana State Penitentiary[1])

In addition to Sonnier, the account is also based on the inmate Robert Lee Willie who, with his friend Joseph Jesse Vaccaro, raped and killed 18-year-old Faith Hathaway May 28, 1980, eight days later kidnapping a Madisonville couple from a wooded lovers' lane and driving them to Alabama. They raped the 16-year-old girl, Debbie Morris (née Cuevas), who would later become the author of her book Forgiving the Dead Man Walking [2] and then stabbed and shot her boyfriend, 20-year-old Mark Brewster, leaving him tied to a tree paralyzed from the waist down.[3]

In 1999 Prejean formed Moratorium 2000 - a petition drive that eventually grew into a National Education campaign entitled The Moratorium Campaign, initially staffed by Robert Jones, Theresa Meisz and Jené O'Keefe and launching Witness to Innocence.

Prejean's second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions was published in December 2004. In it, she tells the story of two men, Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph O'Dell, whom she accompanied to their executions. She believes that both of these men were innocent. The book also examines the recent history of death penalty decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and looks at the track record of George W. Bush as Governor of Texas.

In 1998 Prejean was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris is Latin for "Peace on Earth."

Prejean now bases her work at the Death Penalty Discourse Network in New Orleans and spends her time giving talks across the United States and around the world. She is pro-life: "The pope says we should be unconditionally pro-life; against abortion, against euthanasia, against suicide and (that means also) against the death penalty." This view is commonly called the Consistent Life Ethic.

In 2008, Sister Helen spoke at Jesuit High School, Sacramento, for a theme regarding social justice and the death penalty. Over 1000 students watched her speak on her opinions. Sr. Helen spoke at LaSalle University in Philadelphia on March 23, 2009 Prejean is currently scheduled to speak at the University of Puget Sound on March 30th. The event is open to the public

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Reviews

[BeckyT · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two cases Prejean narrates are very compelling, especially the case of Joseph O'Dell, who was very likely innocent, but whose quest to prove this was blocked at every turn. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the injustices of the US courts, and if Prejean did not supply such irrefutable evidence, I really would be tempted to think such things could never happen. Sister Helen's narratives and her insight into the workings of the justice system are more convincing than her moral arguments, and I wished she provided more of this. Much of the book seemed directed to Catholics, telling how the vatican shifted its position on the death penalty. This was good to know, but she inserted it in the middle of the Joe O'Dell narrative, and it seemed misplaced and too detailed. Also, she spent almost an entire chapter ranting against Justice Scalia, which felt like too much of a personal attack and just got old. It also repeated much of the info in Dead Man Walking, and although I'm glad I've read both, I had to do a lot of skimming.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sr. Helen Prejean openly and honestly presents a case for human dignity in regards to the death penalty. Through three main case studies, she demonstrates how our court system is rife with failures, and mistakes that are repeatedly made.

I was honored to meet Sr. Helen in 2005 after performing in the stage version of "Dead Man Walking'. This was a strong introduction into the issues that this book presents. The play was the most moving piece of theatre of have ever been involved in. In playing the role of the prisoner's mother, you can begin to see that pain and suffering exists on all sides.

In "The Death of Innocents", the question that has brought me the most reflection is the one that Sr. Helen asked Pope John Paul II, "How can one possibly subject human beings to torture and death and yet respect their dignity"?

For more info see: http://www.sisterhelen.org

[AuthorsOnTourLive! · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions is a brave and fiercely argued book that tests the moral edge of the debate on capital punishment: What if we're executing innocent men? As Sister Helen Prejean recounts several cases of innocent men being executed, and takes us through their terrible last moments, she brilliantly dismantles the legal and religious arguments that have been used to justify the death penalty.

We met Sister Prejean when she visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to her talk about The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions here:
http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=56

[John Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author also wrote "Dead Man Walking", which was made into a movie with Sarandon and Robbins. This time she follows 2 men on Death Row, although this time one is innocent and the other is denied the testing to prove his innocence. Very powerful. It is time we look at the Death Penalty as unconstitutional, as in cruel and unusual. Beyond the fact that it is a very racial system, affecting minorities and the poor at extremely pronounced levels. Quote from the book, "Capital Punishment, those that don't have the capital, get the punishment." Our Justice system is anything but fair and impartial. This book will challenge you and affect your emotions.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been disgusted for a long time by the fact that states still execute people in my country. When I read the stories of how a sentence of death is reached it’s beyond mind-boggling. It’s arbitrary, racist, and vengeance-filled. It’s encouraging to see that death sentences and executions are down in recent years, but there’s a long way to go. This book does a fine job of explaining the legalities and procedures involved. And also shares lots of stories of real people involved in the process and how it affects them. Along with Just Mercy this is a worthwhile read.

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read enough books about death row prisoners being falsely accused of crimes to know that this happens more often than we would like to admit. This book is not as well-written as some others I read, basically focusing on 2 crimes. The book is more about her experience, and while she does talk about the crimes and gives reasons why the investigation was flawed, I thought her personal experience seemed to drone on and on at times.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tough read. It's tough because it's a true and terrifying account of our justice system. I dare you to go with the sister for the first two chapters on her journey accompanying two innocent men to the death chambers... Then to chapter three called "The Machinery of Death." It's not a light read, y'all, but it's made me go back to our Constitution. I want to know my rights.

[Kaitlyn Dehais · Rating 5 out of 5]

an incredible read from the world's most baller nun. an indictment of one of the most morally complicated issues in our justice system. completely emotionally devastating while simultaneously hopeful & powerful.

[Katie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent personal account of the author's experiences as spiritual counselor and execution witness to condemned men. The two primary cases she focuses this book on are those of men who were executed despite being almost surely innocent, and that frame is a persuasive one.

Prejean does not, however, confine herself to innocence cases alone, and a significant portion of this book is an extended discussion of Catholic beliefs about the death penalty, her successful pleading for the Pope to change/clarify official doctrine, and (devout Catholic) Supreme Court Justice Scalia's ability to ignore Catholic doctrine and square his soul with being one of the most ferocious pro-death-penalty and anti-innocence-claim voices on the Court. While this intra-Catholic debate can be less compelling for those outside the faith, I do think it's still an instructive interlude.

Overall this is another in the line of excellent anti-death-penalty books that I've been reading recently.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ‘DEAD MAN WALKING’ SISTER CRITIQUES THE DEATH PENALTY

Helen Prejean is a Catholic religious sister (Sister of St. Joseph of Medialle) and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. She wrote the best-selling book, ‘Dead Man Walking,’ which was made into a 1995 film, and a 2000 opera.

She wrote in the Preface to this 2005 book, “this is my eyewitness account of accompanying two men to execution---but… I believe that the two men I tell about here—Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph Roger O’Dell---were innocent… you as a reader of this book have access to truths about forensic evidence, eyewitnesses, and prosecutorial maneuvers that Dobie’s and Joseph’s jurors never heard. Not surprisingly, Dobie and Joseph were indigent. It’s also no surprise that their defenses at trial were abysmal… As of September 2004, 117 wrongfully convicted persons have been released from death row. Citizen Innocence Projects, staffed mainly by college student volunteers, have ferreted out evidence and eyewitnesses that liberated the wrongly accused, sometimes only hours away from execution... These stories are going to break your heart. And learning about the court system that allowed the injustices at trial to remain in place might upset you even more.

“I used to think that America had the best court system in the world. But now I know differently. Why is it that southern states are (and have always been) the most fervent practitioners of government killing, accounting for over 80 percent of U.S. executions? Why is it that Texas alone accounts for one third of the total number of U.S. executions… while the Northeast… accounts for only 1 percent of executions?... When I started out as a young Catholic nun, I had no idea that I would walk this path into America’s death chambers. My Catholic faith has … inspire[d] me to follow the way of Jesus, who sided with the poor and dispossessed and despised. In these pages I tackle head-on the spirit of vengeance---a wrongful death can be set right only by killing the perpetrator---that has dominated the religious, political, and legal discourse of our country during the past twenty-five years…?

Of Dobie Gillis Williams, she wrote, “Betty Williams [his mother] doesn’t bite her tongue. ‘They got Dobie because he’s a black men and Mrs. Knippers was a white woman. From the git-go they just all presumed a black man did it, and so that’s all they ever went after.’ Of course, this is Dobie’s mama talking. Isn’t this what any mother whose child is in danger does? Protest her child’s innocence no matter what the evidence? But more and more now, I am coming to believe the mothers.” (Pg. 17)

She observes, “Although I’m no attorney, much less a forensic expert, I have enough common sense to know that emotionally, at least, it’s a great deal easier for the prosecution to make its case to the jury when there is a murder weapon to exhibit. I also think that if Dobie had had Paula Montgomery as his original defense attorney, he wouldn’t be sitting on death row now.” (Pg. 34)

She notes, “At the present time in the United States… we’re hearing stories of just how many ways prosecutors make sure their ‘version’ prevails---even when the accused is innocent. They are the first to get police reports, interviews with witnesses, crime photos, and forensic evidence… When physical evidence is flimsy, it can be tantalizing indeed for a DA to get words from a sheriff’s deputy that a certain inmate has ‘heard something of interest’ (confession to a crime) to the prosecution and the inmate would be willing to share this information … And often the prosecution has ready access to the media to manage the facts of a case that fit their version of the crime.” (Pg. 61)

She states, “In their analysis of why of many innocent people end up on death row, criminologists, jurists, and attorneys point out that most wrongful convictions in capital trials result from prosecutors who overreach, taking unfair advantage of evidence and witnesses that are in their hands before the defense gets a chance to see them. Without aggressive and skilled defense attorneys to counter them, some prosecutors may abuse their power by ‘coaching’ or intimidating witnesses, causing ‘unsympathetic’ witnesses to disappear, suppressing or destroying evidence, enlisting testimony from ‘jailhouse snitches,’ using ‘junk science,’ and manipulating information they feed to the media… here we come to an intractable problem. What state legislature, especially in the ‘death belt’ states, is going to allocate sufficient funds to provide capable attorneys for indigent defendants charged with murder?” (Pg. 78)

She recounts, “In his 1995 encyclical... Pope John Paul II had challenged the use of the death penalty more than any other pope. saying that its practice should be ‘rare, if not non-existent.’ And he had… encouraged societies to use incarceration in place of state killing… When I read the words of his encyclical, I felt hope rise in my heart that here, at last, the Catholic Church was going to take a principled stand against state killing. But my hopes crumbled when I saw … paragraph, in which he stated that in cases of ‘absolute necessity’ governments were justified in killing their citizens. Such words, I knew, would give death penalty proponents all the support they need to legitimate their use of the death penalty.” (Pg. 115)

Of the arguments of Justic Scalia, she states, “I’m flabbergasted at the arrogance of a man who says ‘death is no big deal’ when it’s not his child who’s being put to death or his father, or his wife, or himself---personal catastrophes that he can’t imagine. I cannot recognize Scalia’s God, much less worship such a God. Who can kneel in awe before the ‘Lord of Armies,’ a military God whose divine authority is recognizable not in democratic leaders, but in kings, of all people, so many of whom were venal, arrogant men who sacrificed thousands of lives in their petty wars? (Pg. 178-179)

She recalls that after the execution of Patrick Sonnier (subject of ‘Dead Man Walking’), “I didn’t know that my life had changed… My resolve to share my experience was bolstered by trust in the basic goodness and decency of the American people. My mission began. I talked to whoever would listen. I quickly became known as the ‘death penalty nun,’ and in the first years the audiences were small---ten, twelve people---and arguments were hostile. But through dialogue, I learned how to help audiences navigate their way through the fiercely ambivalent emotions that the death penalty evokes: outrage at murders of innocent victims and horror at the cold protocol of government killing… I discovered that … Not many knew that death sentences are imposed on very few murderers---2 per cent or less.” (Pg. 194)

She asks, “How can fifty states, each bound by the same Constitution and Supreme Court guidelines, implement the death penalty so differently? Isn’t this the capricious and arbitrary application of capital punishment that the Supreme Court attempted to correct?... Judge Anthony M. Kennedy [was] … asking if ‘happenstance’ could explain why nine out of ten eligible black jurors were turned away. What, other than ‘culture,’ can explain the celebratory meals of the Baton Rouge prosecutors when they ‘win’ death sentences… Within such a pro-death penalty climate, it’s going to take a long, long time before the Louisiana Legislature, or any of the other southern … legislatures, votes to strike down death penalty.” (Pg. 227-228)

She concludes, “So, once more we see the machinery of death at work in the courts: procedural requirements values over substance, legal mechanisms trumping what Jesus called the ‘weighty matters of justice and mercy.’” (Pg. 270)

This book will be “must reading” for opponents of the death penalty.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many books and articles on the death penalty, studying it in graduate school and keeping an eye on the discussion as the years go by. Equal to Actual Innocence, this is the best book on the subject I have read. For the person just learning about this topic, I would recommend this book over Actual Innocence. The narrative is compelling, there's a ton of clearly presented information in a concise manner, and some of the writing is so crisp and profound (especially in Part 3) that at times you can't help but stop and think quietly for a few minutes. Even for someone who is far above average educated on the subject, and not an emotional person in general, parts of this book brought me to tears. I'm spiritual, not religious, definitely would not identify as Catholic, but none of that matters here; Sister Helen speaks to all readers, as imperfect humans.

[Kaitlyn Coverstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I'm tickled that this Catholic nun received the Hitchens award for her book. This woman tells the story of two wrongfully convicted men who were put to death before ever getting an opportunity to even test the evidence available to them. The coldness and callousness of the court system is something everyone needs to read about because it's something so few people would ever imagine. The "machinery of death" is shown for the excruciatingly flawed and barbaric system that it is. I come out with no doubt that the death penalty must be abolished in its entirety, if for no other reason than the FACT of so many wrongful convictions, grossly unfair trials, and vastly unequal protection under the law. Also, wtf is wrong with you, Texas.

[Klley · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is about 2 people targeted and murdered by the u.s. & sister helen prejeans relationships with them. the second part is her breaking down the politics and racism behind the system ive come to understand as the death machine.

"inside my soul i'm trying to find a rock to stand on."

"I used to think heaven was a far off other world for souls that had been seperated from bodies. Now I believe that life is a continuum, that dying and living are like knitting and purling, all woven together, that somehow love binds us beyond death, and God is the life force that brings life out of death and loves us through all the dying."

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

What bothers me about this book:
1) her merciless attack on Justice Scalia. He's not the only Catholic on the Supreme Court.
2) Her total inability to mention the pro-life movement, which, you would think, would be connected to the idea of abolishing the death penalty.
3) her statements that the catechism abolishes the death penalty. It doesn't. The CCC allows for it in very limited circumstances. It does not say it is a complete moral wrong, like it does with abortion and other issues.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-reasoned and thoroughly researched, Prejean returns from Dead Man Walking with a book that delves far deeper into the nature of capital punishment in America, illuminating the tie-ins with race and politics. Rich with information including eye-opening statistics and appalling case studies, this book is for anyone that hates injustice. You'll never look an America's court system the same way. It should be mandatory reading for those to enter a career in the criminal justice system.

[Newhamshter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Ms. Prejean contrasted her first book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, with this one: The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions. Even though people kill, I don't believe that killers should in turn be killed - especially not by our Government.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a fun read, and not one I would comfortably say I "liked", but a worthwhile read. I don't have much to say, because I'm the proverbial choir Sister Prejean is preaching to, but even though I was put off by the frequent religious arguement a against the death penalty, I still think it's a disconcerting insight into a process that many of us would prefer to never think about.

[Thom Coté · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Helen's second book about the death penalty explores and dismantles every avenue of rationalization about such a horrific practice, and lays out concrete steps toward reform.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving book.

History will look back on this period of our "justice" system with great shame. If you want to be outraged, and you should be, read this book.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed, although I am of course aware that is a poor choice of adjective, the first two chapters with the accounts of Dobie Williams and Joseph O'Dell awaiting their executions. They were compelling in showing how evidence can be manufactured and manipulated, and served to bolster my belief (most of the time, although I occasionally find myself wandering from that belief) that the death penalty cannot be justified under any circumstances. However I found the last two chapters less interesting and found myself getting bogged down. One of the things I have never got to grips with here in the States is that the same crime can have completely different outcomes as far as punishment goes, depending on the State where the crime was committed or that the perpetrator is tried in.

[Paula Yerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of 2 wrongfully convicted men put to death by our country. Sr. Helen accompanied them to their death as their spiritual adviser and tells the story of their homicides. It is compelling and heart-breaking. She then "takes on" Justice Scalia (a family friend) and advises/ counsels Pope John Paul II on the death penalty. She is a feisty soul! No one can read this book and believe the death penalty is anything other than unjust and barbaric. Surely our country is better than this.

[gemmedazure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Sr. Helen's first book, "Dead Man Walking", this one was no less striking and poignant. Sr.'s honest, open, non-judgmental way of writing is refreshing. Here, we learn the horrible stories of two men, most likely innocent, condemned to die and executed. Sr. Helen also talks about the legalities surrounding the death penalty and the history of these laws in the United States. That part is a tad more dry than the rest, but is necessary, and she warns of this before this section of the book.
Everyone needs to read her books, they will open your eyes.

[Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly do not have the words to describe how deeply this book made me feel--both in terms of sadness, and anger. No one should have to live thorough what the men in this book had, and it's disappointing to know that far too many of the people in power see their lives as nothing but political games. Prejean tells their stories with elegance, honesty, humility and an overwhelming sense of empathy; I can't imagine a person on this earth who wouldn't be moved by it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caused me to pause and consider my views on capital punishment and an equitable and fair justice system. The author shares her involvement with two men falsely convicted of a crime (Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph Roger O’Dell) and the futile attempt to save them from the lethal injection that ended their lives prematurely. I did skim certain sections--especially the third and fourth sections.

[Teeana Caraballo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Conscious human beings anticipate death a d diea thousand times before they die, no matter what the 'humane' method if death may be, even lethal injection, which is supposed to just "put you to sleep." How are we okay with this knowing the facts of death row between the statistics of poor and indigent people receiving death to the actual process. Everyone should watch "Dead Man Walking". Educate yourselves.

[Claire Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly eye opening and a necessary read for those working for social justice. I appreciate the spiritual side of the argument and listening to the more intimate aspects of each case. I never knew how harmful these policies were and how much the people involved in the courts perpetrate these actions. I’m interested in learning more about the fight to end the death penalty and its intersections with racial, social, and economic justice.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the whole, between this book and her previous one Dead Man Walking, Sister Prejean makes a strong case for the injustice of the death penalty and its immorality. While parts of the book are definitely moving, I sometimes find her a shrill and a little mean to those that she feels have the power to make change.

[Kelsey McAlister · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint on this book is so stupid considering I knew from the start that the author is a nun, lol. But the only reason why this book isn't 5 stars is because there was a bit too much dialogue about religion and how the Bible and Christianity over time has viewed the death penalty. All in all, though, a fabulous book - still plan to read more of her other books on the death penalty.

[Mollie McKone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prejean does an excellent job of tackling the US court system and its admission of the death penalty, both for innocent and guilty death row inmates. I also appreciate her willingness to tackle con law throughout the book. Overall, an unsurprisingly sad depiction of our courts and the legal system at large.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed, interesting true story of SIDS vs infanticide during the 60s & 70s...a bit long @700+pages with sometimes too much research detail that can be tough to get through but very enlightening.