A father’s plea

Regarding “Texas man with scheduled execution uses letters from fellow death row inmates to argue for reprieve” (Chron. com, Jan. 12), as Thomas “Bart” Whitaker’s father, I would like to speak about the article written last week.

The headline leaves the impression that the petition was only supported by death row inmates, and Fort Bend county District Attorney John Healy’s sarcastic comment — “What a noble group of supporters” — implies as much.

Actually, there were more than 60 letters from non-inmates, including a bishop of the Methodist Church, ministers of two large Houston-area churches, a career high school guidance counselor, family members, college professors, family friends and Bart’s cousin. That is a noble group: people who knew Bart and have seen him grow and change; people who know how his execution will once again make my family victims of this crime.

This petition tries to correct the district attorney’s over reach in pursuing the death penalty and how it will once again hurt all of the victims. For 18 months pre-trial, every victim — my wife’s entire family, me and all of my family — actually begged the district attorney to accept two life sentences and spare us the horror of a trial and an eventual execution. But we were ignored.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the general public and district attorneys across Texas routinely defer to victims on sparing a killer’s life. In our case, every victim was ignored. The petition is asking the board to acknowledge that Texas is a victim’s rights state, even when the victim asks for mercy.

In the 4,000 days Thomas has been in prison he has been a model prisoner and is well liked by guards and inmates alike. He hasn’t endangered anyone and has befriended many with acts of kindness. Thomas is not regarded as a danger to anyone, but an asset. He is 38 years old now and has worked hard to grow as a person internally and externally. This appeal isn’t about releasing him, or forgiving him. It is about saving his life.