After 22 years on death row, Paul House has now been cleared of murder charges with Tennessee state prosecutors asking for all charges to be dropped against him. He had been sentenced to die in 1986 and his case is already being used by opponents of the death penalty as an example why states should move to life without parole as the ultimate punishment in this country.
House would have been executed next month but will now be freed.
He was convicted in the 1985 murder of Carolyn Muncey, but there were a great number of problems in the trial and the evidence.
Muncey disappeared of Luttrell, Tennessee was dead after being badly beaten and raped. House was a friend of Muncey’s husband. Police found discrepancies in his alibi and noted that he had unexplained cuts and bruises. Most importantly, they submitted evidence that Muncey’s blood had been found on his jeans. It was later discovered that those samples were contaminated and unreliable. Moreover, later DNA found it was her husband’s semen found on the body. Blood under her fingernails and cigarette butts also did not match House.
In 2006, in House v. Bell, 547 U.S. 518 (2006), the Supreme Court ruled that he was entitled to a new trial with Justice Kennedy saying that the evidence could point to a different individual.
There is great speculation that Muncey was actually killed by her husband, here.
Mike
In your lengthy post to me you wrote that I did not distinguish myself in my response to Sally.
Here is what Sally wrote:
**Although, I can’t lie about this, sick crimes against children (I’m talking rape and murder here) make me think that a bullet to the head is a much better answer to a trial and prison time. But that might just be the mother bear in me. And it still would not be right the action in God’s eyes, even if I say that I did it to protect others.**
She believes in administering a swift bullet to the head and letting god sort it out. She compared herself to a mother bear. She never said she would not pull the trigger, only that doing it to protect others would make her right in her action even if it might not please god, she’s willing to make her case to god at some future date. She’s already working on her defense.
yes. this did provoke a certain response from me.
bears are not cute and cuddly creatures that make your wash come out softer when you use the product with their picture on it. They are predators who attack without provocation and omnivores that will eat anything that appeals to them or is available. mother bears are extremely dangerous and will attack anything that they perceive a a threat to their cubs, which is just about anything.
While I am not an outdoors woman of any particular note, I do know something about bears and I’ve seen them close up in any number of national parks where humans routinely get themselves mauled and killed because they think that bears are cute and cuddly and that the rangers don’t know what they are talking about.
so. when I read that someone feels strongly enough about child molesters or whatever Sally was writing about I react. I want to know more about what guides this sensibility — the shoot first and ask questions later thing.
From what part of divine scripture did she get her inspiration to go mama bear and let god sort out the rest?
I don’t care what people use to make themselves feel better. drugs. alcohol. religion. psychotherapy. the internet. while some may be more useful than others and more benign than others far be it for me to judge their beliefs. Whatever brings them joy and hope is for them to choose.
That said, I do find it curious that the “shoot first” crowd seems to come from the religious right. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s just what I’ve noticed.
I do believe that there are those among us who are guided by their emotions or what they hear from the pulpits they worship at as opposed to other ways of learning. My original point was that without regard for the law and without some measure of trust for the legal system we devolve into an angry mob with pitchforks and flaming torches. The framers did not trust the average man with the vote. They believed that only men like them, wealthy landowners with formal education were suited to make decisions for the populace. Even Winston Churchill made disparaging remarks about the average voter. I don’t compare myself to Churchill but do admit that spending lots of time in the Ivory Tower does not tend to make one a populist. YOu only have to listen to the remarks made by some of our elected officials to know that being elected to office doesn’t mean you are not also a bigot or an a**h***
Not everyone who avails themselves of the legal system walks away with the verdict that they would have chosen. Surely there are many defendants who do not get adequate representation or who do get biased juries and are wrongly convicted.
Shouldn’t our attention be turned to addressing that and not making statements about killing now and allowing an imaginary deity the power to sort it our later?
There is no “later” to the victim of vigilantism.
So I picked at Sally because I think its wrong to allow our legal system to be guided by one set of religious beliefs or another. Then Patty jumped in and suddenly there is something wrong with me for never having served in the military.
I can certainly appreciate that you are guided by your own experiences, as we all are. Personally for me, I don’t think I could kill anyone and do not want to be tested. I am anti war. all war. for any reason. I don’t own guns and I will never own a gun. I don’t understand those who think that owning guns protects them from crime. I would never interfere in their right to own a gun, unless a vote on the subject came my way, but I still don’t get it.
I have no idea what I’d do if someone I loved were threatened with bodily harm. I don’t. I think it is a waste of my time to try to imagine this because in truth, none of us know until we are faced with harm.
I really hate it when I forget to sign in and show off my little photo
“For me, and I do not speak for anyone else, capital punishment is cruel and unusual. It seems to have been handed down from a time in history when we were clearly more barbaric and I’d like to think that humankind has become, well, more elevated than we wee during the time of say, The French Revolution or the Khmer Rouge or the 3rd Reich.”
“I am sickened by the great numbers of african american men doing serious time for offenses that white men are able to avoid (crack vs. powder cocaine for instance) and that we our need to find a criminal to pay for every violent crime to a white child is unequal to that for non-white children.”
GWLSM,
I have opposed Capital Punishment since the execution of the Rosenberg’s in the early 50’s and my view was influenced by my father’s indignation since I was only 8. That father, incidentally, was the same 9th grade dropout that I referenced in my previous posting. As a teenager this distaste for the death penalty coalesced around the execution of Caryl Chessman. It is indeed cruel and barbaric.
However, since simplicity is the essence of elegance the argument I put forth is the one that has the greatest chance of success. Capital Punishment is no good if even one innocent dies wrongly and our system is such that it can’t guarantee that won’t happen. This argument enfolds both those who agree it is evil and those who don’t believe it is evil, but do understand the fallibility of the judicial system.
Sadly, as much as I’d like it to be, I see no evidence that mankind has become more elevated recently, though I wish that wasn’t the case. The Nazi’s were 7 decades ago, Stalin died 6 decades past, the Khmer Rouge four decades. The Iraq war is ongoing. Many countries in this world treat women as chattel and violently oppress them. Genocide is ongoing in Africa. In Europe Fascist thugs and Xenophobia are on the rise in reaction to the massive immigration problems. The human race has changed little and while I believe the battle for growth and enlightenment must be fought, i also realize that i’m just a soldier in a long fight that will last far past my lifetime.
Now as far as the second quote of yours that I list I find it strange. Not because of its War on Drugs reference, which many of my comments here will show I am strongly against and I do believe is racist. I find it strange because it seems to be a characterization of people who disagree with you, rather than an argument. This is not an issue of the rape of white vs. black babies. By the way don’t even begin to question my racial feelings, not only because I’ve got 5 years of age on you so I’ve been in the battle longer, but because I’ve got a long, documentable history of being on the right side and acting on it, sometimes to my own detriment. This is an issue of the Death Penalty and why it is wrong, that it has overwhelmingly negatively affected black lives is incontrovertible, but even if it didn’t it is wrong. Yet assumptions of particular peoples racism, beyond your surmises is also intolerable.
You write well and you are no doubt a very intelligent and commendable person, however, let me say that you also expose a tendency towards assumption and pre-judgment that weakens the points you are making.
Thank you very much Mike for knowing exactly what I was saying. I was beginning to wonder where in my post had I portrayed myself as a blood thirsty animal. 😉
I think you’ve done rather well for yourself, given your brief overview of your life to us.
And even though we’ve agreed to disagree, I still think you’re a very smart man.
Sally, I started cooking for my family when I was young because my mother wasn’t able to be home before ‘6 o’clock’ because of her then new job at Duke. My sister did it before me.
I’ve been at it for a long long long-long time! I’ve also met a lot of people along the way with various refined tastes, as well.
Our friends all have that in common with us and we all still enjoy blowing each other away and are managing to do it even less expensively in some ways, too.
Bon Appetit!
“Although, I can’t lie about this, sick crimes against children (I’m talking rape and murder here) make me think that a bullet to the head is a much better answer to a trial and prison time. But that might just be the mother bear in me. And it still would not be right the action in God’s eyes, even if I say that I did it to protect others.” Sally original
1. “Just shoot everyone in the head and wait for god to pass sentence at some future date?” GWLSM interpretation.
2. “Are you really guided into this position by your religious beliefs? Or is it the blood-thirty animal in you?” GWLSM characterization of Sally.
3. “How shall we protect ourselves from you and from others like you?” GWLSM further characterization
4. “It is that people without adequate education vote based on emotion and/or religious beliefs” GWLSM unfounded remark.
GWLSM,
I awoke this morning to find a tempest of flaming going on.
I had to read back through all to see what was going on. I must say that you did not distinguish yourself in this.
1. Sally’s original quote did not say she would act, but that the idea occurred to her. Her last statement clarified that by her moral/religious code she couldn’t pull the trigger. As a Deist Jew (don’t ask)I am clearly not a Christian, but I too would think about killing anyone who thus harmed my offspring. I would definitely kill to protect my family if I was there and they were threatened. Now considering that I spent my entire career as Psychiatric social Worker, Psychotherapist and a designer/operator of Social Services Programs, you might see this as a dichotomy and while that is your right, I don’t agree. I have not been in a physical altercation since high school and those who know me consistently think of me as even tempered or laid back. Perhaps though, what you would perceive of as my bloodthirstiness is just the Poppa Bear in me.
2. In your second quotation above you strongly implied she was a blood thirsty animal, which was not only a vicious attack, but also not a conclusion logically drawn from her comment.
3. Your third quote was also off the charts given the comment you were replying to.
4. now your fourth quote, again without evidence characterizes Sally as being uneducated. Why because she disagrees with you? You want to talk education? Doubly orphaned by age 18, I obtained a full tuition scholarship (academically not hardship based) and worked my way through
college totally supporting myself. At age 22 I joined the NYC Human Resources Administration (22,000)as an entry-level caseworker. When I retired as Deputy Director for Program and Fiscal Integrity 32 years later my retirement party was attended by the elite of the Agency. During that time I obtained my Masters, on a full tuition scholarship from an Ivy League School, trained at a Psychotherapy Institute, maintained a psychotherapeutic private practice and raised a family along with my wife who worked as an Executive in private industry. I have a Mensa IQ, but think the organization is ridiculous. So I’ve got bona fides and you know what, I’ve been at times in my life just as much a schmuck as anyone else.
My father dropped out of High School in the 9th grade and yet read Camus in the 50’s. He is still the smartest man I’ve ever known and I’ve known quite a few. My big brother barely finished high school, but is a very intelligent, well-read man. I began to realize that I was becoming wise in my old age when I realized how ignorant I really was. The world is too wondrous a place and there is far more to know than any one person can absorb. Your attack on peoples lack of education, particularly Sally’s was brutal and uncalled for, by the remarks that evoked them. In it you showed your own propensity for pre-judgment, which I would suggest is an area of self awareness you should work on. What is funny about all this is that Sally and I are of much different political persuasions and have often tangled in the past. She has never though resorted towards name calling or mis-characterization of me in her ripostes.
Well of course, we don’t know what you know Patty C and we must confer deference to Ms PC for docter ‘n lawyer, ‘n Indian Chief,’n candlestick maker, ‘n vetarnarhean, and food and all kinds of stuff…*such as*.
Tell us PC, all about the world cuisine and fine wines ’cause we know you have been there and have done that.
And I must know about the vineyards *you* developed in Iceland, the Arctic, and Antarctica.
I am being very serious here. I have so much to learn from your vast knowledge of everthang ‘n ‘everwhar’.
I swear Patty, I think you are my former culinary arts teacher’s sister. That or your her!!! 🙂
You guys don’t anything about French cuisine much less French wines.
Most of what is done in California, mimics the French (and Italians) because they set the standard long ago. Washington State and Oregon happen to be my preference for comparable, less expensive French style wines grown in the US because of the climates.
California produces some tasty wines, but they are not exactly
AOC – ‘Appellation d’origine Controllee’.
However, we also all know that Georgia peaches are fuzzy…hence peach fuzz.
I’m orginally from Georgia and the county I’m from has a winery, Habersham Winery; the wine is rather good!! I’m especially fond of one called Cherokee Rose.
And as we all know, the best looking women always come from the South. It is a well known fact to be honest!!
“…and certainly Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas have better looking women.”
______________
And with much less body hair…
French food is mostly peasant food, the sauces concocted to mask the taste of spoiled food. And wine? Much less complex than beer and easier to make-a few grapes, yeast some oak barrels a little time. France is a country that took the best aspects of every civilization they encountered or that controlled them early on and made it their own. France is nothing more than a marketing creation. With the exception of Victor Hugo (the French intellectuals even gave him a hard time).
California makes better wines and Vermont and Wisconsin have better cheese and certainly Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas have better looking women.
It’s clear that House had something to do with the rape and murder, it’s just that the evidence was contaminated. So, in all reality he should have been found guilty of taking part in her murder. He still may have been the one who committed it, as indicated by her blood on his clothing. But he spent 22 years, and that’s probably as much as a lot of rapists and murderers spend in prison these days.
Thanks Bron, much appreciated!! 🙂
Sally:
good on you, a very restrained response to some pretty harsh treatment.
And I thought your initial comment meant that in the end only God can judge a persons life. I guess I am not as smart as GWLawmom, I would never had guessed that all of that was engendered in that statement.
Damn Angry Citizen:
“If I was an innocent man and if I was accused of raping and murdering my neighbor and put into a death row cell, I would protest my innocence EVERY second of my waking moments and then I would scream till my throat burst and I would crush my own head against the cell walls.”
**************
No you wouldn’t.
“The worst-tempered people I’ve ever met were people who knew they were wrong.”
~Wilson Mizner
Actually Patty,
I’m a wine kind of girl. My father worked in France for the past few years, where he met his second wife and helped me stock my wine cellar with some excellent wines.
He even snuck me a bottle of absinthe, with a green naked lady on the front while he was in Switzerland. I haven’t opened my bottle yet, though!!
When it comes to beer, I have no taste for it. I’ve heard it’s one of those things that you either love or hate.
But I do like martini’s, although I’ve never had a black cherry one.
Cheers to you little lady
DAMN ANGRY CITIZEN
If an innocent man on death row protests his innocence and there’s not an Appeals Court to hear it does he actually make a sound? 🙂
One might imagine that much of that time on DR was spent in appeals and probably because of appeals to various courts that he was innocent.
Sally,
No absinthe DIA’s for you…
I think you are more of an Ouzo shot/beer chaser kinda gal, but
you might enjoy Blue Agave Margaritas or Black Cherry Martinis
this summer.
Cheers