Save Patrick Henry Murphy Jr.

Greetings,Dear Friends,Dear signers.

Patrick Murphy,who didn't kill anyone,got another exetution date on Nov.13.2019.

I will close this petition "Once"On Oct.28.I will "Once"this close change.org petition On Oct.30,0:00CDT.

After Oct.30.0:00, check this page How to take Action.

Remember,I once closed this petition on March,but Patrick got a stay,so I reopened! Keep Our hope Alive!

Please be with us,please be with Patrick,in this hard time.

Friends of Patrick Murphy Jr.

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To the Governor of Texas and Members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles;

We respectfully seek clemency for Patrick Henry Murphy Jr. scheduled for execution by the State of Texas on November 13^th  , 2019.

Patrick, and 6 other individuals (referred to by the media as 'The Texas 7'), escaped from The Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas, on December 13th, 2000. Following the escape the men carried out a robbery of the Oshman's Sporting Goods Store in Irving, Texas, when regrettably, a Police officer who arrived at the scene was shot and killed.

Along with the 5 others in the group (one having committed suicide) Patrick was convicted under the Texas Law of Parties, even though he was not a shooter and was 100 yards from the scene when the shooting occurred. 

Patrick did not want to participate in the robbery and when he expressed his reluctance to his co-defendants, he was assigned the role of 'lookout' and 'getaway driver'. He waited at the parking lot at the front of the Oshman's store, checking police scanners so he could alert the men to get out of the store as quickly as possible, when the police were on the way.

Some 10-15 minutes following the robbery and shooting of the officer, Patrick met the rest of the group at a nearby apartment complex. It was only then that he heard what had happened. Patrick played no part in the shooting and murder of Officer Hawkins. His role did not include driving to the scene or any intent or plan to harm the officer – he had no reason or cause to do so because he could not have known what would happen from where he was positioned.

Patrick Murphy and Randy Halprin are now the only two surviving individuals of the Texas 7, and both men have proof/evidence that they did not shoot or harm Officer Hawkins – Patrick was away from the crime scene, and Randy's gun was not fired.

On the day of the escape, December 13^th, 2000, Patrick was just 15 months away from being eligible for parole. He was born on October 3^rd, 1961, the son of Patrick Henry Murphy Sr. and Carol Goodman. At the time of his birth his mother was still in high school.

There was no stable home or appropriate adult role model for Patrick. Instead, much of the interaction he had with the adults around him were incidents of sexual abuse, which began when he was just 4 years old. These adults included stepfathers and other 'father' figures, at least 2 paternal uncles, and a Minister he sought help from as a teenager. 

Patrick never had the help and counselling treatments he desperately needed to put his life on the right track. Years of sexual abuse along with regular physical and emotional neglect led him to suffer from complex  PTSD, which research concludes to be distinct from (but similar to) PTSD – Complex PTSD sufferers have endured prolonged abuse as a child whilst their brain is still developing. Furthermore, children dealing with Complex PTSD view the world as very 'unsafe', and without proper treatment they deal with every stress in life as a 'life-threatening' situation.

During Patrick's capital murder trial in 2003, his trial lawyer hired a psychiatrist as a mitigation expert, who failed to correctly establish Patrick's PTSD. Mitigation in Patrick's defence was therefore hindered because of the failure to identify his PTSD – without this, it was difficult to understand why he escaped, particularly when he was just 15 months away from parole. It also failed to explain why Patrick abused drugs since when he was young in order to numb his emotional pain. For Patrick, alcohol and illegal drugs were negative coping mechanisms when he knew no other way to deal with his trauma.

We should also emphasize that Patrick did not receive a fair trial – his trial was tainted by the prejudice of the presiding judge, Judge Vickers Cunningham. This was first brought to light in May 2018 when Dallas Morning News ran an article that exposed the judge's racist and bigoted beliefs, and how he used those beliefs as 'incentives' for his children to gain financial reward if they married only white, Christian, and to the opposite sex.

On further investigation by the legal team acting for Patrick's co-defendant, Randy Halprin, it was uncovered that this judge held these racist and bigoted beliefs for certain of his family members, as well as minorities in general, and very particularly for defendants who came before him.

In 2006, during the judge's campaign to become DA in Dallas, he continued to "tout his role in sentencing the Texas 7 to death."  A campaign advertisement at that time described how Judge Cunningham had "looked each of the Texas 7 in the eye when he sentenced them to death." Judge Vickers Cunningham believed "God had chosen him to preside over those trials, and said that he was "entitled to be" the district attorney because he had presided over the Texas Seven trials." [Taken from witness statements]. He is also quoted as saying, "from the wetback to the Jew, they knew they were going to die."

Regardless of whether or not Patrick is or was Christian, or the fact he is white, the evidence uncovered about this judge points at Patrick not receiving a fair and unbiased trial, and his trial should be re-examined.

We, Patrick's friends, have known this sweet and funny man for a long time. People who have come to know him over the years (both fellow inmates and friends in the free world) describe him as a "calm man in stressful circumstances." We hope you will take into account the fact that whilst this man has learned many things, and tamed his emotional pain, he has also tended to the emotional pain of others. Every day of his prison life, Patrick has tried to become a better person. Through his spiritual growth he has developed far healthier coping mechanisms – this is why we say he is now a very different and better man. We believe that Patrick is now committed to helping others from prison and within that structured environment he can live quietly, help others and be no trouble to anyone.

Patrick acknowledges he has committed crimes and belongs in prison, but makes no excuse for his
crimes either. He has the utmost respect for men and women in uniform, and never imagined Officer Hawkins or anyone else would be harmed or killed – he never wanted anyone to be harmed or killed, and never planned to kill.

In considering Patrick's fate, we hope you will keep in the forefront of your mind the mercy you showed to another man convicted under the Law of Parties, where clemency was granted in February 2018. This man was convicted under Texas Criminal code 7.02(a), and he actually planned the killing meticulously before it happened. We are happy for your merciful decision for his father, and other members of his family. We now ask you to please show mercy to Patrick Murphy in the same way...A man who was not on the crime scene, and who never took part in or planned to kill anyone.

We, the signatories, thank you for your time and consideration.

The Worldwide Friends of Patrick Henry Murphy Jr.

----Past update before March 28---(as you see,we once closed,and reopened!)

I sent out first batch of signatures to Governor's office and The Board of Pardons and Paroles.Closed at 0:00 Mar.13 CDT,till signature #455.

please don't stop there.

Please Call Governor Abbot's office,(512) 463-2000.8:00AM-5:00PM.

If You're living in Texas,don't forget to say so.

Your opinion matters.