Clemency for Hank Skinner

Attention: Hank Skinner Case - #999143"

Clemency Section
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
8610 Shoal Creek Blvd.
Austin, TX 78757-6814
Fax (512) 467-0945

To whom it may concern,

In a matter of life and death, all possible avenues should be explored, all potential doubt removed; it is the only civilized thing to do.  To do any less, casts serious doubts on the justice system and reveals a barbaric, inhumane and blindly punitive social system.

In that:

--Hank Skinner was sentenced to die on the basis of a perjured testimony and circumstantial evidence,

--The accusation theory relied on that one witness, who later recanted and explained how she was threatened to make a false statement to the police and give a deposition at trial which was based on a script supplied by the district attorney's office,

--The little forensic analysis done before his trial excluded Mr. Skinner as the killer,

--The additional and minimum testing done during his post conviction appeals excluded him too,

--The available scientific evidence proves his physical incapacitation at the time of the crime,

--The important quantity of evidence remaining to be tested is essential to reveal the truth about his innocence,

--His motions for DNA testing have been denied although he has always offered to pay for the costs,

--The state of Texas has a very poor record in terms of wrongful convictions and DNA exonerations,

--The interest of justice is to find out the truth and to not execute an innocent,

--The state is withholding the untested evidence that can prove Hank's innocence,

--The commutation of his death sentence is the only way for justice to be served,

We the undersigned urge the Clemency Section Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency to Hank Skinner, inmate #999143 and grant him the opportunity to pursue all unexplored and withheld evidence to his satisfaction and thereby remove all doubt in regard to his guilt or innocence