Letter from Da'rryl to Sant' Egigio

Dear Sant' Egigio,

I am writing to you in the hopes that you will be able to assist. me . I've enclosed a copy of 3/24/08 letter I wrote to Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. After watching an episode of the US television program Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, and the writer Thomas Cahill was on the show talking about how he came to know Texas Death row prisoner Dominique Greene. I wrote to Mr. Tutu requesting the same assistance that the gave Mr. Greene. He replied recently, saying that he had neither the time, nor the money, to help in a case that happened so long ago.

I think this is a tragic mistake. Even though he was unable to stop the execution of Mr. Greene, (a case that happened long ago as well), the publicity he brought to Mr. Greene's cause I know is very helpful. I had hoped he could do the same for me.

As I explained in my letter to Mr. Tutu, there is, and was, no Physical evidence linking me to any crimes. This case is, and was, about race. I am an African-American man, who, in 1988, was convicted of the raper and murder of a 16 year old white girl. The trial judge in my case said, "I want to see his nigger ass in the chair for messing with white women." I enclosed a copy of this article for Mr. Tutu as aI can send your organization one as well if you desire. Trial and appeal lawyers have failed to highlight my claims of Actual Innocence and lack of physical evidence. I have written to several innocence project organization in New York, Illinois, and Ohio. None have been able to help me because of financial reasons they say. I even wrote to Centurion Ministries, in New Jersey, hoping for their help. For financial reasons they were unable to help me.

My case has moved through the courts and received biased, and short, review. My final appeal to the US Supreme Court was denied on March 17, 2008. I know await an execution date from the State.

My appeal to your organization is for you, or anyone you can contact, to help me by taking the time to look into my situation.

Shalom.