GREG
WRIGHT WAS WRONGFULLY
CONVICTED & EXECUTED in TEXAS, Oct. 30th 2008!
2011
October 30th On the 3rd Anniversary of Greg's death, we pay
our respects again to a dear friend. Please join with us, in your homes
or place of worship, with our annual candle vigil when we reflect on
the happy times we shared with him, as well as the continuing sadness
we feel for the immense wrongs he was forced to suffer. As you do
so, you might wish to read again the wonderful tributes paid to him
here.
To mark this anniversary, and to help others understand why his death
was so wrong, Bente & I have released new editions of the books: Texas, he was INNOCENT and Texas, I was INNOCENT, this time through Lulu Press.
Bente's book is a very personal
account both of her friendship with Greg, and the highs and lows of the
legal process that was endured in this time. It concludes with a
heartfelt description of those final hours during her visit to Texas
to support Greg and his family, and to pay witness to the
execution. It continues with the story of Connie's trip back with her
to Norway following Greg's burial, and the warm reception given to
Connie by pupils of Aglo school who had heard so much about Greg, and
shared the fight to save his life. Many of them had written to Greg
over the years and had received personal messages back from him. It was
to be a celebration and tribute to the life of an innocent man. Connie
adds her own tribute in a final chapter.
My book concentrates on the conversations Greg and I shared over the
three and a half years of our friendship, and adds to the insight into
the character and spirit of a man trapped but always fighting back
against the legal snare which is the broken death penalty instrument in
Texas and other parts of the US.
Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Breyer, has said that "[Evidence
of possible or probable innocence is not enough], it is necessary to
have proof that someone else has had to pull the trigger... [in order
for the Supreme Court to intervene]". Although he was
speaking in the context of the recent Troy Davis case, and the
recantation of witness statements, this position of the Supreme Court
shows the impossible barrier Greg faced, in spite of substantial new
evidence, to achieve the opportunity for a new trial and his freedom.
Millions of people in America and around the world, reject this
position of the Supreme Court, and demand that it accepts its
responsibility to ensure justice for innocent men and women on death
row. More than that, it is time to abolish the death penalty.
June Greg
Wright was a Christian, not only from his days on death row, but from
his childhood when he attended extra-curricular bible study with
friends at school. While he may have lapsed Church attendance in his
late teens and for some years after, he never lost the values that his
belief brought to him, and in life he demonstrated in so many
ways, his respect and concern for those in trouble or less fortunate
than himself. As a further tribute to Greg, and to his powerfully held
Christian views and values, I arranged a few months ago for a
supporting donation to be made to assist the making of a short film
called "June Gloom". This film is now completed and is being shown at
Film Festivals for review. June Gloom is a short, yet potent look at a
man's journey home from prison. Going against the grain of the usual
L.A. story, this film reveals how delicate one's life can be when
starting over in a world that doesn't want you. Greg, I am sure, would
have related to this theme, and to the many people who make that
journey, even though he himself was cruelly denied the opportunity from
death row. I asked the writer, director and producer of the film,
Attila Adam, for the film credits to carry Greg's name, and I am
delighted that he agreed to this request. This is displayed in the
frame capture from the advance DVD that has been sent to me. I hope the
film is well received by critics and all those who view it. I have
certainly been impressed by quality of the film and the powerful
messages it intends to convey. I should add that Greg was indeed a
reader of Sentencing Law & Policy, as I relayed to him in letters
some of the debates I had on that blog concerning the death penalty.
January A
further memory of our campaign in 2010 to publicize, educate and win
support for all those in peril of life in the United States and around
the world because of the abuse of Human Rights as reflected in the
Death Penalty where it remains yet to be abolished. Also, to thank
those who stood and continue to stand with us in our fight to force
acceptance by Texas that Gregory Wright was innocent, and therefore
wrongly executed on October 30th, 2008.
2010
November 3 The book, Texas, I Was Innocent can now be read online or downloaded for free at http://www.scribd.com/freegregwright
October 30
Please join us in lighting a candle for Greg
October Here are the videos of speeches made by Connie and
Bente at the Voices For Death Row Inmates protest outside the
US Embassy in
Grosvenor Square, London on 10th October, 2010. The VFDRI protest event
was held to mark
World Day Against The Death Penalty 2010. The official VFDRI website
is: http://www.voicesfordeathrowinmates.org/
Additional video coverage of VFDRI 10.10.10 London can be found here and here
Sept. The
Road to Livingston
Aug 3rd You may be
aware
that John Wade Adams, at a punishment phase Retrial, was granted relief
from his original death sentence yesterday. A mis-trial was declared by
the presiding judge following 27 hours of jury deliberation which
failed to agree a verdict. The full report in the Dallas
Morning
News can be found here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/080310dnmetdeathpenalty.2762004.html
Given the enormous role John Wade Adams had in falsely implicating Greg
Wright in the murder of Donna Vick, you will understand the complex
feelings of Greg's family and friends. Many outraged comments are being
received by us, with the underlying question being "How can we get
Greg's conviction re-examined and overturned ... leading to a
posthumous exoneration. " It is also good to see the support of the
Texas Moratorium Network at this time which, on its blog, asks the
question "But did Texas execute someone who did not
kill anyone, namely Greg Wright? "
John Adams was granted his retrial on the basis that his difficult
childhood circumstances were never considered in mitigation at the
original trial. Fair enough. But Greg was denied a retrial despite the
flouting of Constitutional Precedent and Right concerning the hearing
of John Adams statement at Greg's trial, without the opportunity
of cross-examination in court. What is fair or consistent
about that?
As you will doubtless have read in these pages and elsewhere, the
grounds of Greg's Appeal of Actual Innocence were serious and extensive
... not least because of Adams own written confession, and exoneration of Greg
for any participation or complicity in the crime.
There was much more evidence of innocence but the DA, Craig Watkins,
and his team of prosecutors, chose to take a negative path to sustain
Greg's death penalty rather than acknowledge the blatant errors and
malpractice of their predecessors. That they were aided and abeited by
a complacent judiciary is example enough of the irretrievably broken
process that is the death penalty in Texas and the US.
Greg's family and close friends do not have, alone, the resources or
legal
recourse to challenge his wrongful death. The performance and attitude
of John Adams, as his new sentence of Life with parole was announced,
may have added to the conviction of many more of you that this man was
guilty not of one murder but, by proxy, of two. Donna Vick was Greg's friend,
and lifeline to a recovery of his health and welfare. HE DID
NOT KILL HER. Only John Wade Adams had the motive and
criminal history to have done that.
We end this statement with a heartfelt appreciation of the sorrow and
loss endured by Ms. Vick's son and family. We hope they will one day
soon come to understand the great respect and gratitude Greg had for
Donna Vick.
Finally we reference once again Greg's own words:
“There has
been a lot of
confusion on who done this. I know you all want closure. Donna had her
Christianity intact when she died. She never went to a drug house. John
Adams lied. He went to the police and told them a story. He made deals
and sold stuff to keep from going to prison. I left the house, and I
left him there. My only act or involvement was not telling on him. John
Adams is the one that killed Donna Vick. I took a polygraph and passed.
John Adams never volunteered to take one. I have done everything in my
power. Donna Vick helped me; she took me off the street. I was a truck
driver; my CDL was still active. Donna gave me everything I could ask
for. I helped her around the yard. I helped her around the house. She
asked if there were anyone else to help. I am a Christian myself, so I
told her about John Adam. We picked him up at a dope house. I did not
know he was a career criminal. When we got to the house he was jonesin
for drugs. He has to go to Dallas. I was in the bathroom when he
attacked. I am deaf in one ear and I thought the T.V. was up too loud.
I ran in to the bedroom. By the time I came in, when I tried to help
her, with first aid, it was too late. The veins were cut on her throat.
He stabbed her in her heart, and that's what killed her. I told John
Adams, "turn yourself in or hit the high road." I owed him a favor
because he pulled someone off my back. I was in a fight downtown. Two
or three days later he turned on me. I have done everything to prove my
innocence. Before you is an innocent man. I love my family. I'll be
waiting on ya'll. I'm finished talking.”
Gregory
Wright, Oct. 30th, 2008
2009
Dec 25 Sales of books now exceed 120 before the
official release date of January 1st 2010. Buy yours today.
Nov 21 The BookShop is now open to take orders for
these books - closed. New editions released on sale at Lulu Press (see above:Oct. 2011) Oct 30 On
this day of
memorial to Greg, we are pleased and proud to announce the forthcoming
publication of two books we have written in
memory of our much loved and much missed husband and friend.
Copies will be available for purchase from January 1st 2010.
Details will follow in due course. This is an advance photo -
Oct 28 Video which includes the speech Connie made at the
March & Rally on Saturday - brilliant :)
Oct 28 Video report
from the 10th annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty in Austin, Texas
I
am today publishing the following Open Letter to those persons and
judicial bodies responsible for the wrongful execution of my friend
Gregory Edward Wright, on October 30th 2008.
Version
1 is an edited version suitable for media
publication.
Version
2 is an unedited version which will be sent to
primary players as indicated above.
Mar. 08 Appeals page
updated with theincredible and
false testimony
of John Adams, in a Deposition Hearing in the Court of Judge Francis,
which retracted written and signed statements exonerating Greg of all
complicity in the murder of Donna Vick. While the courts have never
accepted the truth of this statement, it effectively denied Greg the
one crucial piece of evidence that would have spared his life. Adams is
now using it in an effort to save his own. Look
here to see scans of the original written statements of John Adams that
he signed AND MADE EFFORTS TO HAVE LEGALLY NOTARIZED
Jan. 15
Supporters of Tony Medina seek help (click on banner)
Jan.
01 Much
of this website is up and accessible once more, after a transfer to a
new hosting organisation. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have
caused. The remaining pages and links to be uploaded will be available
in the next few days. Meanwhile, the Blog has continued to carry news
of the principal ongoing developments and opinions. It has today been
updated with a Prayer for the New Year.
2008 Dec.
17 As
Christmas approaches, may we say how truly grateful we have been to
receive the many tributes that we have been able to display on the
special Tribute page to
Greg (Tony).
Another was added today, and many more people have written to Connie to
express their heartfelt condolences at his death. We thank you, and
will this Christmas, with you all, give thanks to God for Greg's
presence in our lives and in the friendship he shared with us.
Dec. 16 New entry on the Blog, which
comments on the consequences of political pressure on the decisions of
DA Craig Watkins
Dec. 15The previous entry has been removed temporarily. If you
downloaded, then
enjoy, if not then there is a treat to come in the New Year. Dec. 03
Authorised reports and photo of Greg now showing at: Capital Defense Weekly +
Texas Moratorium Network
+ Texas Student's Against the Death Penalty+ Prison Writings Blogspot
Dec. 01
Further update to Tribute
page Nov. 30
Press Release - Call for Independent Review
Nov. 30
As we continue to find courage and strength from Greg's gift of
friendship and love, which is undiminished by his death, please
continue to keep an eye on the Tribute
page (remember new entries may appear anywhere on the page).
Contributions are
welcome to both from family and friends. It has been wonderful to be
contacted by friends from his youth, and if others come across these
pages, or can be informed of them, we would be grateful to hear from
you all.
On a separate note, I am told that the web site host, Lycos, may be
closing its operations soon, but that another host is being sought. If
there are any interuptions to access to this site, then every effort
will be made to restore it as soon as possible. Nov. 25The
Tribute page has been updated recently - with more
contributions and also a photo of Greg's old school in Kentucky, where
he had such success in sport (and in most of his academic studies
also!). You might wish to encourage Kids Against the Death
Penalty by visiting their very nice site - the link is given by their
entry on the Tribute page, and also the contacts page from the
menu below. Please keep viewing (and bookmark us) - our fight for
Justice is a long way from finished. Nov. 18
Please take time to read Terri Been's
account of conditions at Polunsky right now. Nov. 16
Connie is back home after taking time out in Norway, with Bente, and
also a few days back in Texas with Rachael. She will be contacting as
many of you as possible who have sent your best wishes, flowers, and
tributes to Greg. It may take a few days :) Nov. 12Reporting in the Norwegian press : http://www.bladet.no/nyheter/article3913899.ece Nov. 09This website will continue in its present form for one
year, until the
anniversary of Greg's death. Thereafter, it will be converted to a
single page Tribute, in memory and honor of a fine man, husband, son,
brother, nephew and friend.
Nov. 07 Throughout this
case, Gregory Wright and his attorneys battled against a series of false assumptions
and downright lies.
Some of these lies have been repeated and perpetuated by agents and
representatives of the legal community whose duty is ensure truth and Justice.
This site, in memory of Greg's innocence
and fight for life, intends to set the record straight. Yes, we believe
the Death Penalty to be wrong in principle, but our mission in exposing
to the world the
lies used against Greg, and those who relied upon
them to kill an innocent man, is to show that whether you
support or would abolish the death penalty, its management is so flawed as to be an affront to the human rights
and laws of natural justice of innocent people. We would
argue further, that it is unconstitutional.
We will begin
our exposure over the coming days,
and for as long as it takes for an acknowledgment of the injustice done
to Gregory Wright over a period of 11 years, and ending on October
30th, 2008. In doing so, we hope other innocent men and women, and
their families, will be spared such injustice in the future. That is a
legacy Greg would have approved of as he studied the Law to certificate
level and beyond during the latter years of his incarceration.
Nov. 06 This website is
undergoing minor revisions to
reflect the events of Oct. 30th 2008, and the subsequent refocussing of
our campaign.
The media news items
below reflect the
concern and disbelief that Texas and the US Supreme Court failed to
accept and act upon the compelling and true evidence of Greg's
INNOCENCE of any part in the crime committed against Donna Vick. Those
parties involved should acknowledge their mistake and their shame.
