PREFACE
The story that is to be told in these pages is about the spirit of one man, Gregory Edward Wright, wrongfully killed by the state of Texas on October 30th 2008, two days short of his 43rd birthday. Greg was known affectionately by his family and friends as “Tony” during some of his happiest experiences in life, so I will use that name throughout the book in commentary, but in his letters and conversations with me, you will see the name Greg. This is not an autobiography of his life, but a tribute and appreciation of the man – a friend who touched my heart, and those of many others, in an extraordinary way and in extraordinary circumstances. It is a true story, largely told by Tony himself from his death row cell in Texas – with some commentary from myself.
Tony was, in my view, and according to the final evidence presented to prosecution officials, the trial judge, and to the Appeal Courts of Texas and the USA, innocent of the murder of Donna Vick in 1997. In spite of the desperate and vigorous efforts of his attorneys and friends, only the Fifth Circuit Court of Criminal Appeals accepted that the evidence used against him did not prove him guilty of murder, but then, with a cynicism almost unique to its jurisdiction, condemned him to death by reference to the Law of Parties – a much criticized Texas law that has caught up other innocent people during its history of use. In fact, Tony was expressly not charged under this law, but in the words of his attorneys, “the Fifth Circuit Court committed legal fraud by applying it in defiance of the evidence of his innocence”. Given an unsolicited written confession from a co-accused, which also absolved Tony of any part in the crime, the decision to execute and refuse a retrial was an act in defiance of truth, justice and humanity.
Greg's final words put to shame those officials who either with deliberate intent, or with indifference, chose to ignore the pleas and evidence of an innocent man:
“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 Adams. 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 TV was up too loud. I ran into 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 “Tony” Wright, Oct. 30th 2008
I know that some of you will never believe or admit to Tony’s innocence, whatever evidence we point to. There appear to be no legal avenues we can take to press our case, though Tony hoped there might be if he lost his fight for life. Those of us who came to know Tony, and to study his case minutely, do believe in his innocence – and condemn Texas and the US Supreme Court for his willful and wrongful death. It was, finally, an unforgivable and cruel act. The following pages tell you about the love, the friendship and the respect I and other close friends enjoyed with Tony during his incarceration. Most of these words come from Tony himself through his many letters to me. But words alone cannot convey our sense of loss – only our pride in a man we were privileged to call a friend, and who faced the tyranny of a broken legal process with honor and courage.
I should like to make clear that although you will read of Tony's sometimes tempestuous realtionship with his attorney, Counselor Anton, this reflected an inevitable consequence of the disappointment he endured over long years of rejected Appeals. Tony studied the law, and the many death row cases that went before him. He understood the great handicap imposed by the legal decisions and strategies of the trial judge and prosecutor respectively, and of the failings of his trial and first habeas appeal attorneys. Some comments were born therefore of frustration, but Tony truly maintained great respect and appreciation of Counselor Anton and his colleagues to the end. - Peter Bellamy