National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty November 3, 2005 Please forward and cross-post this message widely. If you received this message from a friend, subscribe free at http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/signUp.jsp?key=3D28 Near Record High Number of Executions Scheduled in November Returning from Austin, Texas, where we hosted our highly successfull 2005 NCADP Conference, we have a busy month ahead of us, with a remarkably high number of executions planned in many different states across the country in November. Also, we at NCADP are currently in the process of moving locations in downtown DC and some internet glitches prevented us from getting this month's alert out to you earlier. Please bear with us as we fix all the issues and we thank you in advance for your patience! John Spirko Up for Execution Once Again in Ohio The state of Ohio is set to execute John Spirko, a 59-year-old Caucasian man, on Nov. 15th for the 1982 kidnapping and murder of Betty Mottinger in Van Wert County. Mr. Spirko's case has received a good deal of press attention, and there are many reasons why. During his trial, prosecutors withheld evidence that would have placed Mr. Spirko's so-called accomplice in North Carolina rather than Ohio hours before the crime. Although the prosecution rested its case heavily on eyewitness testimony that placed the accomplice near the scene of the crime, the state of Ohio decided to press charges only against Mr. Spirko, arguing that too much time had passed to bring charges against the "accomplice." I'm sure you are aware that there is no statute of limitations for murder. Not withstanding the fact that eyewitness testimony is essentially unreliable, there was no forensic evidence linking Mr. Spirko to the crime, nor does a written or recorded confession or his guilt exist. It is not too late to correct this serious miscarriage of justice. There are simply too many questions of John Spirko's innocence to be certain of his guilt. Act now by contacting Ohio Governor Taft and asking that Howard's execution be halted! Read More and Take Action at http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3D1459 ------------------------------------------------------ Case Against Shannon Charles Thomas Purely Circumstantial Shannon Charles Thomas, a black man, is scheduled to be executed on Nov. 16, 2005 for the shooting deaths of Roberto Rios, a Hispanic man, his son, Victor Roberto Rios and, his daughter, Maria Elda Isbell Rios. Thomas and another man, Keith Clay, are accused of entering the home of Rios, a drug dealer, and robbing and killing Rios. However, there was no physical evidence in this case and Shannon Charles Thomas was accused solely on the basis of circumstantial evidence. One piece of information on which Thomas's conviction was based was the fact that he possessed a gun similar to the murder weapon. Although many may have also owned similar guns, this information was part of the circumstantial evidence on which Thomas was convicted of capital murder. Additionally, two other witnesses stated that Thomas had admitted the murders to them. Witness testimonies in general are often unreliable and the reliability of the witness testimonies in this case is definitely questionable. Considering the danger of sentencing innocent people to death it is important that we not implement capital punishment in cases that lack compelling physical evidence. There are simply too many questions of Shannon Charles Thomas=92s innocence to be certain of his guilt. Act now by contacting Texas Governor Perry and asking that Howard's execution be halted! Read More and Take Action at http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3D1467 ------------------------------------------------------------------ See and act on all current Execution Alerts at http://www.ncadp.org/execution_alerts.html November 3: Melvin Wayne White, TEXAS http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/ campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3D1469 November 4: Arthur Hastings Wise, SOUTH CAROLINA http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1462 November 4: Brian Steckel, DELAWARE http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1461 November 9: Charles Daniel Thacker, TEXAS http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1465 November 11: Steven Van McHone, NORTH CAROLINA http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1463 November 15: John Spirko, OHIO http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1459 November 15: Robert Dale Rowell, TEXAS http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1466 November 16: Shannon Charles Thomas, TEXAS http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1467 November 18: Elias Hanna Syriani, NORTH CAROLINA http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1464 November 28: Eric Randall Nance, ARKANSAS http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1460 November 29: John R. Hicks, OHIO http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1468 November 30: Robin Lovitt, VIRGINIA http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3D1470
