Cameron Todd Willingham was executed by the state of Texas in 2004 for allegedly murdering his three daughters by setting fire to his house. Now, his case is returning to the spotlight once more.
In the 10 years since his execution, a growing body of evidence has emerged suggesting that Willingham was innocent and that his trial, conviction, and execution were based on flawed forensics and concealed deals between the prosecutor and a jailhouse informant. Numerous experts have testified that there is no credible evidence that the fire that killed Willingham’s daughters was related to arson at all.
Now, lawyers working to obtain a posthumous pardon for Cameron Willingham say they have evidence to suggest that a jailhouse informant testified that Willingham confessed to committing the crime, in exchange for a reduced prison sentence as part of a concealed deal with the prosecutor. A handwritten note revealing the deal was discovered by Innocence Project investigators and submitted to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles as part of their request for a pardon.
Read more about Cameron Todd Willingham’s case and the Innocence Project’s request for a posthumous pardon here.