Unfortunately, our judiciary system is not perfect and sometimes, it makes ”small” errors which have a HUGE impact on other people’s lives.
There’s been decades and decades filled with stories of injustice, negligence and, to be fair, just pure ignorance coming from the authorities.
People have been wrongly imprisoned for years and years, wasting their lives, witnessing horrific things. And for what?
For a small mistake coming from the same people that were supposed to serve and protect us from the bad.
But for some other individuals, things took a more tragic turn. Some citizens were given the death penalty when they didn’t even deserve it, only for the system to realize years later that they made a mistake.
Let’s take a look back at some of the ”errors” the authorities have made over the past decades.
1. Cameron Todd Willingham (1992)
A father of three who just happened to lose his kids to a killer fire, which started in their house, was blamed for the crime and was eventually found guilty.
He was charged for arson murder in Texas. Willingham sustained that the fire was an accident and that he had nothing to do with it, however that didn’t stop the court of finding him guilty and giving him the death penalty.
He was executed in 2004. Sadly, it was later discovered that he was indeed telling the truth and the fire was an accident.
2. Larry Griffin (1995)
Griffin was accused in 1981 of the murder of a drug dealer. There were many inconsistencies during the trial which would surface only later, after Griffin was executed in 1995.
Apparently, the officer present at the crime scene lied about a witness, and never interrogated another who would later attest that the alleged killer wasn’t at the scene.
3. David Wayne Spence (1997)
Spence was accused and eventually found guilty of allegedly murdering three teenagers.
The authorities thought a store clerk hired David Wayne to kill someone and he, by accident, killed the teens.
Later on, the lead detective and the lieutenant admitted that they don’t believe Spence committed the horrific crimes.
Despite that, he still got the death penalty in 1997.
4. Carlos DeLuna (1989)
Carlos DeLuna was accused of stabbing to death a store clerk. He was executed in 1989, even though he maintained his innocence.
Several years later the police uncovered significant evidence which showed that he was, in fact, not guilty of the crime.
Carlos Hernandez, a man who even CONFESSED to the crime, more than once, was actually the one they were looking for all this time.
5. Jesse Tafero (1991)
Jesse Tafero was a man who got the death penalty for allegedly killing a state trooper. Alongside him, Sonia Jacobs was arrested and given the capital sentence.
A man who was actually involved in the crime gave a testimony which put them both on death row. The man was given life in prison in exchange for his cooperation.
In 1991, Jesse Tafero was executed. However two years later, the authorities decided that the evidence used both for Jacobs and Tafero wasn’t enough to built a case.
Even though Tafero wasn’t lucky, Sonia WAS eventually.
6. Ruben Cantu (1993)
Ruben Cantu was accused at the age of 17 of committing capital murder and he was sadly executed for it in 1997. Years later, the same and only witness recanted his testimony.
Cantu’s co-defendant finally admitted that he let his friend take the blame and that Ruben wasn’t even at the crime scene when it occurred.
Final Word
These sad incidents remind us that the judiciary system isn’t perfect and can and will make mistakes which can even affect YOU.
These tragic executions prove that even the higher powers can make errors and innocent people will take the blame.
