Apparently, Cy Vance’s great article in HuffPo on the tragic story of Cameron Todd Willingham (see last week’s post) was just the start.  More and more stories are appearing across the country, covering the brutal fact that a man was killed by the State of Texas for the arson murder of his children and only after his death did scientific evidence substantiate what Willingham had been claiming the whole time:  it wasn’t arson.  He didn’t commit murder.  Specifically, he did not commit filicide.

Several of these writings deserve your time, particularly:

The op-ed piece in yesterday’s New York Times, written by Bob Herbert, where he writes:

“… The report is devastating, the kind of disclosure that should send a tremor through one’s conscience. There was absolutely no scientific basis for determining that the fire was arson, said [arson expert Craig] Beyler. No basis at all….”

The response by editor Michael Landauer in the Dallas Morning News to the statements made by the prosecutor in the Willingham case (who is now a sitting judge in Texas):

“Well, he was a foul-mouthed wife beater.  That seems to be the response of the chief prosecutor of the Willingham case….”

And, the long, in-depth investigative piece by in the New Yorker, which goes into great detail and obviously took great effort both in investigation, research, and writing, published this month and written by David Grann, who provides Cameron Todd Williingham’s last words:

“…’The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for twelve years for something I did not do. From God’s dust I came and to dust I will return, so the Earth shall become my throne.’ “

This coverage is important and the more discussion is had in this country regarding the tragedy of Cameron Todd Willingham’s case, the better.  One can only wonder why it took from 2004, when Willingham was executed until now — five years later — for this travesty to come into the national spotlight.

Let’s all hope that somehow, this brings some peace to the Willingham family.  The arson was a terrible accident.  Those babies did not die at the hand of their father, and this confirmation should bring some relief to these folk. 

The injustice of the execution?  Our prayers and our compassion go out to them as they deal with this reality.