this is why Judges are supposed to inform the jury that if they have any lingering doubt as to whether he committed a murder then you should choose life instead of the death penalty. It seems like people in the south are much quicker to blindly trust the authorities and the directions of prosecutors wheras us northern city dwekking folk are much more skpetical

I think the govrnor should have to go to jail.

i think that the govener knows that he put an innecent to death

I certainly think Perry's covering something up. There's no other reason to replace those four people, and no way to make up for what he's done. I definitely think Willingham was innocent and nows he's dead because Perry thought he was right. It disgusts me.

how could someone that called his children his babbies be convicted of killing them?? this is a mistrial if i ever saw one. the woman who was "good friends" with Fogg shouldn't have been aloud on the joury because she has a bias opinion. no way could this ever be arson. this man loved his children too much to ever be able to even think about setting fire to his house. thats a parent's worst nightmare; loosing their children. why would he kill them? i do not agree with the way this trial was handled! the investigation for the governor was wrongly inturrupted and should still be conducted.

Imagine, not wondering at all, if you sent an innocent man to the death chamber–Mr. Perry?

This needs to be settled outside the realm of politics, by an independant agency. Not the FBI, not this county Attorney, and no one affiliated with the Governor. INDEPENDANT investigation...until one is done, i dont see how his actions related to this dont make him out to be shady at best...

Is anybody surprised considering the rash of Governors, Senators, and Congressmen that have been shown to have been abusing their office? Lets face it; its good news to know that crooked public servants have been uncovered, but bad, old news to expect any of their fellow colleagues to critisize them. After all, they might themselves get investigated. So its the same old status quo, see lots of evil, speak of no evil and of course, hear no evil.

What is really sad and is a direct indictment of the times we live in is this: the Texas govenor wont even enterttrain the idea that someone that was innocent was killed by the state.....oh my God ...its all about politics....about getting elected

I believe he was guilty. No father who loved his children would allow them to die in a fire while he saved his own skin. This case is similar to a case in upstate New York circa 2000. The father was clearly guilty in that case too.

This is precisely why I am against the death penalty. There have been innocent people wrongfully put to death before and I'm sure it will happen again. Until there is a 100% foolproof way to make sure we don't execute innocent people, I think the death penalty should be taken off the table completely.

If it turns out that Gov Perry knew there was evidence that might exonerate Willingham and refused to pardon him or delay the execution, he should be tried for murder.

If one truly cares for the innocent then he or she should donate time or money to the Innocense Project started by Johnie Cochran and another 1000 lawyers working for free to in turn free innocent men and women on death row, and in prison.

This man dies proclaiming his innocense, and this must count for something. It could happen just as easily to you and me.

Sounds like this juror already had reasonable doubt so why did she vote guilty? Did the judge adequately explain to this jury what reasonable doubt was and what it wasn't?

How many people each year do we put to death that are innocent? Even one is one too many. Perhaps we need to rethink our punishment methods.

i think it is great that she is feeling guilty and wondering if she sent an inocent man to death. It shows compassion. In this country you are inocent until PROVEN guilty. They did not prove either way...

This juror should have been a grown-up about it and not served. It's clearly time to stop irrevocable punishment, especially in a vane state like Texas where justice was so well perfected (time and time again). If it weren't for the vanity, would anybody need to wonder about anything the rest of their life?

What is Gov.Perry trying to hide?.. I guess his re-election is more important than justice.Maybe he might be tried on civil rights violations.With this backward way of life and thinking this is the reason I no longer live in Texas!

Only in Texas are some of our government officials, some of our police officers, and some of our judges just as corrupt as criminals but with a title, badge and gavel. This makes me sick and ashamed of our system. The thought of how many innocent people have been put to death in this big ole good boy state of Texas is horrifying! I can't even begin to count how many innocent people in Texas (especially Dallas!) have been released after spending decades in prison for a crime they did not commit thanks to The Innocence Project!

Governor Perry is a person who works the system to his political advantage. Remember the video of him ranting on the black female trooper that pulled over his vehicle for speeding? He is a Republican who doesn't need the facts to influence his thinking.

We would never, ever have to wonder if an innocent man was executed if there was no death penalty

Arson investigation, from my limited knowledge, is as much of an art as a science. Execept of course in the area of trace element identification, I would have to say it has changed little, at least in the experience of the most qualified of investigators.

It's too bad the lawyer didn't defend his client as vigorously as he defended himself.

I am not surprised at all this happens in Texas. I knew about cases with innocent African Americans in jail for crimes they never commited; thanks to DNA results. Forensics can be at fault. And they could have been covered. Who is to blame? Time will tell; like always.

After several dealings with law reinforcement in my community, I can completely believe that this man may have been truly innocent.

Unbelievable! I just saw Anderson interview the guy's "Defence" attorney. I don't know if this man is guilty or not but the cards were stacked against him to have an attorney who clearly detests him.

If David Martin acted the same way tonight as he did at the trial, it's no wonder he lost.

I cannot believe that his defense attorney is called a defense attorney. He talks as if he was the prosecutor, what happened to presumption of innocence? Guilty or not, it was a miscarriage of justice, period.

Wow, the only one sure that this guy was guilty was his defense attorney?! If twelve arson investigators have come forward to say it wasn't arson, then why is this guy convinced he's right.

I believe the Texas Ranger. The guy was guilty!

This is a drawback of our judicial system. You cannot always correct final judgements after the fact. It would have been easier to deal with, had we been playing with an honest group. I say group simply because this act was not done by one person. We all had a hand in this even we don't even live in the state.