Cameron Todd Willingham

Cameron Todd Willingham
Willingham's mug shot
Born(1968-01-09)January 9, 1968
Ardmore, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedFebruary 17, 2004(2004-02-17) (aged 36)
Huntsville, Texas, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by lethal injection
Resting placeRollins Cemetery
Marshall County, Oklahoma, U.S. (cenotaph, ashes scattered by his parents)
Known forControversial conviction and execution
Conviction(s)3 counts of capital murder, arson
Criminal penaltyDeath

Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted and executed for the murder of his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991. Since Willingham's 2004 execution, significant controversy has arisen over the legitimacy of the guilty verdict and the interpretation of the evidence that was used to convict him of arson and murder.

Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article.[1] The case was discussed again in a 2009 investigative report in The New Yorker.[2] This coverage suggested that the arson evidence was misinterpreted. According to an August 2009 investigative report by an expert hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the original claims of arson were doubtful.[3] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record.[4] A 2011 documentary, Incendiary: The Willingham Case, also explored the case.

The case was complicated by allegations that Texas Governor Rick Perry impeded the investigation by replacing three of the nine Forensic Commission members to change the commission's findings; Perry denies the allegations.[5]

  1. ^ Mills, Steve; Possley, Maurice (December 9, 2004). "Texas Man Executed on Disproved Forensics". Death Penalty Information Center/ Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Grann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Beyler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Jacobs, Janet (October 4, 2009). "City report on arson probe". Corsicana Daily Sun. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  5. ^ Smith, Matt (October 2, 2009). "Shake-up in Texas execution probe draws criticism, questions". CNN. Retrieved March 29, 2014.