Jeffery Lee Wood

Jeffery Lee Wood (born August 19, 1973) was scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016, before a stay was issued by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.[2] As in the case of Kenneth Foster,[3] Wood's death sentence stems from the Texas law of parties, which is related to the felony murder rule.[4]

Jeffery Lee Wood
Born
Jeffrey Lee Wood[1]

(1973-08-19) August 19, 1973
NationalityAmerican
Education12
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Conviction(s)Capital murder
Criminal chargeCapital murder
PenaltyDeath
Details
Date15th January 1996
5:30
CountryU.S.
State(s)Texas
Location(s)Kerrville
InjuredStab in heart
WeaponsKnife
Date apprehended
January 2, 1996
Imprisoned atMarch 3, 1998

Law of parties

Texas has what is commonly referred to as the "law of parties" under criminal cases. The law says that if a person, "acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense", then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another as well.[5]

Murder of Kris Keeran

Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on January 2, 1996, Wood and Daniel Earl Reneau parked outside a Texaco station in Kerrville, Texas.[6] While Wood waited outside, Reneau entered the station and pointed a .22-caliber handgun at clerk Kris Keeran. When Keeran did not respond to Reneau's requests, Reneau shot the clerk, killing him almost instantly.

Hearing the gunshot, Wood entered the gas station and found the clerk on the floor behind the counter. Wood then ran to the back, where he removed the surveillance video and the murder weapon, while Reneau carried the store's safe and cash box. They both then fled from the scene. The value of cash and checks was estimated to be $11,350.

According to ABC News, Wood says he was forced by Reneau at gunpoint to take the surveillance video.[7] He then destroyed the video after showing it to his brother and telling him that he and Reneau had carried out the robbery and murder.

Conviction and sentencing

Wood and Reneau were both arrested on the day of the murder.[6]

Wood was convicted and sentenced to death although he was not in the store during the killing and though he claims he was not aware that Reneau was going to use force. Wood has been on the Texas death row since March 3, 1998.[8] Additionally, Wood is borderline mentally disabled with an IQ of 80 and was initially judged not mentally fit to stand trial.[9]

Victim's family

The victim's father, Charles Keeran, said he would like to see Wood live the rest of his life in prison instead of being executed. "The death penalty, to me, is the easy way out," he said. "If you had to be down there and get up every morning, as hot and humid as it is, knowing that you are going to spend the rest of your life locked up under those conditions, that's punishment. That's what I think my son would want for him."[10]

Clemency

A group of Texas legislators sent a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles urging clemency for Wood.[11]

On August 19, 2008, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7–0 against clemency for Wood. The governor of Texas can only grant one 30-day stay of execution without a recommendation from the board for a longer stay.[12]

2008 stay of execution

Five and a half hours before Wood's scheduled execution on August 21, 2008, a federal judge in San Antonio issued a stay of execution to allow a hearing to determine whether Wood was mentally competent.[13]

2016 stay of execution

On August 19, 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution, sending the case back to the original trial court.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Death Row Information | Offender TDCJ Number: 999256". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  2. McCullough, Jolie (August 19, 2016). "Execution Halted for Jeff Wood, Who Never Killed Anyone". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  3. Marra, William (August 30, 2007). "In Rare Move, Texas Gov. Commutes Inmate's Death Sentence". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  5. "Penal Code Chapter 7. Criminal Responsibility for Conduct of Another". Statutes.legis.state.tx.us. State of Texas. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  6. "Media advisory: Jeffery Lee Wood scheduled for execution". Texasattorneygeneral.gov. The Attorney General of Texas. August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  7. Michels, Scott (August 8, 2008). "Texas Man Who Didn't Kill May Be Executed - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  8. "Texas Execution Information - Watch List". Txexecutions.org. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  10. "Inmate's supporters appeal to governor". August 3, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  11. "Texas Moratorium Network: Letter From Texas Legislators to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles Urging Commutation of Jeff Wood's Death Sentence". Stopexecutions.blogspot.com. August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  13. "Federal Judge, Chastising the Texas Courts, Orders a Stay of Execution". The New York Times. August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
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