Willingham's Case Reflective Paper

Willingham's case is an issue that has sparked different reaction from the members of the Texas government. Several years ago, a man named Willingham was convicted for arson. The crime investigation body charged Willingham with the offense of killing his three children through fire. According to the case reports represented by then, all evidence pointed towards Willingham considering the inconsistencies on his statement during the investigation process. The experts in the investigative body had different approaches and perception about Willingham's case, a move that made it difficult to prove arson. Throughout the investigation years, Willingham was under incarceration pending the case outcome. Based on the information presented before the judge, the fire was intentionally set by Willingham. In my opinion Willingham was not guilty of the crime leveled against him. The paper seeks to provide an in-depth a reflective analysis of Willingham's case.

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Criminal investigation is a process that changes with the rapid growth in technology. The investigation techniques used in the 1990s is completely different from the one applied in the current generation. Science has continued to evolve, giving birth to new strategies that aid in case investigations. I think that by the time Willingham was incarcerated, science had not provided techniques of proving arson; hence, leading to inaccurate evidence. Most of the evidence produced in support of Willingham's evidence was based on mere speculations, bias, and pure emotion (Frontline n.p.). According to the information displayed in the documented video, the Texas justice system considered emotional sentiments, bias, and inconsistent evidence to pronounce Willingham's case. From my understanding, such a system is unappropriated and lacks justice.

The investigation department claimed that Willingham's body was not affected by fire yet he claimed to help his children. During a fire outbreak, people always rush to seek help from neighbors before involving in the property and life rescue process (Frontline n.p.). In my perception, Willingham's case might have been similar to other fire incidences where and an individual steps out for help and on return, the fire has engulfed all the house entrances. It beats my imagination when investigators fail to acknowledge the fact that Willingham could not get into a ravaging fire to help his three kids. Any attempt to get into the fire could have claimed his life too. Factors such as electrical faults were not put into consideration during the investigation process. The primary aim of the investigation team was the positive evidence that could to incarcerate Willingham (Frontline n.p.).

The investigators had the 'lock em up" mentality, a factor that led to the presentation of inconsistent statements and fake witnesses to facilitate Willingham's death sentence. Based on the information displayed in the documentary video, Willingham's appeal to delay the execution failed, and the Texas governor could not influence the execution delay because his hands were tied (Frontline n.p). The governor fully depended on the support of the Texas citizens for another term in office, hence, was forced to adopt the "lock em up" mentality. The Texas governor was to be seen as a fighter of criminal offenses and not an advocate. Showing mercy to criminals can cause distrust among the electorate, a problem that the governor avoided. Despite the challenges, I think the governor could have tried his best to delay the execution process. Witnesses were forced into giving false statements. For instance, the prisoner who issued the criminal statement against Willingham later withdrew his statement in a recent interview. The wife who claimed Willingham was innocent later restated that the husband was a killer. According to me, the wife' change in statement was based on emotions and misunderstanding. The investigators also failed to notice the inconsistency in the wife's statements (Frontline n.p.). Throughout the investigation, there were several inconsistencies in the gathered evidence.

Texas criminal justice and the political system went to the extreme by pronouncing a death sentence on the Innocent Willingham. In my opinion, the Texas government needs to accept their mistake and work on its investigation techniques. Apart from the investigation techniques, I think the Texas government should also adopt incarceration and rehabilitation process in dealing with suspects or criminals. People should be given the chance to correct their behaviors. For instance, Willingham should have been given a chance to serve a prison rather than death. Laws are made to safeguard the rights of people regardless race, color, and perception. Serious offenses should be punished by life sentence and not death. I, therefore, think that incarceration and rehabilitation remain the best ways of punishing criminal activities in the society.

Conclusion

According to the information given in the video, the political and criminal investigation system of the Texas State is to blame in Willingham's case. The 'lock em up" mentality is common in the Texas Judicial service, hence, making it difficult for the accused to prove his or her innocence. Everything is done in the best interest of the public, regardless of the facts and evidence. The death penalty was not a good idea in Willingham's case considering that there was lack of sufficient evidence to support the case.

Work Cited

Frontline. "Death By Fire". Frontline, 2018, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-by-fire/. Accessed 23 Nov 2018.