Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 10.25.23

The State of Alabama has set 11.16.23 as the execution date for Casey McWhorter. The Talking Points are at

https://www.phadp.org/execution-alert-casey-mcwhorter/  on our website. “The U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2021 to review the case. McWhorter’s attorneys argued that a juror in the case failed to disclose in jury selection that she believed her father had been murdered. They also argued that McWhorter’s trial attorney failed to prevent mitigating evidence about McWhorter’s background.” We are grateful for the prompt reaction and help from Death Penalty Action, Alabama People of Faith death penalty coalition and JAM. Please: Take action to spare Casey's life at bit.ly/CaseyMcWhorter!

We are in touch with the Rev. Jeff Hood, Casey’s spiritual advisor and appreciated his article “Killers in Our Midst:  My Grandfather, Casey McWhorter, the State of Alabama and the Consistent Immorality of Killing”. Rev. Hood gives Casey the important opportunity to be heard: “Daddy Didn’t Love Me Kind of Kid” The Casey McWhorter Tapes transcribed by Rev. Jeff Hood and also “Hope Comes Back Around” the second tape. And “Peace Will See Me Through this Execution” 3rd tape. “I’d Found Humanity Again”. 4th tape. “I might Have A Son Out There That I Love Very Much. 5th tape. “There Will Be No Life In Killing Me” 6th tape.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jeffhood/daddy-didnt-love-me-kind-of-kid-the-casey-mcwhorter-tape 

We also highly recommend the article about Rev. Jeff Hood: “Death row spiritual advisor says the trauma is worth the work.” We quote: “The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood said his work as a spiritual advisor for death row inmates is more than getting them saved “wrapping it all up in a bow and sending them off to heaven.”

We also discussed Stephen Cooper’s article “Alabama to Subject Death Row Spiritual Advisor to Nitrogen Gas Risks.” Alabama is aware of the risk which is why “no spiritual advisor or alternate spiritual advisor shall be allowed in the execution chamber unless they review and sign the spiritual advisor nitrogen hypoxia acknowledgment form.”

We heard from our valued friend Toby Lafferty of Books Inside:” Wanted you to know that I contacted Vanderbilt Press and ordered some copies of “Ghosts Over the Boiler,” I want to mail them out to all of the prisons that we work with. Expect that they will be well read and motivating as they open up more possibilities of what everyone can do to work toward changing this terrible system.” Thank you!

We thank all who are working so hard and diligently to stop all killing in Alabama! And as always in closing, we thank all our generous donors who either gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button or who gave directly. Thank you also to all who took the time to read our notes, commented, liked and shared them on Facebook. And if you would like to order our book “Ghosts Over the Boiler” you can do so at Amazon.com. Stay well and be kind to each other!                                                                  Esther