Willie Shannon # 999086
12 - FF - 71
Polunsky Unit
12002 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351
Willie Shannon
| Click Here For, "ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY" |
| Click here for Letter From Willie Shannon, Jan 2000 |
| Coming Soon - Letter From Willie, May 2000 |
May God Bless those who
read those words and take heed, what goes on in the mind of one of Texas
Death Row inmates. Many men and women don't even know what goes on
here !
There can be no more
shocking news that we are even here, we have been in the news so much,
talk of moving us to a new unit, from the old Ellis Unit in Huntsville,
Texas. The talk forced the states hand even though the Terrell
Unit here in Livingston, Texas was not, and still after 2 months
of housing 55 of Texas Death Row, are not readay to handle the demands
of medical, rec, and most important, mailing needs. They are constantly
breaking the law. But since many that they moved here, can't read,
write, or have the mental stability to complain about whats going on, they
just have us locked away.
This new unit is something
new to many of us that have never lived a long period of time in a solitary
confinement cell. These cells were meant to house inmates that will not
follow the rules, and are constant threats to other inmates and gaurds,
and also then they could only hold inmates for a certain amount of months.
Not years, as they have planned to do with us. Many inmates will
lose their wits. They will become insane, when many here are already
close to that thin line between sane and insane. I myself have been
very close to losing it all. When I am on that have had the support
of a loving mother , grandmother, and a loving best friend who is more
a second mother to me. Another best friend that I can tell
all that bothers me, when I am scared, fear being killed in this place.
So you see if I have all this and still fall close to becoming one of the
men thats driving insane, what about those that only have themselves?
I didn't want to complain
about the way I am being treated here on death row. This web page
was not started for me to cry about something I helped create. Meaning,
I'm no angel, I'm no sweet little boy that didn't know the lifestyle that
I was leading would lead me to no where but to prison , and then to hell
!
Once again, I'm not the
one that grew up without a family, I was raised by my mother and grandmother
to fear God, and what was right or wrong. Albeit my father was not
there living in the house with my family, as far as I can remember, I've
known him all my life but he was not the father he should have been nor
I the son I could have been. So I'm not one that can blame my upbringing,
I didn't really crossed the line of no return until I started taking care
of myself after school, and after I was on my own so I blame myself, no
one but myself, for who I became !
I have lived on deathrow
for 5 1/2 years, the things I've seen and heard, makes my upbringing look
like I was one of royal blood. But the things that hurt the most
is that 85% of Texas Death Row were still kids when they came to live in
this place where the demons torture the insane, all day, and the sane lay
in bed trying to cover their ears.
Yes 18 - 25 is the average
age America's young come here to live and die. Now since I've been
here they come in at 17 now, die before they're 25. Never had a chance
at life. They grow out of that rebelling period of their life behind
bars, just as many of you grew out of the 60s radical age ! But you
guys had a chance to make a change. Thats not to say of us who came
here as children, and grew into adult. I'd not say men, because we
have never had the responsibility that makes boys grow into men.
Some of us might have fathered children, but we have not had the chance
to raise or provide for them. Responsibility makes men. I've
got off fairly easy, with only 2 hour talks and short letters to my daughter,
but there is a day coming I'll have to sit and tell her why her father
is not coming home. This will be hard but I'll do it, because its
my responsibility to do so. She'll be seven, in about a month.
Kids now days grow a lot faster and are a lot smarter.
My main reason for wanting
this chance to speak out to the world is because there is always more than
one side of the story. Most of the time the media, will not tell
the truth, they sell entertainment. Whatever is the hot political
point at the moment. With me, they didn't have many bad things to
say about me, I didn't have a long criminal record. Albeit, I have
confessed to many sins, but on the books no I have a very short record.
Two arrests as an adult,
3 as a child. All three of my arrests as a kid, I was never caught
doing anything. But at that time of your life adults
run everything, you have no control. So whatever is said about you
is taken as the truth. Now I'm not saying that I didn't steal as
I was accused of doing because I did. But nothing of real value.
Never caught, never went to trial, be albeit convicted because an adult
said another kid told them I did it. Sentenced to probation, now
I have more adults controlling my life, people who didn't care what I did,
as long as it was not to them and their kind. They didn't try to
help me see what was wrong, it was visit me once a month, pay me 20 bucks
once a month. Thats it. Thats all was given to me as
advice. Then I was 13. I would go through 3 years of probation.
Get sentenced to state school at 16, for heresay, again no trial, no conviction.
Sent away to kid prison, when I was doing quite well. I wasn't in
school but I had a job and I worked 16 to 18 hours daily at a fast food
place, but it made me proud. I was doing quite well. Then my
past caught me, twisted me, and just because I did a crime once they say
I did it again. Once a thief always a thief, so I was brough to court
and simply told, or asked, "What did I tell you, the last time you came
before me?" It didn't matter that I was 13 the last time I was in
front of this judge, but I remembered well what he said.
"THE NEXT TIME YOU COME
BEFORE ME, NO MATTER WHAT FOR, I'M SENDING YOU OFF!"
That was all said by
me or my lawyer. The principal of the school got on the stand said
I hadn't been going, a probation officer, whom I had only seen one time
because she had just gotten the job. After she read off what other
kids had told her what I suppose to have told them to do. In which
I didn't. I was sentenced. No crime, trial, just convicted.
This was the turning
point of my life. Got my GED, worked while I was there, positive
role model for other kids there. Got out early.
Armed with GED,
movef to Houston, got job, apt., doing just fine, 9 months later walking
back from store stopped by cops. On my 18th birthday arrested
for assault. Held for three months, lawyer kept trying to get me
to plead guilty, and take probation and go to boot camp. I told him
no, set it for trial, and get me a bond. Then he told me that if
I was to go to trial, it would be after the new years. That would
be six months. He knew I didn't beat this guy up. I was faced
with going to trial, losing my job, my sister needed me at home, to help
with her twins so I was willing to cut a deal. Next time I went to
court, my lawyer told me that the DA is willing to deal. Of course
I knew she would because I was innocent ! Lawyer came back with probation
and boot camp again. I'd be free in 90 days after I completed boot
camp. But then I would have to be on probation and probation is one
foot from being in prison. No I was not going to be on probation.
I changed my mind and said no deal. Soon as I said that, he had a
talk with DA and she was offering now 6 months county time, which is 2
for 1 days and back time plus reduced to a non felony and clear record.
I'd be free in 3 months, out or Xmas and no record. Whats 3 months
out of my life. So I took the deal. But guess what I didn't know.
The guy was not pressing charges. Had not been coming to court, couldn't
and wouldn't testify that it was me. So I was not supposed to even
been here. I was being held illegally. All these things I found
out after I was charged, 7 months after my release from the county jail.
This man came to court to testify against me for the state. But oh
was they shocked when he said on the stand "that he can not, could not,
tell the court that I was one of the men that beat him up", now
new news, it was supposed to be more people with me when I suppose to have
beat him up. Lawyer nor DA told me this. Of course he was not
a good witness for the state so he was off the stand quick.
By capital murder standards,
I should not have been a candidate for the death penalty. No violent
past, no adult criminal record, and last but most importantly death
in this case was accidental ! ! !
There is strong evidence
to show that it was not on purpose why this man was killed. once
witness to this crime, the only reliable witness to the crime, said, "He
walked up to car, told man to get out, man got out, I got in. Man
reaches in punch me, we fight over gun. Gun goes off ! " No
different from my testimony. Almost word for word. Now once
again I'll say the Law is good, man is what perverts the law !
By Law I didn't commit
capital murder. His death didn't happen, before I took possession
of the car. I didn't kill him to get away ! There is evidence
that his death was provoked by himself, but a lawyer terms, voluntary conduct
! Victim grab gun, hit gun, anything to make gun go off. If
the lawyers that I had was to file the motion for to have the clause invoked
in my trial, 90% chance I don't come to death row. I'm not telling
you all this information to take blame away from myself. No, I will
never do that. I committed a Robbery ! I might be guilty of
manslaughter ! But I'm not a killer, never have been, never will be.
One more thing that hurts my chances, is that the CCA denied my direct
appeal, in it there was a mention of voluntary conduct. Same as at
my trial. I didn't know of the law and clause then. It was
only brought to my attention by my third lawyer. Why was this so,
all the evidence was there, for my trial. Direct appeal ! But
judge didn't follow law. DA didn't follow law ! My lawyers
didn't care what happened to me. Just for a little facts, all of
my lawyers clients have come to death row. Never have gotten life
sentence or freedom. That should tell you they don't learn from mistakes,
or don't care ! I talk to some of the old clients of these lawyers,
and they say the same thing I say. Lawyers didn't try.
The U.S.A is suppose
to be about truth, justice, fairness, but I learned with my years in the
system that is not so. They tell us minority, the true majority.
That we have rights and are backed by the Constitution, but how
is it that when it, the Constitution was written by slave owners
for slave owners ! What right do a descendant of a slave have to
these rights. Do you think they had me in mind when they sat down
and wrote it ? What do you think they had in mind, a jury of your
peers ? Same race, social class, right. I was tried by 11 whites,
and one black. Do you think those 11 whites came from a poor home
? Of course we see they are not minority. So I say again, I
don't think I have rights. They have been violated many of times,
and I'm being killed here by the state out of revenge, they'll be violated
again.
I have one thing going
for me. I fear God, love God, and have FAITH in God. All that
judged me shall be judged themselves ! I'm content with my life on
the Row, I'm readay, God take me away from this place where demons torment
men, women tease, leaders mislead, children are killed. I'm a child,
my life is in your hands Dear Father, receive my soul ! God Bless
all that gave me their time, Remember don't be quick to judge others,
because you'll be judge also. I fear not, what man can do to the
flesh, but what God can do with my soul.
Willie Shannon
| Click Here For, "ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY" |
| Click here for Letter From Willie Shannon, Jan 2000 |
| Coming Soon - Letter From Willie, May 2000 |
PENPAL REQUEST
A friend is one whos on your side/someone
in whom you can confide/someone who consoles
you when you're sad/and turn depressing days to glad/A friend is there
through thick and thin/caring concerned and genuine/A special someone with
the gift, to give your heavy heart a lift/When you're down and in despair/a
faithful friend is always there./they don't scold or reprimand,/and always
understand./So if you have but
one friend, to be there for you to the end /Thank the Lord, and say a
prayer, /because you're richer than a MILLIONAIRE!
Hi! My name is Willie Shannon, I'm currently on death row here in the state
of Texas. I have been here for a total of five years, I have been
incarcerated for almost seven years including before my trial.I am a African
American, I am 25 years old, I was born in Houston Texas. I stand 6 ft
tall and weigh 195 pounds.
I was born on June, 12 1973. I have
brown eyes and brown hair. I am also a high school drop out, but
I obtained my GED the same year I dropped out. Some of my hobbies are reading,
studying world history, psychology, mainly human behaivor but I have an
open mind. I have taken it upon myself to understand my problem, and whatlead
me to death row. I know I made that sound bad, but I don't have a sexual
problem, I am not a rapist or molestor. I started this missive with
a poem on friendship, I did for a reason, I have never known friendship,
and this what I have been told over the years and in books that I read.
I would like this experience, with someone mainly a woman, but a males
friendship would do as well, because I myself as a man seeks compainonship
from a brother as well. I am seeking a mature person, meaning
someone in between the ages of 21-45. Someone older would do, but this
is what I prefer. One reason is that my situation is not an easy one to
be in, and not everyonecan handle it. I would not like to bring upon someone
the pain of knowing and befirending one that is on the row. I know many
couldn't understand that. But also it would be understood that one in my
position needs a shoulder to lean on, some one to talk to someone I can
share my past as well as my predictable future with. Last but
not least, I honestly believe that a relation of this nature could
be fascinating the fascinating part of commencing with a friendship that
is unknown, and have been illusive to me] with a friendshipcorrespondance
is, the tnknown becomes the known an also often the known becomes that
which we also love. I know that it's not always possible to say exacty
what one wants or what one expects because of the unknown factors. So whom
ever recieves this, please know that I will see all in this regard.
FRIENDSHIP IS A PROMISEFriendship is a promise spoken only by the heart./It
isn't given by any pledge./It isn't written on any paper. But friendship
is a promise that is renewed every time two friends meet and smile
(in my case I guess read a letter) / and enjoy the good times that comes
from simply being together. /It's a promise to share both glad and sad
times/A promise to think of each other fondly whether near or far apart.
Written by Dean Walley I hope this missive, can bring me closer to knowing
this friendship, like many have explained it to be. sincerely seeking a
friend,
. . . Willie Shannon
Willie Shannon # 999086
12 - FF - 71
Polunsky Unit
12002 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351
PS.
DADDY LOVES YOU AND
"Happy Mothers Day, Queen Mother."
IS VERY PROUD OF YOU.
Love, your son Kamau
HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.
HAPPY B-DAY, LIL PRINCESS
| Click Here For, "ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY" |
| Click here for Letter From Willie Shannon, Jan 2000 |
| Coming Soon - Letter From Willie, May 2000 |
