Green was arrested three days after the fatal shooting after leading police on a 50-mile chase in a stolen car. According to testimony at his trial, a gun in the car was traced to the Lastrapes slaying.
Appeals attorneys said problems at the Houston police crime lab raised questions about the validity of that evidence.
At his trial, nine victims identified Green as the person who robbed them during a three-day crime spree. His defense lawyers argued he had been abused by a mentally ill mother and turned to the streets to help provide support for two younger brothers.
As much as I hate to say it, this is not an isolated event. Here is another article, again from the Associated Press, about the execution of another man in Houston, who coincidentally shares the same last name as the previous situation. Edward Green III was tried and convicted for a double murder case. Edward Green was executed on the evening of Monday, October 5th. The link between the two Greens? The DNA evidence in both of their cases was done in the same Houston, Texas crime lab that has been “called into question by two state senators and the police chief himself.”
Convicted Killer in Houston Case Executed
Wed, Oct. 06, 2004
MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated PressHUNTSVILLE, Texas - A convicted killer was executed even though the handling of his case by Houston’s troubled police lab had been called into question by two state senators and the police chief himself.
Edward Green III, 30, was put to death Tuesday night despite his attorneys’ pleas that evidence relevant to his double murder trial might be in some 280 recently discovered boxes that had been mislabeled and improperly stored.
Green’s lawyers as well as the senators and the police chief had wanted all executions out of Harris County stayed pending review of the boxes. In Green’s case, prosecutors said all evidence had been accounted for.
Gov. Rick Perry refused to impose a blanket moratorium on Harris County executions and rejected a 30-day reprieve for Green.
The U.S. Supreme Court and Texas’ high court also declined to block Green’s execution, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles twice refused clemency requests.
“The main evidence leading to Green’s conviction is his own confession to these brutal and senseless murders,” the governor said.
Green was convicted of fatally shooting Edward Haden, 72, and Helen O’Sullivan, 63, during a 1992 robbery.
Article comments
1 - Joe
Send us Mumia.
Joe, Houston, TX
2 - Dave Nalle
Would it be better to be California where Scott Peterson will have to wait an average of 200 years before he sees the death chamber?
Dave
3 - Jean Carper
Ther is no justice in Texas I was conned and had over $26.000 dollars worth of jewelry stolen from me I notified the Watauga Police department and faxed them 27 pages of information on the case including the letter where the woman that had stolen it confessed to taking amd selling my things They did nothing not even had the curtisy to call me back concerning this matter. What it came down to was the woman in question is now living with a retired FBI agent whose son is a very prominit business man in Watauga. The ex- FBI agent told me he could and would have the case swept under the rug. I feel it is safe to say that is excately what happened. Texas cares nothing for the victims of crimes just their good ol boys Now what will happen I will have to find a Texas lawyer to sue them putting out even more money as I am a disablied person with limited means and all my resources have been stolen from me.I don't have any more funds to pay a lawyer considering these people conned me out of over $40,000.00 dollars. Everything I had with the help of an ex FBI agent.The same 2 people I charged with the theft were in Watauga jail on charges of Fraud both have crimminal back grounds consisting of bad checks, fraud, conning people out of their money. Whats the problem here didn't my case warrent being looked into I even sent a signed confession from the woman to the police excately what do they need???? I am the victim here not the crimnial.Don't Mess With Texas you have that right unless your a crimnial then you have rights.Thank you for nothing Watauga Police my most sincere hope is I never have to come back to Texas for any reason.Your are a disappointment to the justice system, to handicapped people who get ripped off in your state.
Jean Carper NC.