Imagine spending 34 years in prison – most of them on death row in Texas – for a crime you didn’t commit. Now imagine being told by doctors that in a matter of months, you will die of liver cancer. That’s the situation facing Max Soffar, who will die behind bars before any court can exonerate him… unless the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Texas Governor Rick Perry step in.
There is no evidence whatsoever connecting Soffar to the horrific murders of three people in a bowling alley in Houston in 1980. His conviction and death sentence hinged solely on a confession he gave to police – one of three inconsistent statements he provided after three days of intense interrogation. According to the National Registry of Wrongful Convictions, false confessions have played a role in 13% of exonerations nationwide.
Equally troubling is the fact that Max Soffar did not remotely resemble the description of the perpetrator provided by eyewitness and surviving victim Greg Garner. Substantial evidence supporting the alternative theory of suspect Paul Dennis Reid has never been considered by a jury.
Attorneys for Max Soffar are asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend that Governor Rick Perry commute Soffar’s death sentence so that he may live his final days at home.
Texans: please sign this petition urging Governor Rick Perry to grant clemency to Max Soffar!
Non-Texans: please sign this petition in support of Max Soffar’s clemency petition!
Many prominent individuals, including former district attorneys, judges, and faith leaders are supporting Max Soffar’s clemency petition. Among those calling for compassionate release are former Gov. Mark White and Judge William S. Sessions. Read their letter here. Also read an editorial by the Dallas Morning News, which states that “the clemency request serves a righteous purpose.”