“Paul Storey’s execution will not bring our son back, will not atone for the loss of our son and will not bring comfort or closure.”
Those are the powerful words of Glenn and Judy Cherry, whose son Jonas Cherry was killed at a Putt-Putt Golf and Games in Hurst, Texas in 2006. One of the men convicted of his senseless and tragic death – Paul Storey – faces execution by the State of Texas on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. The Cherrys have signed an affidavit asking state and Tarrant County officials to stop the execution and commute Storey’s sentence to life in prison without parole.
Read more from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
One of the jurors from Storey’s 2008 trial in Tarrant County also has expressed regret about his role in voting for a death sentence. In an interview published last year by The Marshall Project, juror Sven Berger said he did not see Storey as a future threat, one of the requirements for death sentences in Texas, but did not speak up about his reservations. After the verdict was delivered, Berger admits, “I felt guilty about what happened. And sad. And a little helpless.” See “My Regrets as a Juror Who Sent a Man to Death Row”.
Storey’s attorneys have filed a clemency petition with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which must recommend clemency in order for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to grant it. A favorable recommendation by the Board is not binding on the Governor, however.