Petition For Clemency
In 2002, Lawrence C. Marshall, et al., filed a petition on Heirens' behalf seeking clemency. They cited not only doubts about Heirens' guilt, but also his behavior in prison. The appeal was eventually denied.
Former Los Angeles police officer Steve Hodel who had spent 25 years on the force met Heirens in 2003 when he was investigating the murders. He was convinced that Heirens was innocent of the crimes. "I felt compelled to write an appeal to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board stating my professional belief that Heirens is innocent."
Heirens' most recent parole hearing was held on July 26, 2007. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board decision in a 14-0 vote against parole, was reflected by Board member Thomas Johnson, who stated that "God will forgive you, but the state won't". However, the parole board also decided to revisit the issue once per year from then on.
There remain many who have questioned whether Heirens is guilty.
Read more about this topic: William Heirens
Famous quotes containing the words petition and/or clemency:
“Maybe we were the blind mechanics of disaster, but you don’t pin the guilt on the scientists that easily. You might as well pin it on M motherhood.... Every man who ever worked on this thing told you what would happen. The scientists signed petition after petition, but nobody listened. There was a choice. It was build the bombs and use them, or risk that the United States and the Soviet Union and the rest of us would find some way to go on living.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)
“The clemency of princes is very often only a state-trick, to gain upon the affections of their subjects.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)