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On Wednesday, August 18, 1999 a
small crowd stood in the stifling heat outside the Walls Unit in
Huntsville, Texas. Inside, Joe Trevino was strapped to a gurney,
waiting for the poison that would take his life in retribution for a
life he had taken in 1983. After hitting a small bump in the road
the previous day, Texas’ killing machine was back to business as
usual. About twenty-five people had shown up to stand vigil to
protest the execution; many more than usual for an event that has
become so routine that no one from the press came. After all, it was
the fifth execution in Texas in two weeks.
What a contrast from the previous afternoon, when the parking lot
across from the prison was full of vans from television stations in
Houston and Dallas. At six o’clock Tuesday afternoon, instead of
another routine execution, an impromptu press conference was taking
place with the family and friends of Larry Robison, who had received
word just a few hours earlier that the Texas Court of Criminal
Appeals had granted him a stay. The last minute stay was unusual
enough to be headline news all over Texas.
Larry Robison’s parents, Lois and Ken Robison, told his story
over and over again for sixteen years, to anyone who would listen.
Larry Robison had been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic several
years before the crime for which he was sentenced to death took
place. The Robisons tried to get Larry the help he needed, admitting
him to mental hospitals, only to see him released within thirty
days. They were told that since he had never been violent, the
hospitals couldn’t keep him, but that if he ever did become
violent, then he would be admitted for long term care. With no
medical insurance and ineligible for coverage on his parent’s
insurance plan, the family could not afford the psychiatric care
Larry needed. Not knowing what else to do, when Larry got into
trouble, his parents left him in jail. They felt he was safer there
than on the streets. After serving a six-month sentence, he was
released. On August 10, 1982, in Larry’s first and only act of
violence, five innocent people died horrible bloody deaths. Instead
of getting the long-term care promised, Larry was sentenced to
death.
Larry comes from a family with extraordinary
courage and love. His parents have fought fiercely and
publicly for their son. Larry’s brothers and sisters, aunts,
uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews joined them in their
fight. In a state where the death penalty is widely supported,
these folks told their neighbors, bosses and co-workers about
Larry, asking them to recognize that the families of those
executed become murder victim family members too. With
surprising candor, the cause of death listed on the death
certificate of inmate executed by Texas reads
"homicide."
One of Larry’s cousins was en route to Huntsville Tuesday
morning when he tuned into a talk radio show where the host
was leading a discussion about Larry’s case and whether
mentally ill persons should be executed. The host and most of
the callers were strongly in favor of executing the mentally
ill; claiming it was no excuse for committing murder. There
were many glib and hateful comments made about Larry, his
crime, and his pending execution. When the cousin heard
enough, he found a pay phone, called the radio station, and
identified himself as Larry’s cousin. They put him right
through, and he explained that he was a member of the family,
told how the family had tried to get Larry the help he needed
and talked about how painful it was to hear the kinds of
remarks that were being made on the show. After the host cut
to a commercial break, he stayed on the line for several more
minutes. When the commercials were over the host got back on
the air and said he had never considered how hard this sort of
thing would be on the family and how hurtful the things being
said about Larry could be. He announced he didn’t want to
discuss Larry and his execution any more and changed the
subject.
Lois and Ken’s years of volunteer work with prison
reform groups such as Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of
Errants (CURE) and groups such as Amnesty International and Journey
of Hope...From Violence to Healing, came to fruition in the days
leading up to Larry’s scheduled execution. Amnesty International
released a special report on Larry’s case, generating hundreds of
letters and petitions asking the Governor and Board of Pardons and
Paroles for clemency. The National Association of the Mentally Ill
and Pope John Paul III made public statements opposing Larry’s
execution. Lois and Ken were interviewed by numerous television and
radio shows, including the Today Show. The night before the
scheduled execution one of the family members philosophically
commented on all the media coverage. "Even if we didn’t save
Larry’s life, we managed to make a difference. We have elevated
the discussion on the morality of executing the mentally ill. Texas
will never be the same."
Friends from as far away as Michigan and Alaska came to support
the Robisons by standing vigil for Larry. Ron Carlson, whose sister
was murdered by Karla Faye Tucker, said that he hadn’t seen so
much media interest in any execution since Karla Faye had been
executed a year and a half ago. Ron is unique in that he forgave
Karla Faye Tucker, befriended her, witnessed her execution at her
request, and staunchly opposes the death penalty. Randall Dale
Adams, who spent twelve years on Texas’ Death Row for the murder
of a police officer he did not commit, returned to Huntsville for
the scheduled execution. Steve Earle, the Nashville singer
songwriter whose song about Texas’ Death Row, "Ellis Unit
One" is on the Dead Man Walking soundtrack, came to sing
at the vigil and at Larry’s memorial service. Many others came to
do whatever they could to help out while the Robisons tried
desperately to save their son’s life.
On Tuesday morning, the strain of the days leading up to the
execution showed on the faces of the family members. The Texas Board
of Pardons and Paroles had unanimously denied clemency, and although
one last appeal raising the issue of Larry’s competency had been
filed, no one seriously expected the courts to listen. After all, in
Texas, practically all appeals are routinely denied. Although
Governor Bush had received numerous requests for clemency, including
one from the Pope, in nearly 100 executions during his five years in
office he has never granted a 30-day reprieve. After denying
clemency to Karla Faye Tucker, no one really expected Bush to show
Larry any compassion. The family had resigned itself to the fact
that Larry would be killed that evening. Lois and Ken had visited
Larry that morning and said their final farewells. The rest of the
family was either composing a statement to be released to the press
after the execution, working on planning Larry’s memorial service,
or praying for the strength to get through the day.
Larry arrived at the Walls Unit, where he was scheduled to be
executed in less than five hours, when he was told he had been
granted a stay by the courts. "Such is life," Robison
said. "I already gave my stuff away." Condemned prisoners
give away their meager belongings, fans, radios, typewriters and any
money in their commissary accounts, before they are executed.
The family and friends had gathered at the Country Inn for lunch
and were waiting for Ken and Lois to arrive when Melodee Smith, one
of Larry’s pro bono defense attorneys, got a call on her cell
phone. She jumped up from the table shouting, "We got a stay!
We got a stay!" The instant celebration was bittersweet,
tempered by doubts and questions. Could another court overrule the
stay before the end of the day?
Larry’s daughter, who was a toddler when he was sentenced to
death, cried, "I got my birthday wish!" On July 31 she had
turned eighteen years old and for her birthday had wished her father
would not be executed.
Within minutes of Ken and Lois’ arrival, the restaurant was
swarming with camera crews. During each of the interviews Lois
granted, she never failed to extend her sympathy to the victim’s
families and to mention the remorse Larry felt for the pain he had
caused them. With her characteristic generosity, she repeatedly
pointed out the need to remember Joe Trevino, who was scheduled to
be executed the following day.
The group gathered outside the Walls that sweltering Wednesday
afternoon was mostly made up of the family and friends that had come
to Huntsville for Larry’s execution. Like many men on Death Row,
Joe Trevino had long been estranged from his own family, and no one
in his family had come for him. After Joe’s execution Lois said,
"Since Larry had given all his stuff away before he was told he
got a stay, Joe gave all his stuff to Larry today."
The Robinson’s fight for Larry’s life will continue as long
as the state of Texas is trying to kill him. With his history of
mental illness, they realize he will always need to be
institutionalized, either in prison or a long-term care facility. A
commutation of his sentence to life in prison would satisfy the
family. All they are asking is that Texas let Larry live. After all,
he is family and he is loved.
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