Clemency Petition - Correspondence - General (Redacted)

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State Board of Pardons and Paroles 

  

     

Wayne Snow, Jr. Mrs. Mamie B. Reese 
Chairman Member 

James T. Morris 

FIFTH FLOOR, EAST TOWER Member 
FLOYD VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING 
2 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., DRIVE, SE. Mobley Howell 

ATLANTA. GEORGIA 30334 Member 

Michael H. Wing 

July 24, 1987 Member 

Mr. John C. Boger 
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. 
99 Hudson Street 
New York, New York 10013 

RE: Warren McClesky, D=3935 

Dear Mr. Boger: 

Thank you for your letter of July 13 and other letters and documents in behalf of 
Warren McClesky. As requested, I am making this information a part of his case 
file for the Board's information. 

We await further developments in Mr. McClesky's case with interest. 

Very best wishes. 

Sincerely, 

Silas Moore 
Deputy Director 

of Central Operations 

SM:bd 

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

 



 
 

  

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Bradley, Maine 0441 
Avril 29, 1087 

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, 

I predicted a couple of years ago that Maine would try and pass 

the death penalty bill. People said, "No, Maine would never do that." 

But Rep. Michael F. Hepburm of Skowhegan , has filed for capital pun- 

ishment. The measure is unconstitutionel, but the judicial system al- 

ready kmows this, especially in Georgia at the expense of Warrem Mc- 

Cleskey. Warren is a personal friemd amd I adopted him as my brother. 

Discrimination im the past caused a terrible holocaust. This 

sickens us. But the U.S. Judicial system disposes of it's weakest 

and least popular citizens, one by ome. It is still premeditated 

murder. And I intend to make known that I want no part of it. 

I would like to inwite the Jewish community, Indians, Blacks, 

Wives and Girlfriends of PRISONERS, and anyone inbetween like me,to 

bombard the legislature with phome calls and letters AGAINST the DEATH 

PENALTY. I especially BEG all CHRISTIANS to protest the death penalty 

in Maine. 

My bible says, "Thou shalt not kill," NOT Thou shalt kill the 

blackest, the wegkest, or the sickest men, women, and children. Will 

we allow another holocaust??? I thought, Hitler proved just how sick 

prejudice is. 

Prayerfully, 

HELEN PAJAMA 

 



PRAYER FOR A LONGTIMER,.. 
from Pajama Lady with Love 

  

Loving God, 

Please bless this my home. It is not the home of my conception 

or my youth, I can't wait to depart from it. It is a shelter of 

little friendship, love and empathy, It is a place requiring nerves 

of steel to keep me from exploding, It is a place of discontent, 

noisy, and conducive to no trust, I tire of the lack of space, end- 

less headganes, and lack of a loving touch, I find it difficult to 

love my neighbor who appears to have a heart as cold as the metal 

that slams behind me and as unpenetrable, Just once, I would like to 

see every prisoner receive one letter the same day. 

I realize, Lord that you have forgiven me of my sins in an ine 

stant but society feels that I should dwell here FOR punishment, not 

AS punishment, Merciful, Lord help me to forgive those that have sin- 

ned against me, over and over again, Help me to forgive the "just" 

that have robbed me. And help me to get etter not bitter. 

Please give to me a ray of hope WiSTe appears none for my bible 

says that all things are possible. And I know your word is true, I 

realize that your light can penetrate the most hardened heart, even 

as the evening sun can lighten the way through the wilderness. 

Please touch the hearts of the administration, employees, and 

fellow prisoners in this warehouse of misery. Make your love obvious 

to the lost, the unloved, the forgotten, and the lonely. Protect my 

loved ones, as well as myself, Give to me peace, love, and preser- 

verence, For without your assistence I just can't make it , Lord. 

All this I ask in Jesus name, Amen 

 



Julius L. Chambers, Esq. 

Director-Counsel 

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) 

(Name) 
  

(Affiliation) 
  

I plan to attend LDF's Cocktail Reception at the 
NBA on 22nd July, 1987 

I will be accompanied by: 
  (please priat) 

  (please print)  



T.. nm. rr. 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. 

99 Hudson Street ®¢ New York, N.Y. 10013 e (212) 219-1900 

22 June 1987 

Dear Colleague: 

1 am writing to invite you to attend 
a Cocktail Reception hosted by LDF during 
the 62nd Annual Meeting of the National 
Bar Association in New York City on Wednesday, 
July 22. 

Please return the enclosed response 
card and pre-addressed envelope to let me 
know that you will join us in the Belasco/ 
Broadhurst/Imperial Room, 5th Floor, the 
New York Marriott Marquis Hotel. 

The Marriott Marquis is located at 
1535 Broadway. Our Reception will be held 
from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. kb 

Cordially, 
Julius L. Chambers 

Director-Counsel 

RSVP Card Enclosed 

Contributions are deductible for U. S. income tax purposes 

8  



  

TO: Jack 

FROM: Kaoru 

DATE: June 15, 1987 

RE: McCleskey's clemency petition 

I spoke with Betty Meyers, Warren's sister, today, and she provided 
me with names and phone numbers of people in Warren's early life 
who should be willing to talk with us. These people are the 1. 
following: 1) Logi Se Spall yz 1099 

1. Warren's aunt, Louise McMurtry, who lives in the outskirts 
of Marietta (in the country). Her home number is (0d) s25-6004 

: ; yr 349 
2. Warren's half-brother, Johnny Brooks, who lives in Marietta. 
His work number is (404) 425-8945. His half-brother John Brooks 
does not have a phone. His other half-brother, James McCleskey, 
recently suffered a stroke, and has difficulty talking. Betty 
thought that none of the brothers will be too helpful, since 
they were very young when Warren was growing up, and may not 
remember very much about him. 

3. Neighbors of Warren's family in Marietta. Margaret Belle, 
who is in her sixties and who now lives in Atlanta, used to 

live on Montgomery Street, right behind Johnson Street. She 
would take care of Betty when her step-father would throw her 
out of the house. Her number in Atlanta is (404) 792-8756. 

The other neighbor still lives on Montgomery Street, and her 
number is (404) 428-1356. Her name is Hatty Wilson. Betty 
thought that Margaret Belle would be especially helpful. 

4. Warren's schoolteacher, Louis Scott, who is still in 

Marietta. His number is (404) 427-6673. 

5. Warren's friends: 
-—-Larry Rosser, who is staying with his cousin in Atlanta. 

His number is (404) 799-7309. 

--Marcel Copeland, who lives in Marietta. Betty thought 
he would be helpful. His number is (404) 428-0304. 

I asked Betty about Robert Parker, Zelman Freeman, and 

Melvin Mann, all of whom Warren mentioned to us on Friday. 
Betty thought that Robert Parker was involved in drugs and 

was currently in jail somewhere. She didn't know where 
Zelman Freeman was, and did not have the number of Melvin 

Mann. TI then spoke with Warren's ex-wife, Gwen, and she 
will try to get in touch with these people for us. 

I spoke with Brian Stevenson about going to Marietta, and 
he is willing to spend a day or so on this next Wednesday. 
I gave him the names and phone numbers of the people above, 

and he will try to schedule as many meetings with them 

ahead of time. He asked us to call him on Friday or Monday 
to confirm. 

 



Wayne Snow, Director, Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles 

Floyd Veterans Memorial Building 

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E. 

Atlanta, GA 30334 

Name NSN YW ‘ i iin NS Al 

Address _ 

  

The Warren McCleskey case 

I understand that you and your fellow Board Members will soon decide 
whether or not to spare Warren McCleskey’s life. 

I urge you to grant clemency. And | ask you to share this Memorandum 
with all the members of your Board. 

As you know, a comprehensive study introduced in Mr. McCleskey’s 

case presented strong evidence that racial discrimination plays a role in 

capital sentencing in Georgia. But Georgia does not stand alone. 

In every region of this nation, traces of racial prejudice from the past 
affect our judgments. But that will not always be so. 

Saving Mr. McCleskey’s life today is something all of us can be proud of 
in the future.  



Wayne Snow, Director, Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles 

Floyd Veterans Memorial Building 

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E. 

Atlanta, GA 30334 

~~ 

£ § # / 

Name Alri 
: 
  

Address 

The Warren McCleskey case 

I understand that you and your fellow Board Members will soon decide 

whether or not to spare Warren McCleskey’s life. 

| urge you to grant clemency. And | ask you to share this Memorandum 

with all the members of your Board. 

As you know, a comprehensive study introduced in Mr. McCleskey’s 

case presented strong evidence that racial discrimination plays a role in 

capital sentencing in Georgia. But Georgia does not stand alone. 

In every region of this nation, traces of racial prejudice from the past 

affect our judgments. But that will not always be so. 

Saving Mr. McCleskey’s life today is something all of us can be proud of 

in the future.  



» 

Wayne Snow, Director, Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles 

Floyd Veterans Memorial Building 

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E. 

Atlanta, GA 30334 

  

Nome Geraldine Crock gr / Jha ide oy Neder, 

Address 

The Warren McCleskey case 

I understand that you and your fellow Board Members will soon decide 

whether or not to spare Warren McCleskey’s life. 

1 urge you to grant clemency. And | ask you to share this Memorandum 
with all the members of your Board. 

As you know, a comprehensive study introduced in Mr. McCleskey’s 

case presented strong evidence that racial discrimination plays a role in 

capital sentencing in Georgia. But Georgia does not stand alone. 

In every region of this nation, traces of racial prejudice from the past 

affect our judgments. But that will not always be so. 

Saving Mr. McCleskey’s life today is something all of us can be proud of 

in the future.  



     



TO: Jack . =F. = : = : = Gy : 

  

FROM: _ Kaoru i oh : plas   RT
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| 

Bo DATE: July 3, 1987 July | : 
  RE: status of egtseray: s clemency petition 

Fl This is a summary of what we discussed this morning and the status 
3 V—0f the- clemency petition as of today. We agreed to focus on - 
: I~ five general areas. in the petition: 

Ei 1. McCleskey's personal life/background 
- _ ~~ 2. the lack of evidence supporting the conclusion that ALS ; 

- ‘McCleskey was the triggerman  _- AE ; eg 
X 3." -digparity in sentencing 2 CIN Te Reg x 

: - 4; racial disparity in Georgia capital sentencing =a RE ev % 
: 5. public consensus that McCleskey should not be RE : 

: aL In regard-to McCleskey's perscnal life, we have DS rtarante/ lations 
E .. Erom-his two sisters (Betty Meyers and Emma Jo Ballard); his 
A ex-wife (Gwen Sharpe); school teachers; family friends. Brian 

: Stevenson is sending us letters from several of McCleskey's friends 
from childhood, describing the neighborhood in which he grew : 
up and stating that McCleskey was a respected and 3 well-liked 
person. These statements should be in 3 Tuesday July 7 (if not, 
we need to call Brian). I am sending to vergsh: Lockwood, 
McCleskey's friend, a draft of a statement which she may : 
wish to sign. I asked her to get this book to us by next i I 

- Wednesday (July 8). I could not get hold of Laura Magzis, —- * 
the psychologist, but she will be in her office on Monday. 
I think we need to speak with her at least once more to 

~~ discuss how to present McCleskey's personal life and to 
- see if she would be willing to put in a statement (whether 

. written, in the petition, or oral, ‘at the hearing) herself. 

... As fay as presenting McCleskey's personal life, we agreed i 

that we will do sc in a descriptive, narrative form, rather 
than using it as an argument for clemency; i.e. we just want 
to convey the impression that, given his background, it 

{ - 

\ 18 not surprising that he ended up the way he did (as opposed 
to justifying or "explaining™ what he did). Attached is - 
a- sketchy outline of the chronological details in this wit 
"section. 0 .% wend le gr = Ee wm 

ie In addition to the statements/letters from friends and family, 
we need to include the two statements from the jurors, some 
evidence regarding disparity -in sentencing, and as many 
statements as possible from public figures and organizations 
opposing McCleskey's execution. We- already have some statements 

from organizations - (they basically express dismay about = 
the Supreme Court: decision), but we def ‘initely need more. = 

a 

 



  

. -" outline of Warren McCleskey s background: 3 ei yi 

I. went to live with aunt when he was born; very strict; . - - 
out in the country area of Marietta - 

. 2. went back to live with mother, stepfather, and rest of 
- family at age 6/7 es ; 

  

. bad neighborhood in downtown Marietta- (prostitution, drugs, - 
drinking, gambling--what Warren calls "fast" life that 
gave him "ehe wrong attitude towards life" ie She = : : 

3. violence in Panilyr steDfathir would beat the kids, and Fo Toa j 
- especially -the mother; Warren tried-to defend his mother 

~ - but could not because he was too-small - le -f 

4. ~school--generally good-student, well-regarded - i : a 

5. -marriage to Gwen- Sharpe while still in high school; had baby 

6. mother kills stepfather; subsequent ki 1lings in household; 7 : 
although Warren was not there to witness them, he was - E 

nevertheless very concerned about his mother s : 

7. life after marriage (late teens, early 20's); wanted to 
provide for daughter but got frustrated because not i 

Bir making enough money; fell into bad crowd of people; drugs 

8. marriage broke up; 4d I)
 

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h a friend: had never 9. got involved in robberi ; 
fi ght after about 6-8 robberies: used a gun before; 

~~ 10. consensus among friends and family that, although he gtk Tt . en] 
- may have -been involved in robberies, he was not the kind _ ; 

of violent person to kill; therefore, his death sentence 
i - for "malice murder” came as a surprise to everyone : 

 



  

wat BEE Tl 

Pat Custer is not ia today, and she will not be in her office i 
until Tuesday, July 7. We need to call her first thing Tuesday. 

Haha In the meantime, you may wish to call one or both of the r 
and to see if they would be willing to testify at the he 

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FROM: [Kaoru : = ir a - 

DATE: June 9, 1987 eo a : 
+ RE: McCleskey' s clemency petition . 

and friends. We still need to determine how Pasi to present his 
background. and the circumstances of his offense to the Board-of~ 

Pardons and Paroles. - : = 

‘This is a summary of what .I learned about McCleskey from his sister 

The individuals with whom I spoke yesterday dre the following: 
--Betty. Myers (sister) tel. (404) 428-7103 > Tan - 
~-Emma Jo Ballard (half-sister) tel. (404) 427-0353 ge RE 
--Verdell Lockwood (friend) tel. (404) 689-2753 
--Gwen Sharpe (ex-wife) tel. (404) 429-0376- (work: 988-9628) 
--Laura Magzis (psychologist) = tel. (404) 659-5215 (home: - 377-4 

According to Betty, McCleskey did not know his own father 
living with his aunt until the age of 6 or 7, at which time he _ 
went back to live with his mother and step-father. Although she 
was too young to remepber McCleskey at that time, Emma says- that 

she was told that the aunt was very abusive, 

McCleskey's family was very poor. - His mother tried to suppor 

the family by selling moonshine liquor. I don't know what the 

step-father did, but he was apparently an alcoholic. Because - 
of the financial difficulties of the family, the kids were required 
to come home immediately after school and help their mother. 

There was constant fighting in the house, and the fights were : 
often violent. . The step-father - would whip Betty and Emma, and - 

he was particularly. cruel to the mother. Neither Betty nor Emma 

remember specifically seeing McCleskey himself being physically 
abused by the step-father, Sometimes, the step-father would 

put the kids out of the house. Both sisters characterize: - 
McCleskey's relationship with the step-father as "bad". Clearly, 
fighting and violence were major themes in the household when 

the kids were growing up--enough to convey to them that they. 

were acceptable means of solving problems (the mother ended up 
killing the step-father while Betty and McCleskey were in high 

school; later, the mother's boyfriend ended-up killing a neighbor, 
and another boyfriénd killed a man in her kitchen | Ws 

McCleskey did not witness any of the Filings When his mother 
killed his step-father, he was already living With his wife, G 

(He and Gwen started dating while they were in high school, and 

they were married when Gwen became pregnant). Gwen remembers : 
that at the time of the step-father's death, McCleskey was very 

worried about his mother, She thinks that, although McCleskey 
was never very close to his mother, he was nevertheless very 

"concerned about her, : : WEEE ~ 

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At school, McCleskéy was apparently a very good student and athlete, 
He was quiet, shy, and bookish, Be did not have many friends. _ 
Betty remembers that he had two good fitends, but! both of them T 
started taking drugs and became involved in crime, and they are no 

~longer friends with McCleskey, Betty, Emma, and Gwen = 
insist that, despite his backgreund, McCleskey was never a violent 

person. : : 

‘McCleskey never talked to his sisters about how-his unhappy. 
childhood affected him. He also never talked to them about - 

how he started to become involved in crime, However, after his. 
first arrest in 1972, Betty says that she and-her brother became 
"a -lot closer.” She was nevertheless shocked to hear about the 
arrest. % 4 ; Ef ; 

According to Gwen, when their daughter (Carla) was born, McCleskey 
was very happy. He apparently wanted Carla to have Mall the things 

‘he could not have as a child," He was very concerned about the- 
welfare of his daughter: Gwen. says that he was concerned, not only 

of her material welfare, but also of her emotional welfare, gs. if 
he wanted to make up for the poverty and lack of attention from his 

“mother during his own childhéod. McCleskey had a steady job, and 

Worked hard. Gwen had a job _ too. However, she says that - = . 
"things didn't come fast enough for Warren," He was frustrated, 

in part because Gwen was putting pressure on-him (they wanted to 

buy a house for the family). McCleskey started to get involved 
in robberies. Around this time, his relationship with Gwen 
started to deteriorate. They were divorced when he was serving time 

for his first offense in 1972," = 

Although it seems that McCleskey never talked to anvone about how 
he felt while he was growing up and why he started to get involved 
in robberies, everyone I talked to said that he was. a good person, 
perhaps capable to engaging in armed robberies, but certainly 
not the kind of person who would kill another maliciously. They 

"all stressed how devoted hé is and has been to his daughter 
and how he always wanted "the best" for her. (Gwen remembers 

_how McCleskey would talke about buying a new car for Carla when 
she graduated from high school). McCleskey is also attached 
to his granddaughter (from Carla). Fy | 

McCleskey became very involved in Bible study while in prison. 

His interst seems to have been influenced by Gwen, who convinced 

him to attend church with her regularly while- they were still 
married. Verdell Lockwood is a friend of McCleskey, and she has" 
known -him for about a year, She visists him every week for 
Bible-study and praysz sessions, - She regards him very highly, 

and says that he has "made a difference" in her life. McCleskey 
is involved in the "Ministry" through the mail. He is apparently 
very serious about it and talks constantly to Verdell and his 
"sisters about helping others, Verdell says that he is a 
"born again" Christian, and feels that, unlike some. prisoners 
she knowns who profess tc be "born again" in order to get 
sympathy, McCleskey is- sincere. -He 1s very sorry-about the 

"mistakes" he has made, and according to Verdell, if he can 

continue to live, he will keep on doing what he is doing now, 

 



  

until Tuesday, July 7. 

- 

- Pat Custer is not -in today, and she will not-be in her office — 
We need to call her first thing Tuesday. 

In the meantime, you may wish to call-one or both of the jurors 
~and to see if they would be willing to testify at the hearing. 

  

               



  

    egal 

Silas Moore, Deputy Director 
tate Board of Pardons and Paroles 

Floyd Veterans Memorial Building 
2 Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive S.E, 

- Atlanta, Georgia 30334- 

Dear Mr. Moore: 

I am writing to you as co-counsel for Warren McCleskey, a 
death-sentenced inmate at the Georgia Diagnostic Center. Mr. 
McCleskey's application for clemency was scheduled to be reviewed 
by your Board on Tuesday, July l4th, 1987. As you may know, Mr. 
McCleskey received an indefinite stay of his scheduled execution 
from the United States District Court late on Thursday afternoon, 
July 9, "1987. As a consequence, 1 telephoned vour office on 

Friday. July 10th to cancel our Tuesday, July 14th appointment 
with the Board. 

€ are hopeful that Mr. McCleskey's 
entence will be vacated by the federal 

courts, an t an application to the Board for clemency will be 
unnecessary. The istrict Court has indicated that further 
proceedings, which could clarify Mr. McCleskey's status, may 
oCeur in Sagusse f this year. We will keep you apprised of these 

In the meanwhile, although we do not at this time intend to 

submit a formal application for clemency to the Board, I am 
enclosing letters and memoranda which were gathered during the 

past month in anticipation of Mr. McCleskey's expected filing of 
a clemency application last week I would be very grateful if 
you would mak these documents a part of your file in Mr 

s n McCleskey' 

   
Contributions are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes 

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) although 
LDF was founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF has had for over 25 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget. 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, 

efense und 99 Hudson Street, New York, N.Y. 10013 ® (212) 219-1900 
INC. 

 



  

State Board of Pardons and Paroles 

Wayne Snow, Jr. 

  

Chairman Member 

Wil ¥ James T. Morris 

FIFTH FLOOR, EAST TOWER Member 
FLOYD VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING Mobley Howell 

2 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., DRIVE, S.E. Mornay 
ATLANTA. GEORGIA 30334 e 

Michael H. Wing 
July 7, 1987 Member 

Mr. John C. Boger 
Attorney at Law 
99 Hudson Street 
New York, New York 10013 

RE: Warren McClesky, D-3935 

Dear Mr. Boger: 

This will confirm, as agreed in our telephone conversation today, that you have an 
appointment to meet with our Board on Tuesday, July 14, at 9:30 a.m. regarding the 
case of Warren McClesky. 

We understand also that you plan to deliver the written application for commutation 
of sentence to our office by Friday morning, July 10. We would appreciate eight 
copies. 

So that we may plan for accommodating all persons who accompany you to the Tuesday 
meeting, I would appreciate it if you would give me a call by Monday at (404) 
656-5703 and let me know how many persons that will be. 

Very best wishes, 

Sincerely, 

Silas Moore 
Deputy Director 

of Central Operations 

SM:bd 

CC: Each Board Member 
Mr. E. W. Linthicum, Jr., Director of Central Operations 

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

  

Mrs. Mamie B. Reese



   ce: Salk 

DRAFT 

Warren McCleskey's personal background 
  

A good friend of Warren McCleskey was asked what she 

thought he wanted to do with the rest of his life. She replied 

that Warren feels strongly about helping others, and wants to share 

with them what he has learned from his mistakes in the past. 

(See letter of Verdell Lockwood). His friend's observation 

not only reveals the! fact that Warren McCleskey acknowledges 

his past involvements in armed robberies to be "mistakes," but 

also points to a fundamental trait of his character: as his 

former wife has remarked, Warren was "the kind of person who always 

wanted to have things to make up for not having them when he was 

young." (See affidavit of Gwendolyn Sharpe). Warren McCleskey's 

wish to teach others about the lessons from his mistakes reflects 

his desire to "make up" for the lack of guidance and teaching 

about rightand wrong that characterized his childhood in the 

gambling houses of Marietta, Georgia. As he desperately sought 

in the past to provide for his wife and daughter the close and 

happy family which he never had, today Warren McCleskey still 

looks to his life to see what was missing that made it so 

difficult, and tries to "make up" for them. One thing Warren 

McCleskey did not have in his turbulent childnood was an 

opportunity to learn what "right" and "wrong" means; thus, as if 

to prevent others from suffering in the way that he has suffered 

from the lack of this opportunity, Warren McCleskey wants to 

tell them about his mistakes. 

Warren McCleskey is the first to admit that these "mistakes" 

were often serious and that he is responsible for them. His 

 



  

“Jue 

difficult childhood and the unhealthy environment in which he 

was raised do noti justify his criminal record. While significant 

doubt surrounds his conviction for the murder of Officer Frank 

Schlatt, Warren McCleskey does not deny his involvements in a 

series of armed robberies in Georgia, nor does he purport to 

minimize his responsibility for those offenses. Nevertheless, 

an understanding of his life serves as a way to explain how it was 

that a kind and thoughtful individual that his friends and family 

always found him to be, fell into the unfortunate pattern of 

drugs and robberies in his later years. 

When Warren was born in 1950 (check), his mother, unable 

to support the family, sent him to live with his aunt in the 

outskirts of Marietta, Georgia. Warren never knew his real father. 

He remembers his aunt as a very strict woman who disciplined him 

severely and frequently. At the age of six, he was sent back to 

live with his mother, who was by then remarried and living on 

Marietta's Johnson Street, a ghetto neighborhood in which alcohol, 

drugs, prostitution, and gambling were the way of life. (See 

letter of Margaret Delks, George Long). It was also a violent 

neighborhood, and people were frequently killed or stabbed. 

Warren's mother tried to support the family by selling moonshine 

liquor, and their house was essentially a gambling housewhere, 

as the customers came to play diee and deal drugs, Warren and his 

siblings were required to help their mother after school by serving 

liquor. Warren grew up watching how these visitors at his house 

made "quick money" by gambling. Sometimes they encouraged Warren 

to throw a few dice too. Looking back at his childhood, Warren 

McCleskey noted that, as a boy, he always thought that a life 

 



  

in which one made "quick money" by endless gambling and drinking 

was "the way it was supposed to be." It was--he now admits-- 

"the wrong attitude towards life," 

There was constant fighting in the house, and the fights 

were often very violent. Warren's stepfather drank a lot and he 

would whip the children. He was particularly cruel to Warren's 

mother. Warren remembers that his stepfather would beat her 

severely until she would bleed and her eyes would be swollen. His 

stepfather's constant beating of his mother angered Warren the most-- 

more than any time that Warren himself was beaten. His stepfather 

was a big man, however, and did not flinch at Warren's many attempts 

to protect his mother. Instead, his stepfather called Warren 

a "punk" and floored Warren many times. Sometimes, the stepfather 

would put the children out of the house. Clearly, fighting and 

violence were major themes in the household in which Warren grew 

up. Warren's mother ended up shooting and killing his stepfather 

while Warren was in high school. Later on , his mother's boyfriend 

was involved in the murder of a neighbor, and another boyfriend 

killed a man in her kitchen. (See affidavits of Betty Meyers: 

Emma Jo Ballard). 

In school, Warren was a quiet but respected student. 

Although he did not have a lot of friends, he was well-liked 

by his peers and his teachers, did well in his studies, and 

played football. (See affidavits of Thomas Adgar; Mrs. 

Thomas Adgar). Part of the reason why Warren had only a few 

friends at school was that most of the kids came from much better 

neighborhoods in Marietta. Young as he was, Warren had already 

realized that his background made a difference between him and the 

 



  

other kids who were much more materially well off. Not having had 

the luxury and wealth which his peers enjoyed, and instead, 

having had to go home immediately after school to help his mother 

in selling liquor as their customers gambled and drank, Warren 

noticed that the other kids at school had a very different attitude 

towards life. Convinced that "life" meant "quick money” from 

gambling and drinking and selling drugs, Warren felt that the materially 

wealthy kids had no idea what "life" was all about. 

Warren never talked about how he felt about his childhood 

on Johnson Street. Difficult as it must have been for a young 

boy to be beaten by his stepfather and to see him constantly abuse 

his mother, Warren rarely talked about these incidents with his 

siblings. While he learned to accept that gambling and the beatings 

were "the way (life) was supposed to be," he still knew that 

something was missing in his childhood. Today Warren McCleskey 

harbors no resentment towards his stepfather who often made life 

for him and his mother miserable; although he was never close to 

his mother, Warren was always concerned about her, and never 

blamed her for having been too busy in supporting the family to 

pay attention to him. Still, Warren knew that there were things 

that he did not have as a child that other kids at school seemed 

to have. He knew this not only by comparing himself to other kids 

at school, but alse from experiencing the chaos of a life evolving 

around "quick money", and sensing that no direction or guidance 

was provided for in that turmoil. 

When he was sixteen years old, Warren married his high 

school girlfriend, Gwen. Both Warren and Gwen finished high school 

and settled down in Marietta. When their daughter Carla was 

 



  

born, Warren was very happy. He wanted Carla to have all the ings 

that he could not have as a child. Gwen found that her husband 

was concerned, not only of Carla's material welfare, but also of 

her emotional well-being, as if he wanted to make up for the poverty 

and lack of attention from his mother during his childhood. 

Providing materially for his daughter, however, was the easiest 

and most obvious way to "make up" for the poverty which this 

young father lived through. He would therefore "go overboard with 

Carla, and buy her things that were excessive," (See affidavit 

of Gwen Sharpe). His wife remembers how Warren would talk about 

buying a new car for Carla when she graduated from high school. 

Warren had a steady job as a stock clerk at Lockheed, and he worked 

hard. Gwen had a job too. However, she says that "things didn't 

come fast enough for Warren.” He became frustrated, in part 

because Gwen was putting pressure on him to buy a house for the 

family. 

In his late teen's, Warren became involved in drugs. Having 

grown up in a righborheed where drugs were commonplace, this was 

a natural diversion for Warren from his frustrations. His friends 

encouraged him to take all kinds of drugs--not only marijuana, 

but also "speed" and heroin. Although he was not physically 

addicted, Warren became psychologically dependent on drugs. 

He would frequently leave the house with his friends 

to buy drugs and to gamble. While he now acknowledges that this 

lifestyle was a "mistake," Warren was just following the example 

of the people he observed on Johnson Street, who were his 

natural role models. 

When he was around the age of 22 or 23, Warren was deeply 

 



  

shocked by Gwen's decisionto leave him. It was--he now recalls-- 

a "real blow" to his life, whose only stability was his wife and 

duaghter. He tried to win her back as best as he could, but failed. 

Desperate, and hurt by the loss of his family for whom he very 

much wanted to provide, Warren became even more deeply involved 

in drugs. He remembers that everything was "fast"--money and 

gambling were "fast," and drinking and drugs made them even 

"faster." The speed around which his life evolved and the lack of 

direction he sensed made Warren even more vulnerable than before. 

It was around this time that Warren became involved in robberies. 

One day, a friend drove him to a store. Not knowing what was going 

to happen, Warren was told to wait in the car. A few minutes 

later, his friend emerged from the store with a brown paper bag. 

When they drove back onto the expressway, Warren was told to open 

the paper bag. To his surprise, he found a lot of money in it. 

His friend told him that if Warren wanted to make "quick money," 

there was a better way of doing so than mere gambling. The new 

way of making "quick money," he said, was as easy as "taking 

candy.” Warren had never thought about robbing a store before, 

but lured by theprospect of "quick money” and convinced that the 

task was simple and easy--he was told that all he had to do was 

just to stand by his friend--Warren agreed to go along with his 

friend's suggestion. 

Warren remembers his confusion during the first time he 

participated in a robbery. Not only did he not know what was 

going on, but he had never held a gun before. He had--he admits-- 

used crooked dice or cheated at cards sometimes while he was 

gambling, but robbing a store with a Jun was a completely new 

 



  

experience. However, the "quick money" fr m the robberies 

was the same as the "quick money" which he made while gambling. As long 

as no one was hurt in the process, from the standpoint of the 

end product--the "quick money"--Warren saw that robbery was not 

too different from drugs or gambling. In this way, Warren McCleskey 

first became involved in robberies, which continued until his 

first arrest in 1972. (check) 

Although Warren tried to break away fromthe influences of 

his difficult childhood--a life evolving around gambling, drinking, 

and drugs--, and he sought to provide for his new family as a 

way of "making up" for what he did not have, the cards were stacked 

up against him. Having grown up in an environment in which things 

which society condemns as "wrong” constituted the norm, and having 

witnessed a cruel stepfather in an unhappy family, Warren's 

attempts to free himself from the effect of life on Johnson Street 

were unsuccessful. This failure is what! Warren calls his "mistake." 

Yet, his family and friends throughout his life unanimously 

praise him for always being a kind and caring person. While he 

grew up in a household of violence, everyone agree that Warren 

was never violent. He may have been capable of robbing stores, they 

say, but certainly not the kind of person to kill another. Thus, 

Warren's 1978 conviction and death sentence for the "malice 

murder" of Officer Schlatt came as a surprise to all who knew him. 

(Add Jack's section on trial and evidence re: triggerman) 

 



  

TO: Jack 

FROM: Kaoru 

DATE: July 33,1887 

RE: status of McCleskey's clemency petition   

This is a summary of what we discussed this morning and the status 
of the clemency petition as of today. We agreed to focus on 
five general areas in the petition: 
1. McCleskey's personal life/background 
2. the lack of evidence supporting the conclusion that 

McCleskey was the triggerman 
3 disparity in sentencing 
4. racial disparity in Georgia capital sentencing 
5 public consensus that McCleskey should not be executed 

In regard to McCleskey's personal life, we have statements/letters 
from his two sisters (Betty Meyers and Emma Jo Ballard); his 
ex-wife (Gwen Sharpe); school teachers; family friends. Brian 
Stevenson is sending us letters from several of McCleskey's friends 
from childhood, describing the neighborhood in which he grew 
up and stating that McCleskey was a respected and well-liked 
person. These statements should be in by Tuesday July 7 (if not, 
we need to call Brian). I am sending to Verdell Lockwood, 
McCleskey's friend, a draft of a statement which she may 
wish to sign. I asked her to get this back to us by next 
Wednesday (July 8). I could not get hold of Laura Magzis, 
the psychologist, but she will be in her office on Monday. 
I think we need to speak with her at least once more to 
discuss how to present McCleskey's personal life and to 
see if she would be willing to put in a statement (whether 
written, in the petition, or oral, at the hearing) herself. 

As far as presenting McCleskey's personal life, we agreed 
that we will do so in a descriptive, narrative form, rather 
than using it as an argument for clemency; i.e. we just want 
to convey the impression that, given his background, it 
is not surprising that he ended up the way he did (as opposed 
to justifying or "explaining” what he did). Attached is 
a sketchy outline of the chronological details in this 
section. 

In addition to the statements/letters from friends and family, 
we need to include the two statements from the jurors, some 
evidence regarding disparity in sentencing, and as many 
statements as possible from public figures and organizations 
opposing McCleskey's execution. We already have some statements 
from organizations (they basically express dismay about 
the Supreme Court decision), but we definitely need more. 

 



  

outline of Warren McCleskey's background: 

10. 

went to live with aunt when he was born: very strict; 
out in the country area of Marietta 

went back to live with mother, stepfather, and rest of 
family at age 6/7 

bad neighborhood in downtown Marietta (prostitution, drugs, 

drinking, , gambling--what Warren calls "fast" life that 
gave him "the wrong attitude towards life" 

violence in family; stepfather would beat the kids, and 
especially the mother; Warren tried to defend his mother 
but could not because he was too small 

school--generally good student, well-regarded 

marriage to Gwen Sharpe while still in high school; had baby 

mother kills stepfather; subsequent killings in household; 
although Warren was not there to witness them, he was 
nevertheless very concerned about his mother 

life after marriage (late teens, early 20's); wanted to 
provide for daughter but got frustrated because not 
making enough money; fell into bad crowd of people; drugs 

marriage broke up; devastated 

got involved in robberies through a friend; had never 
used a gun before; first got caught after about 6-8 robberies 

consensus among friends and family that, although he 
may have been involved in robberies, he was not the kind 
of violent person to kill; therefore, his death sentence 
for "malice murder” came as a surprise to everyone 

 



-3 

  

She says that he wants to "help others" and to teach them not to 
make the same "mistakes" he has made, Verdell and McCleskey's 
correspondents say that he is not bitter about being in prison. 
He is apparently popular with his inmates and they respect him. 
He has an especially good friend in prison (Billy Moore), 

Laura Magzis has never met McCleskey, but she has talked with his 
sisters. She says that the family was not a close one, and the 
kids kept to themselves, She notes that domestic violence will 
make one more likely to perpetuate violence and imitate violent 
behavior, but there seems to be no evidence of violent behavior 
in McCleskey's personal life, She thinks that his childhood was 
not "just bad, but very bad." She says that living with an 
abusive aunt, mistreatment from his step-father, and inattention 
from his mother would be traumatic to any child. She notes that 
while McCleskey may have been quiet and shy as a child, this 
may mean that he was angy and isolated, As far as his prospects 
for rehabilitation, she says she is cautious about "prison 
religion" and the lack of adequate treatment in prison makes 
it unlikely for anyone to be rehabilitated. 

If McCleskey agrees to clemency, someone needs to meet with 
him and to talk to him extensively about his past. No one 
seems to know how his past hardships have affected him and how he 
became involved in robberies, Laura Magzis may wish to talk 
with Gwen. I have been trying to get hold of his daughter, Carla, 
but I have been unsuccessful, 

In the clemency petition, we need to stress the substantial 
doubt surrounding McCleskey's guilt as to the killing, We want 
to portray McCleskey as someone who felt a need to provide 
for his family (wife and daughter) in a way he felt he 
should be providing (since he never had a role model from his 
mother or step-father), and was desperate enough to get involved 
in robberies. Nevertheless, he was and still is a good person, 
and not the type of person who would kill another with malice. 

I spoke with Pat Custer about working on the publicity surrounding 
his case, She will help us with local publicity. She can get SCLC 
letters going and start some local mailing. She assumes that the 
LDF mail-ins on McCleskey are out, Both Amnesty International 
and the National Execution Alert Network will start their own 
mailing once McCleskey's execution date is certain, Pat has lined 
up one county commissioner who is opposed to the MeCleskey decision, 
She will try to get more, She says that it has been difficult 
to get people to sign affidavits because the execution date 
is not set yet (e.g. Mrs, King), The other problem is that there 
may be people who are opposed to the Supreme Court ruling generally, 
but know little about McCleskey's case or about his background. 
Pat and I will be working on putting together a list of all the 
people who know McCleskey personally (e.g. a list of his correspondents), 
Patsy Moore will try to get the head of Habitat for Humanity to 
pressure Jimmy Carter, 

  

 



  

TO: Jack 

FROM: Kaoru 

DATE: June 9, 1987 

RE: McCleskey's clemency petition 

This is a summary of what I learned about McCleskey from his sisters 

and friends. We still need to determine how best to present his 

background and the circumstances of his offense to the Board of 

Pardons and Paroles. 

The individuals with whom I spoke yesterday are the following: 

--Betty Myers (sister) tel. (404) 428-7103 

—--Emma Jo Ballard (half-sister) tel. (404) 427-0353 
--Verdell Lockwood (friend) tel, (404) 689-2753 
--Gwen Sharpe (ex-wife) tel. (404) 429-0376 (work: 988-9628) 
--Laura Magzis (psychologist) tel, (404) 659-5215 (home: 377-4135) 

According to Betty, McCleskey did not know his own father; he was 

living with his aunt untilithe age of 6 or 7, at which time he 
went back to live with his mother and step-father. Although she 

was too young to remenpber McCleskey at that time, Emma says that 

she was told that the aunt was very abusive, 

McCleskey's family was very poor. His mother tried to support 

the family by selling moonshine liquor. I don't know what the 

step-father did, but he was apparently an alcoholic. Because 

of the financial difficulties of the family, the kids were required 

to come home immediately after school and help their mother. 

There was constant fighting in the house, and the fights were 
often violent. The step-father would whip Betty and Emma, and 

he was particularly cruel to the mother. Neither Betty nor Emma 

remember specifically seeing McCleskey himself being physically 

abused by the step-father. Sometimes, the step-father would 

put the kids out of the house. Both sisters characterize 

McCleskey's relationship with the step-father as "bad". Clearly, 
fighting and violence were major themes in the household when 

the kids were growing up--enough to convey to them that they 

were acceptable means of solving problems (the mother ended up 

killing the step-father while Betty and McCleskey were in high 

school; later, the mother's boyfriend ended up killing a neighbor, 

and another boyfriend killed a man in her kitchen ). 

McCleskey did not witness any of the killings, When his mother 
killed his step-father, he was already living with his wife, Gwen, 

(He and Gwen started dating while they were in high school, and 

they were married when Gwen became pregnant), Gwen remembers 
that at the time of the step-father's death, McCleskey was very 

worried about his mother. She thinks that, although McCleskey 
was never very close to his mother, he was nevertheless very 

concerned about her, 

 



Tm 

  

At school, McCleskey was apparently a very good student and athlete. 

He was quiet, shy, and bookish, He did not have many friends. 

Betty remembers that he had two good friends, buti.both of them 
started taking drugs and became involved in crime, and they are no 

longer friends with McCleskey, Betty, Emma, and Gwen 
insist that, despite his background, McCleskey was never a violent 
person. 

McCleskey never talked to his sisters about how his unhappy 

childhood affected him. He also never talked to them about 
how he started to become involved in crime, However, after his 
first arrest in 1972, Betty says that she and her brother became 
"a lot closer." She was nevertheless shocked to hear about the 
arrest. 

According to Gwen, when their daughter (Carla) was born, McCleskey 
was very happy. He apparently wanted Carla to have "all the things 
he could not have as a child," He was very concerned about the 
welfare of his daughter; Gwen says that he was concerned, not only 
of her material welfare, but also of her emotional welfare, as if 

he wanted to make up for the poverty and lack of attention from his 

mother during his own childhood. McCleskey had a steady job, and 
worked hard. Gwen had a job too, However, she says that 

"things didn't come fast enough for Warren." He was frustrated, 
in part because Gwen was putting pressure on him (they wanted to 
buy a house for the family). McCleskey started to get involved 
in robberies, Around this time, his reélationship with Gwen 

started to deteriorate. They were divorced when he was serving time 
for his first offense in 1972, 

Although it seems that McCleskey never talked to anyone about how 

he felt while he was growing up and why he started to get involved 
in robberies, everyone I talked to said that he was a good person, 

perhaps capable to engaging in armed robberies, but certainly 
not the kind of person who would kill another maliciously. They 

all stressed how devoted hé is and has been to his daughter, 
and how he always wanted "the best" for her, (Gwen remembers 
how McCleskey would talke about buying a new car for Carla when 

she graduated from high school), McCleskey is also attached 
to his granddaughter (from Carla). 

McCleskey became very involved in Bible study while in prison, 
His interst seems to have been influenced by Gwen, who convinced 
him to attend church with her regularly while they were still 
married. Verdell Lockwood is a friend of McCleskey, and she has 
known him for about a year, She visists him every week for 

Bible study and prayer sessions, She regards him very highly, 

and says that he has "made a difference" in her life, McCleskey 
is involved in the "Ministry" through the mail, He is apparently 

very serious about it and talks constantly to Verdell and his 
sisters about helping others, Verdell says that he is a 
"born again" Christian, and feels that, unlike some prisoners 
she knowns who profess to be "born again" in order to get 
sympathy, McCleskey is sincere. He is very sorry about the 

"mistakes" he has made, and according to Verdell, if he can 
continue to live, he will keep on doing what he is doing now, 

 



- 

  

Pat Custer is not in today, and she will not be in her office 
until Tuesday, July 7. We need to call her first thing Tuesday. 
In the meantime, you may wish to call one or both of the jurors 
and to see if they would be willing to testify at the hearing. 

 



Fetes A esbba i Eg 
| June 2,1987 

To Whom It May Concern, 

   
I want to bring to your attention an issue of great importance to 

me, capital punishment. To hold a prisoner in a cage for eight years or 

more and then lead him to the electric chair is cruel and gbusive treat- 

ment. It not only is agony to their families who committed no crime but 

by the time a prisoner is led to the electric chair he usually is a very 

different person especially if he accepted Jesus Christ. 

Por years now, I. Just accepted the law, Bul ginee I have been in 

Christian ministry of a nondenominalional nature, I have met countless 

prisoners, And it was a prisoner on death row that made me realize the 

value of life, I have seen the potential these people have. Yet they 

are often outcasts by families, neighbors, acquaintences, communities, 

and Christians. Prisoners for that reason are very sensitive people, 

And yet they respond to love and respect even though many are bitter, I 

am sad to say with reason. Some suffer for years on end for their one 

mistake, others made many... 

Because prisoners and ex-offenders made these mistakes and are not 

the "winners" we would like them to be, they should never be an embarrass-— 

ment to us and denied our forgiveness and Christian love. For the only 

difference between prisoners and us is- we did not get caught. I came 

{de A) : " : ; 
this far, when I held a gun on a violent man. That is when I realized 

that we are ALL CAPABLE OF MURDER. And I even got away with murder when 

I had an abortion rather than bring a baby into a home where it might be 

beaten as I had. So I KNOW I am no better than anyone else. 8&in is sin. 

We are all sinners, Bul we have to learn to be forgivers also. 

Recently I have been led by the lord, the Great Spirit, to voice my 

opinion against capital punishment. Because NOT to do so, would be to 

condone it and justify murder by our educated leaders. To remain silent 

 



  

means that I agree to this barbaric rite. To hold prisoners captive for 

years on end only to execute them is pre-meditated murder, a crime far To 

often, greater than that of the prisoner. So I want it recorded that I 

do not believe in this outrageous formality of pre-meditated murder. 

What about the vietim? Oh, yes. I understand that too. Twice in 

my life I have forgiven wurder in my family. Once I forgave a man for 

agbsconding my four natursl children. I forgave I don't mow who, for 

raping, robbing, and beating my daughter, which drove her to a mental 

institution. I forgave my father for molesting his step-daughter, and 

numerious crimes against me because he was an alcoholic. And I forgave 

an ex-husband who was violent and verbally abusive, who drove me to an 

abortion when he knocked me down in the bath tub while I was pregnant. 

4 

I know a lot sbout human suffering. That is why I have so much empathy 

for others, 

Yet the Iord revealed to me, that to remain silent about capital 

1 +1 
punishment would make me just as gullty as if I pulled the switch to the 

electric chair myself. TO REMAIN SILENT IS TO CONDONE PRE-MEDITATED 

~~
 

MURDER UNDER THE DISGUISE OF JUSTICE, which Supreme Court Justice, Vincent 
J iis 9 

McKusick says could cost more than $1.5 million for each defendant senten- 

ced to death. Listen to that hated 

If you think you are off ile hook hecause we do NOT have capital 

4 
punishment in Maine, think again. Rep. Michael Hepburn, just tried to 

pass this discriminating bill, bless his heart. Don't you know that we 

still have a moral responsibility to protest capital punishment anywher 

capital Pomshment 
in the United States? We agree 10 hy our gilence, And we also agree 

A 

to discrimination because it was proven that we execute more black offen- 

ders than white, Are we or are we not our brother's keeper? Io we con- 

 



  

tinue to close our eyes and ears and allow this holocaust? Who among us 

BOOK? My bible says, Thou shalt NOT kill. Not thou shalt kill the black- 

est, the weakes or the sickest, men, women, snd children, I thought 2 b J J 9 OO 

Hitler proved Just how sick prejudice is, 
4 

There 1s a wonderful man named, Warren McCleskey who resides on death 

row, Warren proved DISCRIMINATION in the court room, and still lost the 

case. God led me to Warren. Because I never had a brother, I was led to 

ask Warren to be%mine) And if you asl Warren, he too will tell you at 

God sent me to him. I love nim as much, if not more than any relative, 

Warren is a Christian NOW. He once killed a police officer but NOW he is 

a disciple of God, right where he is. And he is an asset to the comiun- 

ity on death row. He becomes useless to humanity, only if he is executed. 

If they lift the "stay of executiony the State Attorney General will 

seek an execution date. IT they set a date of execution, we will only have 

ten days or so to get a stay for his SENTENCE 70 BE COMMUTED T0 LIFE IN 

PRISON. Time is rvunning out for my brother. 

I have helped people all of my life and will continug to do so by 

the grace of God, sven if they kill my brother. Bul I am giving some of 

my friends a chance to help me and ny brother. I am asking all of you 

to write to the addresses given. Please write letters to ask that the 

sentence of Warren McCleskey be COMMUTED T0 LIFE IN PRISON. And do NOT 

Hesitate. WE CAN STOP CAPITAL PUNISHMENT I? YOU WANT 70, Since Yarren 

lost his case they have stepped-up executions. It is too late to help Joe 

Mulligan or Richard Tucker, whose final words were, "God bless all of you." 

Another execution 1s scheduled in the immediate future, a token white... 

Won't all of you who profess to be Christians, please drop everything, in- 

vest 1n a 22¢ stamp, and write a letter of protest NOW? assure you, my 

brother is worth it. JI 

 



  

Judge Owen Forrester 
2367 U.S. Courthouse 
15 Soviag Street S.W. 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 

U.S. Court of Appeals 
. [ Oo " ‘NY TE ult Court 

Judges: 
Ilth Ciroul 
56 Forsyth Street N.W. 
Atlanta, Georgia 303503 

Board of 

2 Martin 

Atlanta, 

Pardons and Paroles 
Tuther King Drive 

Georgia 303234 

I ask that the sentence of “AN 3 re ~ Tr ST ~ Warren McCleskey be CONMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON. 

 



_ NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.    
g July 3, 1987 ; 

Ms. Verdell Lockwood k- $ : . i 

4679 01d Cusseta Rd. - 

_ Columbus, Georgia - 31903 3 : Sige 2 oh 

: Dear Ms. Lockwood: . SA § aL & = 

I tried to reach you by phone several times this morning, but 
you were not in. I apologize for my delay in sending you Ti 

a written statement about what you have told me about Warren 
- McCIeskey. - Relying on our conversation and the letter which 
you wrote on April 24 (attached), I took the liberty to draft : 

a statement from you which we verv much wish to include 
1 in Warren:s clemency petition. moet, - = Te 

We have statements about Warren from his family and friends 3 
who knew him when he was growing up. However, yours is one 

2 of the few that we have regarding how Warren is today. I 
- therefore think that your contribution as his friend will 

- be very valuable tC Wengen s clemency case. - 

I tried to include much of the details that you! told me. 
However, please feel free to -alter or rewrite the statement- 
in any way you wish. If you feel more comfortable, you can 

~~ -.- rewrite or copy the statement in your own handwriting. The 
important thing is that it comes from you, and that it 7 
reflects you feelings and knowledge about Warren. 

While I fear imposing additional demands on you, we recuest 

- that you return this statement to us as soon as- possible, 
no later than this Wednesday (July 8th). I will try to 
contact you sometime this weekend or on Moncay to Heke 2 
sure that you nave received. this. i ; 

Thank you yey ‘much for your help. ey wey i : 3 

. : * ; _ - Sincerely yours, 

Zo is e : : Kaoru Umino 

Encl. 
Contributions are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes 

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) although 
= _ LDF was founded by the NAACP and shares its Commitment to equal rights. LDF has had for over25 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget. 

  

99 Hudson Street, New York, N.Y. 10013 ® (212) 219-1900 

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Failyis, dey oC 

To Whom This May Concern: :. . 

I am writing about Warren McCleskey, who is a very. special friend 
to me. -— : Heb 3 ie 

I have known Warren for about one year. I meet with him every 
week for Bible study and prayer sessions in prison. We have 
become very good friends. Warren has helped me a lot; he has 
been a very caring friend, and he listens to me when I am 

experiencing difficulties in my life. ~ He has helped me at & 
times when I thought that I could not go on. Warren's openness 

and his willingness to help others have made a big -difference 

in my life. ol : Hh z : 

I have met other - inmates in ‘prison, but I chose to continue 
to meet with Warren because he stood out among the other 
inmates. The other inmates all regard him very highly; he 
‘is popular because he has a reputation of being a caring. 

person, and his friends respect him. - ; 

Warren is very involved in his Christian faith. We have 
Bible study together and prayer meetings on Sundays. He is taking 
a ministry course through the mail, educating himself about 
Christianity. I do not think that his interest in his faith 
is-an overnight change; this change in him has taken place 

over a number of years, and I believe his commitment is sincere. 
Warren is not angry or resentful about what has happened in 
his life. He is only sorry about what he has done, and if 

giver another vaancs: he would lead a different kind of life, 

Waren is sincerely committed to helping other. people. He 
tells me that he would like to teach others about what 
he has learned from his mistakes in the past, and to urge : 
them not to make the same mistakes. If his death sentence is 
reduced to life imprisonment, he will simply continue to 

~ do what he has been doing: studying the Bible, joining me aay 
and his friends in prayer peetings,. and helping other : 

Pecpis in any way he could. wiliiia : 

Warren Farell talks about the’ difficulties he faced during 
his early years and when he was growing up. He just. admits 
that he has made many mistakes, and he has taken responsibility. 
for them. Warren dearly loves his daughter, Carla, and his 
granddaughter. 

Warren is not the kind of person ‘who should be executed. 
~ However grave his mistakes in the past have been, Irbelieve. 

"that he is a changed person. I feel that if he can be. 
given this chance to live, he will continue to grow. 

" _Respectfully yours, i = 

Te ae ~~ Verdell Lockwood Ed - 

  
 



  

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