Deathrow.at

Kia Johnson - Execution date set for June 11, 2003

My name is Kia Lavoy Johnson. I am 35 years of age, an African American male on the notorious Texas death row. I am here for a crime I did not commit. I am from San Antonio in the USA.

The story I am about to tell you is true and my case is pending in the federal courts awaiting to be ruled on.

On October 29, 1993 I was arrested for "failure to identify" but I never made it to jail, instead I was taken to an undercover police operation office, where I was interviewed by the police on a murder that I know nothing about! I was told that the crime was on video, so I figured how could it be me? I knew it was not me in the video, my picture was taken, fingerprints were taken, all to try to connect me with the crime. I had finally seen the video after I was booked in the county jail and later saw it on television. After I seen it, I said to myself, now how could these people say this is me? The assailant in the video had come in the store touching the counter and committed the crime and left. There were fingerprints taken from the scene. After they checked to see if my prints matched, they did not match! My picture was taken by the police, the FBI made a check to see if the picture matched to the assailant, their was no match period. I found out that my common law wife's uncle filed a statement saying that it was me in the video, which he described what I wore the last time he saw me, in the video the assailant isn't wearing what he described. He mentioned his dislike for me several times at trial. Also there was a drug addict, that testified at my trial against me. One guy said he hasn't seen me in 15 to 16 years and that I look the same and he has diabetes and he stated his vision is bad because of the diabetes. A woman I never met before said she knew me and that she was with me before the murder, in which brings me to a jacked that I was wearing. The jacket I wore matched the assailant in the video, that was why I was arrested, because of a jacket that matched or similar to the one I was wearing. This woman makes her living by testifying for the prosecutors, which she has been to prison three times.

My court appointed lawyer did nothing to prevent this from happening. He came to talk to me once, stating "I will get you a life sentence". Neither did he ask was I innocent of the crime that was committed. He came and stayed about three minutes and the next time I saw him, we were going to trial. Yes, Mr. William Reece, court appointed lawyer. During my trial he did not wear a suit, he wore jeans and a jacket, no briefcase, just a folder in hand to fight a capital murder case. After I was found guilty, he also filed my direct appeal, he and his paralegal secretary worked on my direct appeal in which she (Joann Pedrotti) stated to him, that there were so many errors, that he should let another attorney file it. So they could raise "ineffective counsel". But he refused to hear her. She (Joann Pedrotti) filed an affidavit in my behalf, saying that she had quit working for Mr. Reece, because of his lack of ability on my case. Now she works as a stenographer for the county courthouse.

I am letting people know about the injustice in the judicial system in Texas. The system does not work! Any questions I would gladly answer to the best of my knowledge.

Please write to:

Kia Johnson # 999139

Polunsky Unit

3872 F.M. 350 South

Livingston, Texas 77351 USA