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| Daniel Greene |
"We want to thank the board so much for their courage in this case," one of Greene's elated attorneys, Lindsay N. Bennett, said in a phone interview from Atlanta.
Greene, who had spent 2 decades on Georgia's death row and already ordered his last meal, received the news Friday and appeared to be in shock, Bennett said.
Greene, 42, had been sentenced to death for the 1991 fatal stabbing of Bernard Walker, a former schoolmate of Greene's who had walked in on him robbing a convenience store clerk in Reynolds, Ga. Greene, who according to his attorneys was under the influence of drugs during the crime, stabbed four other people the same night in a spree across 3 counties.
Bob Bacle, the former Reynolds police chief who addressed the paroles board on behalf of the victims and planned to attend the execution, condemned the decision, saying justice had been subverted.
"What good was it to have a trial 21 years ago and then 21 years later 5 folks on the board of pardons can second-guess a jury?" Bacle said. "That's what we've got a system of justice for. What does this tell criminals out there coming along now?"
Former Taylor County Sheriff Nick Giles offered a more neutral reaction.
"I don't have a problem with it," said Giles, who had advocated capital punishment in the case when Greene was arrested. "The parole board, they know more about what the past 21 years has been like than I do."
The board's decision -- which marked just the fourth time it's granted clemency since 2002 -- came days after Greene's supporters made an impassioned plea on his behalf, describing his crimes as a surprising aberration for an otherwise upstanding citizen. Greene had been a model inmate on death row, they said, receiving a reprimand only once -- for having too many stamps.
While the Taylor County community was scarred by the crimes, many had greeted the specter of execution with ambivalence, including some of Walker's family members. A petition with more than 500 signatures urging clemency was presented to the board, and a number of well-respected members of the community had spoken on Greene's behalf.
"One of the things that struck all of us about this case was the outpouring of support from the community," Bennett said. "It was a real testament to the community and to Daniel Greene's life before this tragedy."
One of Greene's more outspoken supporters had been Patty James Bentley, the chairwoman of the Taylor County Commission who is campaigning for a seat in the state House of Representatives. She wrote an emotional letter to the board asking it to spare Greene.
"I really just praise God," she said, "and I pray that Bernard's family will find some peace."
Walker's family couldn't be reached for comment. A spokesman for Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens declined to comment.
Mark Shelnutt, a Columbus attorney who helped prosecute Greene, told the paroles board on Tuesday that a key factor in seeking capital punishment against Greene had been that life without parole was not an option for Georgia juries at the time.
"Obviously, life without parole is no slap on the hand," Shelnutt said. "He's never going to get out of jail."
Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, April 21, 2012
Related article:
Apr 18, 2012
The board, after a lengthy clemency hearing Tuesday, notified lawyers of its decision to stay the execution of Daniel Greene, Jeff Ertel, one of Greene's lawyers, said. Numerous Taylor County residents spoke to the parole...
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