For over four centuries Western civilization has understood it is wrong to execute those who are mentally crippled, insane or otherwise of unsound mind. There is no dispute over Greg Thompsons mental illness. Schizophrenia prevents Greg from understanding that the State of Tennessee is about to kill him for that crime. The people of Tennessee do not want the execution of an indisputably mentally ill man to be committed in their name.

Heavily medicated, he sits on death row today, believing the victim is still alive and working in the prison and believing that his cell is the bowels of an ancient slave ship. He believes the State of Tennessee is trying to kill him because his legal team has not found proof of the fact that he is an officer in the military and a wealthy songwriter; proof of which consists of his officers uniform, Grammy award, money and gold bars which he believes he buried. Greg believes electrocution will not kill him and he cannot die. Unmedicated, as he was in 1985 at the time of his crime, his delusions are even more bizarre.

The prosecutor lied to the trial court about Gregs mental illness and defense counsel failed to provide the jury with evidence of his mental illness. All the state and federal courts who have reviewed Gregs case have failed him. We urge Governor Bredesen to commute this death sentence to a life sentence without parole.