Save the life of Marcus Bridger Cotton

To:  Texas Governor Rick Perry, Texas Board of Pardons and Parole

Marcus Bridger Cotton was born in Houston on September 28 1974. He was adopted by a couple as a two-weeks old baby. His whole childhood was unsettled and very traumatic. As soon as he was a teenager he decided to live on the streets. A criminal career was hereby pre-ordained. In fact, Marcus spent a lot of time in various institutions. In March 1996 he was discharged from his last term of imprisonment. Marcus Cotton found himself an apartment and had a regular job.
On September 18 1996 the promising prosecutor, Gil Epstein, and another man were at the car park of the Jewish Community Center in Houston when they were brutally assaulted and robbed by two men. While one of the men, Sean Caruthers, could get away and raise the alarm, Gil Epstein was forced to get into the back of his car, where he was then shot. After Sean Caruthers had alarmed the police he got into his car and drove into Gil Epstein’s murderer, who was trying to escape by bicycle. Both culprits escaped. A small piece of material from the murderer’s clothing was found on the headlight of Caruther’s car. With today’s technologies and testing capabilities, a fiber is just as testable and important as a whole shirt. However, this piece of evidence, which might have contributed to finding out the truth, was only glossed over. The man who had attacked Caruthers was caught relatively quickly. Sean Caruthers identified him. He was a dark-skinned Afro-American named Lawrence Edward Watson. On September 27 Marcus Cotton was arrested as a suspect. Sean Caruthers and another witness, Carla Chisholm, were asked to attend line-ups to identify the murderer. Their statements were contradictory and extremely unsure. The contradictions and uncertainty were particularly with respect to Marcus Cotton’s skin color, facial hair and stature. Sean Caruthers spoke of a light-skinned man. He could not say if it was a Hispanic, a light-skinned black or a white male. Carla Chisholm could not identify Marcus Cotton as the offender until the second line-up that took place on February 17 1997, nearly half a year after the crime took place, where Marcus was the only light-skinned black person. Carla Chisholm was 50 – 60 feet away from the scene of the crime and saw everything through a fence, but still claimed that it was on account of his eyes that she could recognize Marcus Cotton as the offender.
There are also contradictory statements concerning the wound on Marcus Cotton’s left leg, which was supposedly caused by the collision with Caruther’s car. He himself claims that it was from a broken step. His sister stated that she treated the wound, and that was two days before the murder took place.
He was put on trial twice. The first trial ended without the jury agreeing on a verdict. In the second trial two witnesses who had given evidence under oath at the first trial that Marcus Cotton was not one of the men that they had seen at the scene of the crime were not allowed to testify. It seems incomprehensible that the importance and credibility of the evidence of these two men should be played down to this extent. Instead, the accomplice, Lawrence Watson, gave evidence in the second trial. He seriously incriminated Marcus Cotton. Lawrence Watson testified to being a gang member of the ‘Black Gangsta Disciples’ since his early youth. It is assumed the true murderer can be found in the ranks of Watson’s affiliates. All the other people, incidentally, who testified that Marcus Cotton had spoken to them about the crime, were members of this gang. Watson said that the gang enforced harsh punishments to members who informed against other members. Marcus Cotton was not a member of this gang. Interestingly, Lawrence Watson was offered a deal from the state to shorten his sentence, he got ten years in prison in exchange for his testimony against Marcus Cotton. This was just two days before the trial against Marcus Cotton began. In the first trial, on the other hand, Watson did not give evidence at all. In November 1997 Marcus Cotton was finally sentenced to death by the trial jury. The judgment was reached above all on account of Watson’s testimony, although he was known to the police to be a liar. Marcus Cotton has always protested his innocence, whereas he admitted to all his other criminal offences. Unfortunately he has no alibi, as he preferred to spend his time quietly at home after his term of imprisonment. All his remedies of appeal have now been exhausted. The date for his execution has been set for March 3rd, 2004.
There are many inconsistencies in this case and we ask for these to be examined before such an ultimate judgment be enforced. The true offender is perhaps still free and an innocent man could die in his place.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save the life of Marcus Bridger Cotton Petition to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Texas Board of Pardons and Parole was created by and written by Petra E. Herrmann, ALIVE e.V..  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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