Terry Williams
A Case for Clemency
Click here to read the statement of Terry's attorneys in response to PA Supreme Court Affirming Stay of Execution. Click here to read the Order.
Click here to read the statement of Terry's attorneys in response to the stay of execution granted on 9/28/12.
Click here to see newly-discovered evidence that prosecutors knew Amos Norwood had a history of sexually molesting kids.
Click here to read attorney Billy Nolas' closing argument
in the hearing at the Court of Common Pleas, September 25, 2012
Click here to sign the online petition to show your support for clemency for Terry.
Click here to read the press release of September 13th about the support of political and human rights organizations.
Click here to read the press release of September 6th about the unprecedented outpouring of support in PA for clemency for Terry.
Click here to see the people who have stated their support for clemency for Terry, including the victim's widow, jurors from Terry's trial, members of the community, and political and human rights organizations.
Terry Williams is a Pennsylvania death row inmate scheduled to be executed on October 3, 2012.
Terry's history of extreme physical and sexual abuse by older males, including both of the men he killed while in his teens, as well as the fact that his jury never heard this mitigating evidence, make his case for clemency compelling.
Terry at age 17.
Source: Germantown High School
Current photo of Terry.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Below is a summary of the main issues in Terry's application for clemency.
The Victim's Widow Supports
Clemency for Terry
Amos Norwood's widow, Mamie Norwood,
has forgiven Terry and does not want him
to be executed. She believes she can find
peace and closure without any more loss
of life, and hopes that the Board of
Pardons and the Governor will show
Terry mercy.
Terry's History of Physical Abuse
Terry Williams was raised by a violently
abusive single mother. When Terry was 10,
his mother married an alcoholic who
brutalized both Terry and his mother. The
physical and emotional abuse so damaged
him thathe desperately sought the attention
and approval of older males who could
replace he father he never knew. Terry's
desperation and vulnerability made him an
easy target for sexual predators.
Terry's History of Sexual Abuse
Both of Terry's crimes directly related to his
extensive history of sexual abuse by older
males, which began when he was six years
old. One of his abusers was his former
public schoolteacher. That abuse caused
Terry such intense pain and confusion that
he began cutting himself and engaging in
other acts of self-mutilation. As is too often
the case in instances of childhood sexual
abuse, Terry was ashamed and suffered
largely in silence. No one intervened to protect Terry from his multiple abusers. As Pennsylvanians are now well aware, sexual abuse often goes unreported for years, sometimes decades. Like many victims, Terry was not able to tell his story at the time.
Terry was Victimized by the Men He Killed
The jury that sentenced Terry to death never heard that both of the men who
Terry killed, like many sexual predators, were significantly older men who used
their positions of power and authority to prey on vulnerable underage boys.
Terry was one of those boys. In fact, the night before he committed the crime for
which he was sentenced to death, Terry was violently sexually assaulted by the man he killed – a man who had been sexually abusing Terry for years, and who used his position in the local church to prey on other boys.
The Jury Never Heard This
Evidence at Trial
In sworn affidavits, jurors who sentenced
Terry have acknowledged that they
would not have voted for a death
sentence had they known about the
sexual abuse he suffered as a child, the
abuse he suffered at the hands of the men
he killed, and the psychological impact of
that abuse. In addition, several jurors have
stated that they voted for Terry to be put
to death only because they mistakenly believed that if they did not sentence Terry to death he would later become eligible for release on parole. In truth, both now and at the time of his sentencing, a life sentence in Pennsylvania meant that Terry Williams would never have been eligible for parole. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that does not require the judge to instruct the jury that a life sentence means life without the possibility of parole, and no such instruction was given in Terry’s case.
Terry is Deeply Remorseful
Terry is deeply remorseful for killing
Herbert Hamilton and Amos Norwood
and he expresses genuine anguish
over the pain and loss that their families
and communities suffered. In prison,
Terry has grown close to God. He prays
that the Hamilton and Norwood families
can find peace in their lives. Terry has
demonstrated an ongoing desire to
become a better person and to make a
positive impact from behind the prison walls. Terry has demonstrated an overall positive adjustment to prison. His record indicates that he will be well managed if he were to spend the remainder of his natural life in prison under a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. If granted clemency, he will gladly and obediently accept his punishment.
After the clemency hearing on Monday, Terry's attorneys filed a Motion for Reconsideration on 9/18/12 asking the Board of Pardons to reconsider clemency because the Philadelphia District Attorney's office misrepresented a crucial piece of evidence sought by the Board.
Click here to read the Motion.
