Jeffery Lee Wood

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Jeffery Lee Wood
Born (1973-08-19) August 19, 1973 (age 48)[1]
NationalityAmerican
Criminal statusOn death row
Conviction(s)Capital murder
Details
State(s)Texas
Date apprehended
January 2, 1996
Imprisoned atMarch 3, 1998

Jeffery Lee Wood (born August 19, 1973) is a man on death row in the state of Texas. He was scheduled for execution in 2008 and 2016 before stays of execution were issued.[2] As in the case of Kenneth Foster,[3] Wood's death sentence stems from the Texas law of parties, which is related to the felony murder rule.[4]

Law of parties[]

Texas has what is commonly referred to as the law of parties under criminal cases. The law says that if a person, "acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense", he or she is criminally responsible for the conduct of another as well.[5]

Murder of Kris Keeran[]

Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on January 2, 1996, Wood and Daniel Earl Reneau (April 15, 1975 – June 13, 2002) parked outside a Texaco station in Kerrville, Texas.[6] While Wood waited outside, Reneau entered the station and pointed a .22-caliber handgun at clerk Kris Keeran. When Keeran did not respond to Reneau's requests, Reneau shot the clerk, killing him almost instantly.

Hearing the gunshot, Wood entered the gas station and found the clerk on the floor behind the counter. Wood then ran to the back, where he removed the surveillance video and the murder weapon, while Reneau carried the store's safe and cash box. They both then fled from the scene. The value of cash and checks was estimated to be $11,350.

According to ABC News, Wood says he was forced by Reneau at gunpoint to take the surveillance video.[7] He then destroyed the video after showing it to his brother and telling him that he and Reneau had carried out the robbery and murder.

Conviction and sentencing[]

Wood and Reneau were both arrested on the day of the murder.[6] Reneau was sentenced to death and was executed on June 13, 2002.[8] Wood was convicted and sentenced to death, though he was not in the store during the killing and he claims he was not aware that Reneau was going to use force. Wood has been on Texas death row since March 3, 1998.[9] Additionally, Wood is borderline mentally disabled with an IQ of 80 and was initially judged not mentally fit to stand trial.[10]

Victim's family[]

Wood, originally from Liverpool, United Kingdom, moved to the United States after allegedly molesting his nephew. The victim's father, Charles Keeran, said he would like to see Wood live the rest of his life in prison instead of being executed. "The death penalty, to me, is the easy way out," he said. "If you had to be down there and get up every morning, as hot and humid as it is, knowing that you are going to spend the rest of your life locked up under those conditions, that's punishment. That's what I think my son would want for him."[11]

Clemency[]

A group of Texas legislators sent a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles urging clemency for Wood.[12]

On August 19, 2008, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7–0 against clemency for Wood. The governor of Texas can only grant one 30-day stay of execution without a recommendation from the board for a longer stay.[13]

Appeals and Current Status[]

A few hours before Wood's scheduled execution on August 21, 2008, a federal judge in San Antonio issued a stay of execution to allow a hearing to determine whether Wood was mentally competent.[14] On August 19, 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution, sending the case back to the original trial court.[2] The trial court eventually recommended against execution. However, in 2018 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the trial court's decision and reinstated the death penalty.[15][16] As of January 2022, Wood remains on death row with no scheduled date of execution.[17]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Death Row Information | Offender TDCJ Number: 999256". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b McCullough, Jolie (August 19, 2016). "Execution Halted for Jeff Wood, Who Never Killed Anyone". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  3. ^ Marra, William (August 30, 2007). "In Rare Move, Texas Gov. Commutes Inmate's Death Sentence". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". www.prisonsfoundation.org. Archived from the original on September 22, 2003. Retrieved January 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Penal Code Chapter 7. Criminal Responsibility for Conduct of Another". Statutes.legis.state.tx.us. State of Texas. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Media advisory: Jeffery Lee Wood scheduled for execution". Texasattorneygeneral.gov. The Attorney General of Texas. August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Michels, Scott (August 8, 2008). "Texas Man Who Didn't Kill May Be Executed - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Convenience store clerk killer executed". Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  9. ^ "Texas Execution Information - Watch List". Txexecutions.org. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ "Inmate's supporters appeal to governor". August 3, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  12. ^ "Texas Moratorium Network: Letter From Texas Legislators to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles Urging Commutation of Jeff Wood's Death Sentence". Stopexecutions.blogspot.com. August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". www.chron.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Federal Judge, Chastising the Texas Courts, Orders a Stay of Execution". The New York Times. August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  15. ^ Wiley, Hannah (November 21, 2018). "Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rules against death row inmate Jeff Wood". Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  16. ^ "Ex Parte Jeffrey Lee Wood". Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. November 21, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  17. ^ "Jeffrey Lee Wood". Texas Department of Corrections. Retrieved January 30, 2022.

External links[]

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