Execution Report: Danielle Simpson

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A jury found Simpson guilty of capital murder in December 2000 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in October 2003.

Lionel Simpson was convicted of capital murder. Jennifer Simpson pleaded guilty to murder. Both were sentenced to life in prison and remain in custody as of this writing. Jennifer will be eligible for parole in 2030.

Edward McCoy was sent to the Texas Youth Commission. He was paroled in 2007 when he turned 21. His parole supervision is currently scheduled to end in 2013.

After failing to win some of his appeals, including one that contended he was mentally retarded, Simpson wrote a letter to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals asking for permission to waive his remaining appeals. "I'm tired of being in an institution that's unjust, degrading, and corrupted," Simpson wrote, "whereas on the other hand, I'm tired of struggling to survive in a system that's highly injustices [sic]. I'm ready to die!! If I can't be free - Kill Me!!" In June 2009, a federal judge determined that Simpson was mentally competent to waive his appeals. The courts then denied efforts from his lawyer and relatives to intervene and continue his appeals on his behalf. In a second petition to the court in July, Simpson wrote:

"I'm tired of being imprisoned in a system that's devaluated, and struggling to survive under the cruel and unusual punishments of an unjust institution better know [sic] as Texas death row here on the Polunsky unit in Livingston Texas. I want to drop my appeals because, I don't have no family support, care, nor communications coming from my mother or sisters, etc...and providing that all my support comes from overseas friends, I greatly appreciate the unconditional love and support they've provided to me over the years. Meanwhile, being locked up in a isolated solitary cell of confinement 23 and 24 hours per day isn't justice nor is it considered living - its cruel and unjust, therefore I'm really looking forward to my execution because its just me against the world..."

A few weeks before his scheduled execution date, Simpson reversed himself and allowed lawyers to try to have his execution halted. Lawyers filed claims that Simpson suffered from a "debilitating mental illness" and possessed "diminished intellectual functioning", offering Simpson's reversal on dropping his appeals as proof. The courts rejected these late appeals, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also denied requests for clemency filed by the attorneys.

Simpson's execution was attended by members of his family and his victim's. In his last statement, he expressed love to his family and one of his attorneys. He did not acknowledge his victim's family. The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 19 November 2009. Edited on 30 November 2009.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Associated Press, Palestine Herald, court documents, public records.