Michael Jackson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 27, 1954 |
| Conviction(s) | 1 count of first degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Date | August 31, 1983 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | California |
Date apprehended | August 31, 1983 |
Michael Anthony Jackson (born March 27, 1954) is an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to death in 1984 for shooting and killing police officer Ken Wrede in West Covina, California in August 1983. [2] He is currently incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. [3]
Shortly after noon on August 31, 1983, West Covina Police Officer, 26-year-old Ken Wrede, responded to calls of an intoxicated man walking barefoot and disturbing residents. [2] Wrede approached the man, who identified as 29-year-old Michael Anthony Jackson. Wrede attempted to handcuff Jackson until Jackson lunged at him. [4] Jackson obtained a shotgun from Wrede’s patrol car and shot the officer multiple times, but before being shot Wrede radioed for help, but by the time other officers arrived, Wrede was already dead, and the officers detained Jackson. Jackson was arrested and admitted to taking PCP-laced cigarettes earlier that day.
During the trial, Jackson's lawyers argued that he might have been severely high, which made him not legally responsible for the murder. On May 21, 1984, Jackson was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. [2] Jackson still had some supporters who believed that he was not in his right state of mind when killing Wrede and that it would be cruel to him. On May 9, 2000, with Jackson's execution date approaching, the federal court of appeals concluded that if all available evidence had been presented during the trial's penalty phase, there was a reasonable chance that he might have received a sentence of life imprisonment. In a court hearing, judges criticized Jackson's lawyers for not mentioning that Jackson had been once diagnosed as Schizophrenic, that the dose of PCP might render him legally not responsible for the killing. [4] Nevertheless, Jackson stayed on death row.
Since 2006, California has not executed a death row prisoner. Jackson, now 68 years old as of 2022, will likely not be executed.
The Texas 7 were a group of prisoners who escaped from the John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas, on December 13, 2000. Six of the seven were apprehended over a month later, between January 21–23, 2001, as a direct result of the television show America's Most Wanted. One of the seven committed suicide before he could be arrested. The remaining six men were brought to trial in Dallas, and because of Texas’ law of parties — which holds all individuals responsible for a crime, regardless of their role — were convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for the murder of Irving, Texas police officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins. He was shot and killed when responding to the robbery of the sporting goods store in Irving,Texas. Garcia was sentenced to death in February 2003. Four of the six sentenced have since been executed.
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