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Courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
In this undated photo, Terrance Williams is pictured. Williams is on death row for fatally beating Amos Norwood in 1984 in Philadelphia.
Updated at 6:30 p.m. ET: A Pennsylvania man on death row for the murder of his alleged sexual abuser failed to win clemency Monday from the state Board of Pardons.
Terrance "Terry" Williams, 46, is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 3. He is on death row at the State Correctional Institute at Greene in Pennsylvania for killing 56-year-old Amos Norwood with a tire iron in Philadelphia in 1984. Williams was 18 years old at the time of the murder. Defense lawyer Victor J. Abreu has said Williams' crimes were mitigated by the sexual abuse he experienced in his childhood. Norwood was allegedly one of his attackers.
After Monday’s hearing, the five-member board of pardons voted 3-2 in favor of clemency, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. However, under state law, a unanimous vote was needed in order to provide a nonbinding recommendation to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to change the lethal injection to life in prison without parole, the Inquirer reported.
The clemency hearing was granted after a petition filed on Sept. 6 called upon Corbett and the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons to stop the execution. The petition included a statement from Norwood's widow, who said, "Several years ago, after much prayer and self-reflection, I found the strength and courage to forgive Terry Williams."
Courtesy Germantown High School
Williams is pictured here at age 17. His defense lawyers say his crimes are mitigated by a childhood of sexual abuse.
Related: Widow asks Pennsylvania governor not to execute husband's killer
"I do not wish to see Terry Williams executed,” she said in the statement.
On Friday, a Philadelphia judge agreed to hear testimony on the defense's claim that the prosecutor at Williams' 1986 trial withheld evidence from the jury pertaining to the sexual abuse, the Inquirer also reported.
One of Williams' attorneys, Shawn Nolan, said in a statement Monday that they are "deeply disappointed" in the denial for clemency. Nolan added that they will present new evidence on Thursday in court that reveals what the defense says is Williams' motive for the murders: years of sexual abuse.
"We are confident that a thorough review of the facts will make it clear that the jurors in this case did not have accurate and complete information about the crime or Terry Williams," Nolan said.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
Williams is also serving a life term for killing 50-year-old Herbert Hamilton when he was 17. Hamilton is another alleged abuser.
"[Williams] was a victim of horrific abuse since he was 6 years old,” Abreu told NBC News earlier this month. "The jury didn’t know that the two men who were killed were abusing him. That information was never presented to the jury."
Williams would be the first person executed in Pennsylvania in 13 years.
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Leave a Comment:
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You cannot let him out of jail without first granting clemency.
The next argument will be : Yeah, but those molested by Sandusky, in Pennsylvania, are not in jail.
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Why would Sanduskys molested kids be in jail? They are all grown up and never killed anyone. Your theory is idiotic and reeks of reefer.
It sounds like a WHOLE BUNCH of the JUDGES, JURORS, PROSECUETORS & no doubt Cops were/are PEDOPHILES and or, WANNABEES, (including the Parole Board & the illustrious, pious Guv'nurr too.)
denko95, WTF are you smoking. A guy kills another guy, and you say everyone else is corrupt? Dude, put down the weed and step away from the computer.
Killed 2 and they want clemency? Apparently life means nothing in today's world.
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Where is your sense of fairness.
I heard that he had a bad childhood.
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If this man was sexually abused by these men when he was young , as young as 6 years old he deserves a medal for what he did. There is no place in this world for anyone who preys on children.
He killed the men who raped him. Apparently there's no justice in your world.
But I guess we will never know SINCE HE KILLED THEM.
Yes Mike, this is the correct answer. This article has played out here several times and he is getting a hearing due to the publicity. If any man deserves to be cut loose it is this guy. They are trying now just to keep him from being executed.
He killed his child rapists and very likely saved other kids from the same fate. He has already done way too much time. He needs to be freed.........
Pennsylvania hasn't executed anyone in 13 years. And they pick this guy? Apparently he'd been abused sexually since the age of 6. If that doesn't excuse murder, it's certainly a mitigating factor against the death penalty.
Think about all the other murders in Pennsylvania that didn't result in a death sentence. Certainly some of them were more deserving of execution than retaliation (by a teenager) against sexual assault. Hard to fathom.
Not only does he deserve clemency, he deserves a new trial.
They molested him starting at 6 yrs and he killed the men who destroyed his life and you blame him? He's the real victim and he should be set free not executed
He should have a new trial.
cunicle, yu sound a little demented yu-seff! You like pedophiles too??? ORRRR was that part alright mr. No-It-all???
Not only did these 2 WHITE MEN abuse him and No you won't find any pictures of these creeps, The 1st Guy he killed at 17 has abused several black boys in Philly it was common knowledge that he liked boys by all the adults in youth sports groups. They also didn't tell you about the mother of another child coming forward in 1984 with alligations of molestation that lasted 5 years with her son. When they found the 1st guy he was naked (shirt no pants what's that tell you?)at a cemetary he had called William to meet him at the cemetary and when he was there he tried to rape him it was SELF DEFENSE. Nor do they tell you the 2nd guy he killed was a youth pastor and he had been molesting other boys. Nor do they tell you about the abuse his step-father and Mother gave him and a friend of the family (male) that sodemized him at age 6. He never had a chance. He deserves to be let out of prison if you ask me he never would have killed anyone if he hadn't gone through that. The pastor started molesting him at age 12 when he started football.
But they didnt kill Sandusky
Turn Sandusky out in public today and he would be blugeoned with a hammer. It's only a question of time before the get him in prison even with protective custody. A guard is going to reward Bubba for good behavior with some booty.
Why Not, ... I wonder?
I guess that is going to be the new defense for all murders of men. They abused me when I was a little boy, so I killed them. Well hell, how are they going to defend themselves.? They are dead!!! If he was convicted in 1984, that is 28 years longer than his victims. If he couldn't prove in 28 years that he didn't kill them, he's guilty and it is time to take his life. Let him beg while the juice is going into his veins. As you can tell, I have no sympathy for a murderer. I do believe in justice!!!!!! Mr. Williams, have a nice trip to the other side. Bye-bye
Some of the evidence that was withheld is that Norwood was accused of sexual misconduct with young children at the church he worked at. This evidence was disallowed at the trial including witnesses from the church where Norwood worked. This is just some of the evidence that was withheld at the time of trial. Williams admitted killing Norwood and stated that he had been sexually abused and raped by him just the night before.
I don't think he denies killing anyone. I believe his lawyer is saying there are circumstances here that were not considered during his trial. You contradict yourself when you say you believe in justice but its time to take his life.
There was evidence of the abuse when he was on trial in 84,but it was not permitted during trial.So lemme see,here is a young man who has been-allegedly-abused since age 6,and kills his abusers,yet you don't permit this info during his trial?Seems fishy to me.
I do not condone murder-however,I am the survivor of abduction and child sexual abuse at age 6,and my attacker got a slap on the wrist for how he ***** my life-not even jail time,just a fine,because he agreed to get medical help.I can certainly emphasize with this young man.
I am not black and will say it, IT was beacause he is BLACK!! He did the world a favor getting rid of child rapist scum. He has done enough time. Let him go in peace.
I'm not black either , but I agree 100% with you.
I'm not black and I think this poor man has to be set free. NO ONE killing their rapists will ever get the death penalty in 21st century America. This is a disgrace of the legal system. Let him out.
@Okie your name is fitting. Clearly you do not know all of the circumstances of this case but are willing to make a judgment. It did not say anywhere that the abuse happened when he was six and then it just stopped then 10 years later he came back and killed these two sickos. This was on going abuse that continued for years and not just with this young man but with many others. He did the world a favor. He is not even requesting to be freed just spared the death penalty. he does not claim to be innocent but there are clearly mitigating circumstances in this case. If the prosecution lied or withheld evidence then he not only deserves clemency but he deserves a new trial at very least. You cannot mislead the jury to get a conviction, that is not justice.
okee, sounds to me like yu are definetly leeeaning toward defense of PEDOPHILESb world wide?
Yu a little bit of one too then, or just a wannabee one of them?
i generally support the death penalty.
but when i read of evidence being withheld by the prosecution, and the murdered men being sex abusers of the convicted, IF THOSE CLAIMS ARE TRUE, maybe they should re-think this one.
It's cases like this is why we should not have the death penalty. Do you think this is the first time prosecuters have witheld vital information from the jury?
Alleged abusers, but we will never know, since He killed them. Nothing new, i was abused, I had a bad chidlhood, the drugs were bad, may parents were mean blah blah blah.
I have a few problems with this situation. The men he killed are only "alleged" perpetrators. At 17 he was not an adult and did not have adult remedies available to him, therefore he (and no minor) should not have been tried as an adult. Two wrongs do not make a right, and that includes the death penalty.
Set him free - justice was served
He did the right thing...he killed them. This is where the Arabs have it over us, and this is where we have lost our way.
I wonder if anyone remembers this line..."there is some @!$%# I will not eat".
I am guessing if the jury would have heard the whole story he would not have received the death penalty.
how come this issue wasnt raised in the 4000 appeals this turd already had? its time to for him to get the needle.
Rather than clemency, why not a new trial will ALL THE FACTS presented.
Let the jury decide. . I am not judging Williams just trying to get
him a fair trial. Then it is what it is.
Also, a jury of our peers are really never peers. Let the
jury be a panel of experts in law and criminal justice. I can think of one guy
would have been found guilty
Good for him. He did what he had to do to avenge himself. The rule of law didn't protect him, but it did punish him. He deserves a medal.
Give the guy clemency already.Hanging this over his head is what I consider to be cruel.Anybody who has been sexually abused and can prove who the perpetrator is should be allowed to kill their abuser.There are too many of these sickos in the prison system who have ruined people's lives.
This guy doesn't deserve the death penalty. He's probably served more time than others that have committed lesser crimes. Pardon him.
I do find it odd that multiple claims of sexual abuse were not admitted at either trial or sentencing.
Simply because he hadn't dreamed up the abuse excuse at that time.
he killed his abusers...free him now
11 years of being abused / raped and the jury was not told this. How was that a fair trial?
Just about every criminal can point to a childhood trauma, be it bad parenting, sexual abuse, or just getting dropped on the head one too many times in the school yard.
None of that should buy anybody special treatment by the law.
I'm against the death penalty. But where it is in effect, and has been duely issued, then the sentence should be carried out.
based on the story above any reasonable person would say the case needs to be looked at again ~ However, it seems to be written leaving a LOT of details out. So for example if Williams murdered 10 people, two of which were his former attackers ~ but he didnt know that, or whatever, that is a fully different story than killing two of his attackers while defending himself, or motivated by the horrors of the abuse.
There seem to be many details left out that are needed to form an opinion on this one let alone rule on it. If it was as cut and dry as this story makes it seem every leeding heart hollywood celebrity who feels guilty for their wealth and fame would be championing a cause like this one.
This is Wrong Wrong and Wrong! The widow of one these monsters killed forgives Norwood? She's really got it all backwards.
This man was abused like some stuffed toy,since he was 6 and he kills these two monsters in retribution,and he's in jail and about to die,because of these two parasites?He did himself and the world a favor.
Then to insult to injury the idiot that calls himself a prosecutor with holds evidence.
Talk about injustice and a railroad job,this guy wins both! I hope they can save him!
Sorry, we can't have private individuals running around deciding whom to execute. Whatever this man's "excuse", private vengeance and vigilante justice are two concepts we have long since rejected in our society, and rightly so.
This guy needs to be executed on schedule.
Murder is murder. Whoever does it.
Most civilized nations have abolished the death penalty. I guess we need to keep up with Iran and China.
The problem is Terry Williams did not just kill, or just beat his abuser to death. He beat him, robbed him and then set him on fire. I understand the impulse to want to kill an abuser, but this is ... well, overkill, if you pardon the pun.
Our court system is not a perfect one, which is why the appeals process exists. Mr. Williams has exhausted all his appeals available to him. I don't believe in the death penalty, per se, but I believe in our judicial system.
Murder is an unjustifiable killing of an other person. The execution of a convicted criminal is justice. He took a life, and now his life will be taken from him.
While I don't believe such executions constitute good public policy, they are not the moral equivalent of the killing of an innocent person, nor are they against our constitution.
If he was a white woman how did the same act, he'd be celebrated a hero, have his own TV show on Lifetime. But alas he is non-white, as a fellow Pennsylvanian I can attest that the general opinion of the judicial system in PA is that non-whites are of little value. Our necks are as red as anyone in the KKK. Really.
How can they execute this man without first finding out if the people he killed were abusing or had abused him?
Oh... Silly me, he's BLACK!
I'm not one to use the race card, I'm an Italian-American, just for the record... But a few years ago I did some research into the death penalty and found lots of cases of injustice and some even seemed decided by race.
Another thing I discovered was that if you are white and Jewish you almost never was punished as severely as non Jew whites. One case even involved a 30 something Jewish man killing a 17 year old by shooting him in the back. The 17 year old's crime was ringing his door bell and running. The killer never went to jail, he had to do community service.
Only in America!!!
When prosecutors are found to have withheld evidence they should be in turn prosecuted for "tampering with evidence". If you or I were found to do something such as that we would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But then again...isn't the law a "one way street)
I can not imagine what he went through as a child, but it had to be horrific in order for him to take a life. I hate pedophiles, they are the lowest of the low and they have been getting away with destroying young lives for years. I pray for his soul and if the wife forgives him, let him live. As far as the judicial system, they screwed this kid again.