Welcome to my Crime and Justice blog! I am a 19 year old criminal justice student at the University of Winnipeg. I advocate for prisoners' rights, human rights, equality and criminal justice/prison system reforms.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Stop the execution of Gayland Bradford on October 14th in Texas!

Facts of the Crime:

Gayland Bradford was convicted of the shooting death of 29-year-old Brian Williams during a robbery of a food store in Dallas on Dec 29, 1988. Williams was shot four times with a handgun and later died of his wounds. Bradford stole a .357 revolver, a cap and the victim's wallet before fleeing the store. He was arrested on January 3, 1989, and later gave police a voluntary statement.
Sentenced to Death 2/90.

Gayland Bradford was convicted of the shooting death of 29-year-old Brian Williams during a robbery of a food store in Dallas. Williams was shot four times with a handgun and later died of his wounds. Bradford stole a .357 revolver, a cap and the victim's wallet before fleeing the store. He was arrested on January 3, 1989, and later gave police a voluntary statement. 

Date : September 29, 1999   Time:  2:40 Pm   Place:  Solitary     Reason:  Friendship.  Hello.  How are you doing ?  I hope that you are in good health and spirits and content with life.  As for myself I'm in search of a pen friend.  I would just like to receive a pen friend between the ages of 25 and beyond if possible. I will attempt to enlighten you about myself.  I'm 31 years of age, born July 18, 1968.  I'm from Dallas, Texas.  I am an African American with a bald head and a trimmed mustache with brown eyes, 5'10" inches tall, 220 pounds in good shape, very athletic.  I love sports, riding horses, and meeting new people of different cultures and I'm fascinated with the many many languages of the world.  I can't speak them but I love to hear them.  I have been locked down for 10 years and 8 months I have been on death row for 9 years and 7 months ... Please pass this on to someone who wouldn't mind corresponding with me.  Take care and may God bless you.  In search of a friend,
Gayland C Bradford 999966
Polunsky Unit D.R.
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston Texas
77351 USA

20 years after his trial, a Dallas County man convicted in the 1988 shooting
death of a convenience store security guard
has been given an execution date.

Gayland Charles Bradford, now 41, was sentenced to death in 1990 for the slaying
of Brian Edward Williams at Angelo's Food Store in Dallas. He's scheduled to die
by lethal injection the evening of Oct. 14, 2010.


The store's video surveillance system caught the murder on tape. It showed
Bradford calmly walking into the store and shooting Williams in the back. After
Williams fell to the floor, the video showed Bradford bending over him and
shooting him three more times.

Bradford stole a .357 revolver, a cap and Williams' wallet before fleeting the
store, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice documents.

The gunman's girlfriend testified during the trial that the then 20 year old
bragged about the incident.

At the time of the murder, Bradford was on parole for a robbery conviction in
Dallas County. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but was let out two
years early—just eight months before the homicide, TDCJ records show.

12 Texans have been executed in 2010. Bradford will be the 7th North Texas-area
offender to die by lethal injection this year. Besides Bradford, five more
offenders are currently scheduled for execution this year.

Name: Gayland Charles Bradford
DOB: July 18, 1968
County: Dallas
Date of Offense: Dec. 29, 1988
Age at time of offense: 20
Race: Black
Prior Occupation: Stocker/Laborer
Education level: 8 years
Prior Prison Record: Robbery, 4 years, paroled April 12, 1988
Convicted in the shooting death of 29 year old Brian Edward Williams during a robbery of Angelo's Food Store in Dallas. Williams was shot 4 times with a handgun and later died of his wounds at a Dallas hospital. Bradford stole a revolver, a cap, and Williams' wallet before fleeing the store. He was arrested on Jan. 3, 1989 and later gave police a voluntary statement. 

Race of victim: White male

Greetings Governor Perry,
I am writing to you to express my concerns regarding the execution of Gayland Bradford, scheduled for October 14th in Texas. There is no doubt that this man committed a murder, but I do not believe that the death penalty will solve or accomplish anything positive. The death penalty has been proven in many research studies to fail at reducing and deterring violent crime. Fighting death with death is ineffective and demonstrates the wrong message to citizens. It condones violence and death and revenge, which is unacceptable. The death penalty is inhumane, cruel, vengeful, discriminatory, and uncivilized. Executing this man will only create more innocent victims- his family members. In addition, executions do not promote healing or restore peace to victims' families. The death penalty is also racially biased, as black individuals who have white victims, such as Bradford, are much more likely to receive the death penalty. That is unjust. I urge you to please commute Bradford's death sentence to life imprisonment. Bradford also has a grade 8 education level, which is low. This man could benefit from further education and the death penalty completely denies the possibility or opportunity for rehabilitation and self-improvement. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. 



No comments:

Post a Comment