credits, an inmate could serve less than six percent of his sentence. A prisoner who behaved himself could conceivably get credit for serving a full year in just twenty-two days. It was not uncommon to see petitioners with twenty-year sentences being released after serving only fourteen months. 29
Addie McDuff added to efforts to secure Kenneth's release by contacting the office of an attorney named Bill Habern, who at the time employed a parole consultant named Helen Copitka. Copitka was a former member of the parole board and had voted on McDuff's parole requests on at least four occasions during the late 1970s and early 1980s. On at least one of those occasions, she voted for his release. In 1992, when McDuff's successful efforts to secure parole came under an intense review, Habern released a statement: "We did an initial evaluation. And we gave them [McDuff's family] the report and that was the termination of the relationship." But during an exhaustive series of investigative reports by television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, a gifted journalist named Robert Riggs reported that Helen Copitka had gone beyond providing a report to the McDuff family. She contacted and made attempts to influence the board. Citing phone messages in McDuff's confidential file, Riggs reported that Copitka talked to at least two parole board members. A phone log written by Cora Mosely, who voted on McDuff's release later the same year, stated: "Ms. Copitka pointed out some of the improprieties which occurred during the trial concerning the trial officials. She also referred to the continued instability of the inmate's co-defendant [Roy Dale Green] who was the prosecution's key witness." 30
Page 65
On September 1, 1989, Kenneth McDuff made a fifteenth request for parole. The three-member panel reviewing the case consisted of Cora Mosely, Dr. James Granberry, and Chris Mealy. It is not likely that Copitka's call to Mosely had an influence on her vote; incredibly, Mosely later admitted that she probably did not look at McDuff's file before voting. At the time, Granberry served as the chairman of the parole board. Governor Bill Clements had appointed him to the influential position, for which he had no apparent formal training. Granberry was an orthodontist who had also served as mayor of Lubbock and was very active in political campaigns. When reporter Robert Riggs of WFAA-TV News in Dallas interviewed him, Granberry asserted that he had looked very carefully at McDuff's file and noticed the name of an old high school buddyMcDuff's lawyer, Gary Jackson. 31
James Granberry and Gary Jackson grew up together in the little town of Lindale, near Tyler, Texas. By his own admission, Granberry called Jackson to inquire about the McDuff case. According to Granberry, Jackson spoke to him for about two hours about McDuff, asserting McDuff's innocence. Within a day or so, Granberry wrote an internal memo which read, in part, "I wish to abstain from voting due to a long-standing friendship with the attorney representing Mr. McDuff's parole procedure." Another board member named Henry Keene took Granberry's place on the panel. 32
Officially, on September 1, 1989, Cora Mosely and Chris Mealy voted to approve the parole; Henry Keene voted to deny. The approval had been complicated, however, by protests from the Tarrant County District Attorney, Tim Curry, and the Brazoria County District Attorney, Jim Mapel. This led to a re-examination of the McDuff application. 33
The new three-member panel consisted of Chris Mealy and Henry Keene, neither of whom changed his vote, and Dr. James Granberry, who only two weeks earlier had abstained from voting on the same request. Granberry cast the deciding vote. On September 14, 1989, slightly less than twenty-three years after being convicted of the Broomstick Murders, Kenneth Allen McDuff had been granted parole. On September 24, he was transferred to the Michael Unit for processing out of the prison system. By October 5,
Addie McDuff added to efforts to secure Kenneth's release by contacting the office of an attorney named Bill Habern, who at the time employed a parole consultant named Helen Copitka. Copitka was a former member of the parole board and had voted on McDuff's parole requests on at least four occasions during the late 1970s and early 1980s. On at least one of those occasions, she voted for his release. In 1992, when McDuff's successful efforts to secure parole came under an intense review, Habern released a statement: "We did an initial evaluation. And we gave them [McDuff's family] the report and that was the termination of the relationship." But during an exhaustive series of investigative reports by television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, a gifted journalist named Robert Riggs reported that Helen Copitka had gone beyond providing a report to the McDuff family. She contacted and made attempts to influence the board. Citing phone messages in McDuff's confidential file, Riggs reported that Copitka talked to at least two parole board members. A phone log written by Cora Mosely, who voted on McDuff's release later the same year, stated: "Ms. Copitka pointed out some of the improprieties which occurred during the trial concerning the trial officials. She also referred to the continued instability of the inmate's co-defendant [Roy Dale Green] who was the prosecution's key witness." 30
Page 65
On September 1, 1989, Kenneth McDuff made a fifteenth request for parole. The three-member panel reviewing the case consisted of Cora Mosely, Dr. James Granberry, and Chris Mealy. It is not likely that Copitka's call to Mosely had an influence on her vote; incredibly, Mosely later admitted that she probably did not look at McDuff's file before voting. At the time, Granberry served as the chairman of the parole board. Governor Bill Clements had appointed him to the influential position, for which he had no apparent formal training. Granberry was an orthodontist who had also served as mayor of Lubbock and was very active in political campaigns. When reporter Robert Riggs of WFAA-TV News in Dallas interviewed him, Granberry asserted that he had looked very carefully at McDuff's file and noticed the name of an old high school buddyMcDuff's lawyer, Gary Jackson. 31
James Granberry and Gary Jackson grew up together in the little town of Lindale, near Tyler, Texas. By his own admission, Granberry called Jackson to inquire about the McDuff case. According to Granberry, Jackson spoke to him for about two hours about McDuff, asserting McDuff's innocence. Within a day or so, Granberry wrote an internal memo which read, in part, "I wish to abstain from voting due to a long-standing friendship with the attorney representing Mr. McDuff's parole procedure." Another board member named Henry Keene took Granberry's place on the panel. 32
Officially, on September 1, 1989, Cora Mosely and Chris Mealy voted to approve the parole; Henry Keene voted to deny. The approval had been complicated, however, by protests from the Tarrant County District Attorney, Tim Curry, and the Brazoria County District Attorney, Jim Mapel. This led to a re-examination of the McDuff application. 33
The new three-member panel consisted of Chris Mealy and Henry Keene, neither of whom changed his vote, and Dr. James Granberry, who only two weeks earlier had abstained from voting on the same request. Granberry cast the deciding vote. On September 14, 1989, slightly less than twenty-three years after being convicted of the Broomstick Murders, Kenneth Allen McDuff had been granted parole. On September 24, he was transferred to the Michael Unit for processing out of the prison system. By October 5,
Similar Books
