SAVE Rob Will in Texas
Who is Rob Will?
Robert Gene Will was born in Harris County, Texas in June 1978. Raised in a turbulent household, with a father who was a heroin addict and an unstable mother, he was physically and sexually abused from a very young age. When Rob was ten years of age, his father was murdered. Rob started to get into trouble with the law at around age 17 and was sent to boot camp for 18 months. This structured environment allowed Rob to excel and earn his GED with a high grade point average. After this, he enrolled in Child Psychology courses at Houston Community College because he wanted to help children who, like himself, were having a hard and painful life.
On death row, he has transcended his personal suffering through art, poetry and meditation (he has become a certified yoga instructor). In January 2012, a gallery in Hamburg, Germany, held Rob’s first ever art exhibition to great success. Find out more on www.freerobwill.org
Robert Gene Will was born in Harris County, Texas in June 1978. Raised in a turbulent household, with a father who was a heroin addict and an unstable mother, he was physically and sexually abused from a very young age. When Rob was ten years of age, his father was murdered. Rob started to get into trouble with the law at around age 17 and was sent to boot camp for 18 months. This structured environment allowed Rob to excel and earn his GED with a high grade point average. After this, he enrolled in Child Psychology courses at Houston Community College because he wanted to help children who, like himself, were having a hard and painful life.
On death row, he has transcended his personal suffering through art, poetry and meditation (he has become a certified yoga instructor). In January 2012, a gallery in Hamburg, Germany, held Rob’s first ever art exhibition to great success. Find out more on www.freerobwill.org
Case summary
At approximately 6: 16 a.m. on December 4, 2000, the Harris County Sheriff's Office received a report that several men were breaking into a vehicle at an apartment complex.Two deputies responded to the call and found Rob Will and his codefendant in a parking lot. As the deputies approached, the suspects fled and ran into a wooded field nearby. The deputies gave chase. Deputy Hill was murdered with a handgun. Mr. Will was shot with the same gun. No eyewitness other than Rob Will and his codefendant saw the shooting. No DNA or other forensic evidence identified Mr. Will as the shooter. To the contrary, radio dispatches captured the Deputy Hill reporting shortly before the shooting that he had Mr. Will "in custody." Dispatches also recorded his partner [Deputy 2] reporting that he had "lost" the codefendant somewhere in the field before any bullets were fired. After the shooting, the Harris County K-9 Unit traced the codefendant’s path through the field directly to the location where Deputy Hill was murdered. The codefendant later repeatedly bragged about the murder, stating to a fellow inmate that he "had no choice but to shoot the cop" and was not going to get caught because his dad was a Houston police officer.
According to his lawyers, there is forensic and physical evidence showing that the codefendant could have shot Deputy Hill, freed Rob Will and then escaped.
In January of 2012, Rob was appointed new counsel yet again as he faced the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. In May of 2012, the 5th Circuit Court remanded his case back to the U.S. District Court. This is a positive step on Rob’s long journey to prove his innocence. (see more on www.freerobwill.org)
Why his supporters believe in his innocence
Among different arguments, Rob supporters feel that Rob Will has not have a fair trial because two members of the jury had close ties to the Houston Police Department, creating juror bias from the onset. The presence in the court room of the Police Officers Union wearing ribbons of support for their fallen comrade may have also influenced the jurors as well.
They also feel that the fact the trial was held shortly after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, also prejudiced directly Rob's case as the prosecutor compared at trial Rob Will to a terrorist, stating: “What we know from September 11 is that evil exists in the world: it is embodied in Robert Gene Will.”
A number of professionals have expressed their deep concern for the way Rob Will's appeal was filed - His Court-appointed appelate lawyer filed identical appeals (down to a capitalization error on page 17) for both Rob Will and Maturino Resendiz, "The Railroad Serial Killer", who was executed in 2006.
Rob Will's supporters were hoping that he would get a new trial, further to an evidentiary hearing in 2011; this was based largely on the many witnesses that have come forward since Rob’s trial, claiming that Rob’s codefendant had confessed repeatedly to killing Deputy Hill. Unfortunately this hearing was unsuccessful due to the limitations placed on the court.
What respected professionals say
Judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, (Jan 17th, 2012, Memorandum and Order)
“The questions raised during post-judgment factual development about Will’s actual innocence create disturbing uncertainties …,” Ellison wrote in a Jan. 17 memorandum. “On top of the considerable evidence supporting Will’s innocence and the important errors in the trial court, there must also be addressed the total absence of eyewitness testimony or strongly probative forensic evidence. With facts such as these, and only circumstantial evidence supporting Will’s conviction and death sentence, the court laments the strict limitations placed upon it.”
Ellison called one of the original trial judge’s rulings an “error of grave proportion” and said that the presence of rows of uniformed law enforcement officers in the courtroom “would have likely justified post-trial relief had the issue risen on direct appeal.”
Steven Bright, the President and Senior Counsel of The Southern Center For Human Rights, referred to Rob’s appellate lawyer as:
“Completely incompetent. This poor quality of lawyering is so common in these courts that they just deny the appeals based on briefs that would not receive a passing grade at a first year legal writing course” (Stated before the U.S House of Representatives)
Judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, (Jan 17th, 2012, Memorandum and Order)
“The questions raised during post-judgment factual development about Will’s actual innocence create disturbing uncertainties …,” Ellison wrote in a Jan. 17 memorandum. “On top of the considerable evidence supporting Will’s innocence and the important errors in the trial court, there must also be addressed the total absence of eyewitness testimony or strongly probative forensic evidence. With facts such as these, and only circumstantial evidence supporting Will’s conviction and death sentence, the court laments the strict limitations placed upon it.”
Ellison called one of the original trial judge’s rulings an “error of grave proportion” and said that the presence of rows of uniformed law enforcement officers in the courtroom “would have likely justified post-trial relief had the issue risen on direct appeal.”
Steven Bright, the President and Senior Counsel of The Southern Center For Human Rights, referred to Rob’s appellate lawyer as:
“Completely incompetent. This poor quality of lawyering is so common in these courts that they just deny the appeals based on briefs that would not receive a passing grade at a first year legal writing course” (Stated before the U.S House of Representatives)
What supporters say
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Last night's super moon was amazing (...) That moon would have shone through Polunsky in all her glory, with all her power... And it would have touched Rob. What a beautiful thing.
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Kelly Booker, Texan citizen
I want to be clear that I sympathize immensely with the family of the fallen officer, I just think that, we know Robert is not the man who killed Deputy Hill, he is not the man who took away their father, their brother and their son. But we do know who did do this, and by going after Robert, justice is not served. All it has done is, in addition to the pain the Hill family has gone through, it also means that there is another family who has gone through something terrible. Robert’s family has been through a lot, and he had a girlfriend and two young sons, and their lives have been torn apart by this event as well. And what we are trying to say is that while we have immense sympathy for the Hills, if one thing can be put right in this whole terrible situation, it’s that the state can look into Robert’s case and make sure that it does the right thing. And that will be the justice that can be served in this case. Read more
Jennifer, US citizen
Robert is funny and vibrant, intelligent and compassionate. He has an almost painful sense of empathy and is a true friend and has even become something of a life coach for me. I have visited numerous times and have come to think of Rob as family. It is clear to me that Rob is an innocent man. I know that one day he will walk out of there a free man and when he does I'll be there cheering and crying with relief. |
Tish, UK I have been a supporter of Robert's for a little over 3 years. Although originally I was drawn to his exceptional talent as a writer, his obvious intelligence and compassionate nature inspired me to investigate further. After several months of researching his case I became positive he was innocent. I would urge anyone interested to look into his case and his blog and help if they can. |
Vi, Belgium Rob Will is living on Death Row. Rob Will is innocent and he fights every day. Rob Will is the most courageous man I have ever met in my life. Rob Will creates, writes and surrounds us with his bravery from deep inside Death Row. Rob Will is a light. It is extremely urgent that we FREE him NOW! |
A testimony from Susan, Germany
When I first wrote Rob four years ago, I didn't think much about his innocence claim but was sensitive to his writings. As I was waiting for his first letter I read more and more about the crime and got in contact with one of his supporters. And when he sent me his first response I already knew I needed to do something and so I got involved. I read the papers of his trial which are a lot of files (...) what I know is that almost nothing points to his guilt in this cruel act beside the fact that he was there - there are a lot of question marks which need to be answered. In addition, he had the bad luck of not having the same good connections to the police as his co-defendant had and this is why, I believe, Rob got a death sentence whilst his co-defendant got away with it. I don`t even need to be 100% sure because as long as there is the smallest uncertainty that he couldn't be the murderer makes it wrong to punish him,
especially with death.
Whether one believes in the death penalty or not, I think that it should be in anyone's interest, and certainly in the interest of justice, that no one should be put to death as long it isn`t 100% sure the person did it. To me, it seems that as long as there is only one question mark, then it should be answered before Justice can be served. The death penalty is the worst punishment of all because we can't take it back when the truth comes out.
I wish people will come to the same conclusion and do what has to be done: Fighting for justice!
We in Germany have a bad history and killed millions of innocent people. Even it was at a time when I wasn't alive I think I learned from it too.
I said many times I personally like Rob, his interest in literature, art, philosophy or fighting for others. I have a deep respect for him, for the fact that he stills laughs and that till today he never gave up fighting for his life and I`m pretty sure he never will stop!
That makes him to me one of the bravest people I know in my life.
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Support shop for Rob Will
Artists from around the world historically kindly donated their artwork for auction to help raise desperately needed legal funds for him - through art, they have been showing their solidarity to Rob - There is also a support shop for Rob Will that have been organised by his friends here |
Stefan Saffer, songwritter, said in July 13, 2012 at his concert in at Substanz Leipzig, Germany
“I´m a Songwriter. My business is writing songs and when there is something what moves me or what bothers me the result is often a song. And when S. told me the story of Rob it was sure something is growing up in me. And at the end it was a song which we are playing today live for the first time. I hope, everything is going well and I hope, you will listening a bit. It´s Rob story and all of us want that he comes free and get out of the dungeon where he is as soon as possible. It´s time to change when justice walks on death row.” Stefan Saffer, July 13, 2012 |
Find out more
. More information on his personal website www.freerobwill.org
. Austin American Statesman article about Rob's defence in which Journalist, Chuck Lindell wrote:
“Critics call Ribnik’s effort, or lack of it, another blot on Texas’ capital punishment system which relies on court-appointed defense lawyers of varying experience, skill and motivation”
California attorney Richard Ellis (within above article):
…he was more concerned with an apparent lack of substance in Will’s state habeas writ. “It seems a little thin. I average 450-500 pages on habeas writs, not including exhibits which can be another 1000 pages.”
. Houston Chronicle – Death row inmate’s effort to spare life gains momentum
. New York Times: Appeal of Death Row Case Is More Than a Matter of Guilt or Innocence
. Austin American Statesmen -Death Row Inmates Share Identical Appeals
. Video Interview by Voice of America of Rob Will below about the value of some people on death row
How you can help Rob
Rob is looking exposure for his case. Please join the artists community that supports Rob Will - Organise a concert or an art event in support to Rob Will and help raise funds for his defence. Find out more with the Free Rob Will support group
Rob is looking exposure for his case. Please join the artists community that supports Rob Will - Organise a concert or an art event in support to Rob Will and help raise funds for his defence. Find out more with the Free Rob Will support group
To contact Rob Will
Robert G. Will, #999402
Polunsky Unit, Death Row
3872 F. M.350 South
Livingston
TX 77351
Robert G. Will, #999402
Polunsky Unit, Death Row
3872 F. M.350 South
Livingston
TX 77351
