In 1991 life was really looking beautiful for me. I had a nice apartment, a nice car, money in the bank, and I was in love and engaged to be married to a young lady that I really loved very much and, on top of that, she was pregnant with her and my first child. I was very elated to say the least, I was in my prime of my life had just made 36 years old that February. Tracy my fiancée would soon be 22 years old that June the 5^th, she was also interring her third month of pregnancy too.

May the 17^th 1991 about 11 p.m. I was going to the store to get some dish washing soap and some cigarettes. It was rainy that night that my entire life went into total chaos. I was arrested and told that I was being arrested for murder. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening to me. I felt sick. But yet I was thinking this got to be a joke. I was taken down town and questioned by three different homicide detectives. I kept telling them that they had the wrong person. "I hadn’t killed anyone", I told them over and over again. They stripped me naked and locked me up and I was charged with murder, I couldn’t make bond cause they had a no bond on me. I make several attempts to get in touch with Tracy but I couldn’t reach her and I was very confused over that.

Eventually I got an attorney, and he went out in my apartment to see Tracy. She wasn’t there, but he found a letter that Tracy had written me. The letter told of three white police officers threatening her that if she stayed involved with me that they would make up enough false charges to put her in prison for at least 50 years. Those threats was because Tracy was white and I am black, she told of this in her letter to me. I have not seen Tracy since the night of my arrest, nor have I heard from her in any way, nor form either. I have no idea as to what happened to her and our child, I only hope that she and the baby is healthy and fine.

I stayed in jail for a year awaiting trial, and I just knew in my heart that when I did go to trial that the Jury would see that I was innocent. I set through this trial and heard lies after lies told on me. And there wasn’t anything that I could do at all. After the trial was over, I still felt in my heart that the Jury would realize that I was innocent. But the verdict was read and I felt like my life ended right than and there. "We the Jury find the defendant guilty of capital murder".

I thought of suicide and I had been wrestling with that throughout my incarceration, and I still wrestle with that today. But I still cling to that little piece of hope that I will get a new trial and I will be found innocent. But not having the financial support and morale support, I know I am only lying to myself. But despite the pain and suffering that I am going through I still desire to live, I still desire to be free.

The day that I was brought to death row, I felt that this was the end of the world, this place is very dark and scary looking too…. I thought that I was going to be around men that didn’t smile nor laugh and feel nor care. But I was surprised as to the men that I met here, many have been helpful to me. Most of them are every day kind of people, the kind of people like your next door neighbor. I learn that most of the men here admit that they killed someone during a crime. Some by accident and out of fear, some intentionally, but most of them really regret what they did killed someone and would do anything to reverse what they did. There are of course some here who are just damn right evil and hateful. And some have given up hope altogether, and that’s just as bad. I have realized that a man without hope is dangerous to himself and everyone around him too. I fear of losing all hope, that frighten me more that those people killing me here.

I fear of being killed here and, in my heart, I know without money and the support of people I am only waiting for the people here to kill me at will and there isn’t anything that I can do about that as things stand for me anyway. And there is nothing that I can do, nothing at all that I can do. Since I have been here there have been over 35 executions that have been carried out, and each one of them effects me emotional and mentally too. There have been 7 men this year (1996) killed by the state that I know on a very intimate level, one man was very close to me and it really hurt to see him being taken into the death house and there wasn’t anything that I could do to help him, and then I think of myself and my helplessness and I wonder how will I respond when they decide to kill me. I got in the mail, just two weeks ago, a "Prisoner Insurance Corporation Of America". It brought tears to my eyes, they are selling burial plans. I don’t want to die here and I definitely don’t want to be buried here either. But this Insurance Company knows that I am a dead man especially here in Texas Death Row. What they didn’t realize that I am to broke to pay them $ 10 a month for this. I don’t want to die here but I know I will cause I don’t have the help and support that I need. I don’t have family, I never have, but that’s another story. Thanks for taking the time out to read this ….

This letter is a plea for help, my name is Eugene Broxton, and I am on death row in Texas. I have been accused, convicted and sentenced for an offence I did not commit. My life is not without blemishes, however I am innocent of Capital Murder or murder of any kind.

I was nowhere near the scene of this crime, nor did I have anything to do with the offence that occurred. The three witnesses at the scene on the crime said they saw two white males, there’s no way I could be mistaken for a white. But for some reason the District Attorney chose to prosecute me for this awful crime. Being without money, I had to accept an attorney that was appointed to me by the same District Attorney’s office1! How could I stand a chance?

I always though truth would eventually prevail, the theory that you are innocent until proven guilty, well that is what we were taught to believe here in America, the greatest democracy on earth. The truth is however, that if you don’t have money to obtain the best lawyer then your chances are slim to none. The appeal procedure is a meaningless facade when your appointed lawyer does not even notify you or reply to your letters.

Life in death row is tough. There are over 400 men, without hope, waiting to die. The thought of being killed terrorizes me, but I know this awaits me. My feelings are so bottled up I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want to die like this for something I didn’t done. I want to live, have a family, take a simple walk in the fresh air, things like that.

Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow who would not leave the judge alone until justice was done: I’m asking you to be that widow for me. I have no family to turn to. I only have my faith and hopes. Faith is what gets me trough each day here. My hope is that the truth will win in the end.

November 1996