DIAGNOSTICS
MORRIS ODELL MASON
On
February 10, 1972, Morris Mason was diagnosed with mild mental
retardation by Dr Javier Fernandez and Mr Buckley, psychologists
at the Eastern State Hospital in Virginia. He was 17 years of age
when admitted to the hospital. See Hospital admission report
dated 2/9/72. WAIS scores indicates that the VIQ was 7O, and the
FSIQ was 66.
JAMES TERRY ROACH
Terry
Roach also had Huntington's Disease, causing the brain to
continually deteriorate. He was 17 years old when executed.
JEROME BOWDEN
At the
age of 14, Jerome Bowden had an IQ of 59. The full extent of his
mental retardation was not discovered until after his execution.
His last IQ was estimated at 65. His conviction was based solely
upon a signed statement he could not even read. He signed the
statement because a police officer told him he would help him.
HORACE
DUNKINS
Horace
Dunkins' attorney never told the jury he was mentally retarded,
with an IQ estimated at 65. When newspapers reported this several
years later, one juror told the press she would not have voted
for the death penalty had she known of his retardation. The
accomplice to this crime was given a life sentence.
ROBERT ALTON HARRIS
There
is considerable debate about the mental status of Robert Alton
Harris. While significant evidence existed supporting fetal
alcohol effect, there is doubt that he actually had mental
retardation. The first author evaluated him in San Quentin in
1989. While deficits in adaptive skills areas were clearly noted,
intellectual skills were estimated to be below average, and could
not be diagnosed as mentally retarded.
BILLY
WAYNE WHITE
The
attorney for Billy White failed to investigate and present any
evidence of his life-long mental retardation. His MR was first
diagnosed by the Houston Public School system in 1966, when, at
age 8, Billy's IQ was estimated at 69.
RICKY
LEE GRUBBS
The
attorney for Ricky Lee Grubbs never requested his school records
or contacted any of his teachers. School records revealed IQ
scores in the "bordeline" range of intellectual
functionning and failing grades during his first 8 years of
school.
ROBERT
WAYNE SAWYER
At
trial, Robert Sawyer's attorney never raised the issue oh his
mental capacity. Had the jury been informed of his fetal alcohol
status, they would not have voted for his execution. His
accomplice (a young brother) received a life sentence after
turning State's evidence.
MARIO
MARQUEZ
Mario
Marquez had an IQ estimated at 65, with adaptive skills of a 7
year-old boy. His trial counsel testified at a clemency hearing
that they did not present any evidence of Mario's mental
retardation because of a legal flaw in the Texas death penalty
statute. This flaw was recognized by the Supreme Court in Penry
V Lynaugh
(1989)
BARRY
LEE FAIRCHILD
It was
only after Barry Fairchild was sentenced to die that mental
retardation became a factor in his case. Two pysychologists
evaluated him and both IQ estimates were in the low 60s. However,
the State's psychologist (who testified to having no experience
in mental retardation) maintained that he could have faked on 2
separate IQ tests and still had such a similar profile. Arkansas
effectively broke their statute when they executed Barry Lee
Fairchild.
LUIS
MATA
Mata was
born with water on his brain and suffered other brain damage from
a severe fall when he was young.
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