Tammy Anderson is the mother of Anthony Guy Fuentes, who was executed by the State of Texas on November 17, 2004. Mr. Fuentes, with three other men, robbed a convenience store in Houston on February 18, 1994. In the course of this robbery, someone fatally shot Robert Tate. In 1996, a Harris County jury convicted Mr. Fuentes of capital murder and sentenced him to death. Two co-defendants, Steven Vela and Kelvin Templeton, were convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to sixteen and fifteen years in prison respectively. Mr. Fuentes maintained his innocence through the day of his death. He asked his mother to prove his innocence, but Ms. Anderson lacks resources and does not know how to go about doing so. In this interview, Ms. Anderson talks about Anthony as a child and teenager, his turn to Christianity while in prison, and his ability to make friends even on Death Row. She also describes family relationships, gatherings in which the family and friends remember Anthony, her grief, and life since Anthony's execution.

Ireland Gene Beazley is the father of Napoleon Beazley, who was seventeen years when he fatally shot Mr. John Luttig in Tyler, Smith County. The death sentence and execution of Napoleon Beazley sparked international protest; within three years the U.S. Supreme Court banned the practice of executing people who were juveniles at the time of their crimes. In Video 1, Ireland Beazley describes family life up until the time Napoleon was arrested; the apparent determination of officials to execute Napoleon before he was even arraigned; the trial and legal proceedings; and the effects of the tragedy on the family. In Video 2, Ireland Beazley additionally describes how faith, prayer, and the support of Black churches, family, and community enabled him to get through these tragic events.

Jamaal Beazley is the brother of Napoleon Beazley, who was executed in 2002 for a capital murder committed at seventeen. Jamaal Beazley describes how the execution of Napoleon affected each member of the family. He also reasons that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to review Napoleon's case was unfair and contrary to common sense. Three justices voted to grant cert; three voted to deny cert; and three did not participate because of their relationship to the victim’s son, then a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In sports, a tied score may lead to an extra inning, overtime, or a victory for both teams. In his brother’s case, however, a tie resulted in Napoleon’s execution.

Captain Arthur (Art) Cárdenas is a member of the Command Staff of the Travis County Sheriff's Office. A founding member of the Travis County SWAT Team, then-Sergeant Cárdenas trained Keith G. Ruíz in "SWAT School." Deputy Ruíz died in the line of duty on February 15, 2001, while attempting to serve a warrant on a suspected narcotics dealer in Del Valle, Travis County. In this interview, Captain Cárdenas recalls the perseverance, dedication, skills, and humor of Deputy Ruíz, and describes the emotional intimacy and sense of family that develops among officers. Captain Cárdenas also recounts his own path, from seminarian to law enforcement officer, married father of three sons, boxing coach, and writer.

Ms. Tina Duroy is the sister of James Blake Colburn, who was executed March 26, 2003 for the murder of Peggy Murphy nine years prior. In the second part of her interview, Ms. Duroy describes the effects of the execution and the process leading up to it on her immediate family members. She continues to reflect on how the larger community responded to James' situation, as well as societal stigmas surrounding mental illness and the relationship between Schizophrenia and Down Syndrome. She then discusses the execution itself, including her experiences at the Hospitality House and the funeral home. She concludes with her feelings about what must be done so that less people have an experience like James with mental illness and the criminal justice system.

Andrew Forsythe is a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, Travis County, Texas. In Video 1 and part of Video 2, Mr. Forsythe discusses his representation at trial of James Carl Lee Davis, who was convicted in the 1984 murders of Evet, Tyron, and Tom Johnson and executed on September 9, 1997. James Carl Lee Davis' mental illness was a significant issue for Mr. Forsythe. In the second part of Video 2, Mr. Forsythe discusses his representation at trial of Kenneth McDuff for the 1991 murder of Colleen Reed. This McDuff trial took place in Seguin, Guadalupe County, on a change of venue from Travis County. The Guadalupe County convicted McDuff and sentenced him to death, but when the State of Texas actually executed McDuff, it was carrying out the orders of a Harris County jury for McDuff's 1992 abduction and murder of Melissa Ann Northrup in Waco, McLennan County. Mr. Forsythe worked with Mr. Christopher Gunter, whose interview is also available, in both trials.

Lee Greenwood is the mother of Joseph Nichols, who was executed on March 7th, 2007, for the murder of a store employee, Claude Shaffer on October 13th, 1980.She begins with their life together and his activities when he was growing up, and her surprise upon hearing of his conviction. She then reflects on how she feels his trial was “grossly mishandled” and how he was found guilty under the “law of parties,” although the punishment phase ended as a mistrial. She speaks about her regrets, what she would have done had she known certain laws, and then goes on to describe what she witnessed throughout his trials, and how she felt they were unfair. She then talks about Joseph’s attitudes in jail, how he continued to be kind and giving while on Death Row, and what she learned from the letters he sent, including Joseph’s relationship with Kenneth Foster and pen pals in Europe. Greenwood shifts to the night of the incident and describes her interaction with her son that night. Continuing with the trial, we hear about Nichols’ family’s reactions to the court proceedings, a detailed account of those proceedings, and the mistakes she felt were made. She concludes with a description of his execution day.

Mr. Christopher M. Gunter has practiced criminal law in Travis County since 1980. As an Assistant District Attorney, he prosecuted Leroy Barrow and obtained a death sentence for the capital murder of Lynn Sternberg. Mr. Barrow’s case was reversed and retried by different prosecutors who obtained a conviction and life sentence. As a defense attorney, Gunter represented two defendants in capital murder trials: James Carl Lee Davis, who was seriously mentally ill, and the notorious Kenneth McDuff. Both defendants were convicted of capital murder and executed, although McDuff was actually executed for a different capital murder conviction. In addition to describing these trials, Mr. Gunter describes his religious beliefs and evolution of his own views about the death penalty.

James Lohman is an attorney who has represented clients sentenced to death in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas. In part one he explains how he got involved in capital defense work in Florida after his childhood in New York and talks about some of his specific cases, highlighting problems he sees in the entire death penalty system. In part two he describes in detail several more cases he has worked on in Florida and Texas, including Ted Bundy and Jesse Tafero.

Major Darren Long is part of the Command Staff of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. He was a friend and colleague of Deputy Keith George Ruíz. Deputy Ruíz died early on the morning of February 15, 2001, when, as part of a SWAT team, he attempted to serve a narcotics warrant and the person sought shot through the door of the house, hitting Deputy Ruíz. In this interview, Major Long describes his background, his friendship with Keith Ruíz, the night of the shooting, and the resulting criminal investigation, trial, and sentence. Major Long also shares his own reactions and that of his colleagues both to Deputy Ruíz’s death and to the decision of the District Attorney not to seek the death penalty for this capital crime. Major Long also explains the origin of SWAT teams and the process with which law enforcement agencies decide when to deploy SWAT teams. See also the interviews of Captain Arthur Cárdenas and Deputy Roger Wade.

Iliana López was a high school student in 1996, when she and some friends went to a usual hangout, the North Star Mall in San Antonio. There they met a young man and began talking with him. One of Ms. Lopez's friends, Brandon Shanks, went home with that man and was murdered. In this interview, Ms. López remembers the events leading up to the tragedy, finding out about Brandon's murder, her anger about the defense team's questioning of Brandon's sexual orientation, and the effects of Brandon's murder among his peers.

Ruth Marín-Eason of Spring, Texas is the mother of Raul Marín, who was murdered on August 5th, 1998 in San Antonio. In the first part of the interview, she talks about her family and memories of her Raul, his time in Air Force and playing tennis, and the period right before his murder. She continues by explaining her continuing distrust of Dianna Boatman, Raul’s wife at the time, and her experiences attending trials of Boatman and Arnolfo Díaz-Ayala in San Antonio for the murder of Raul. She expresses her frustration with the court system’s preference for spouses over parents and her fight with Boatman over custody for Raul’s children. She describes her pain over the murder, her belief in Boatman’s responsibility, and the reasons for her support for the death penalty. She also explains her belief that the court system does not adequately address victims’ needs.

Carolyn Mosley Samuel is the mother of Ortralla LuWone Mosley, who was fifteen years old on March 28, 2003, when she was stabbed to death at Reagan High School (Austin) by her sixteen-year old ex-boyfriend. In Video 1, Ms. Mosley describes the history of abuse in her family, her struggle to interrupt those patterns as a parent, and the circumstances leading up to the death of her daughter. In Video 2, Mosley discusses the aftermath to the murder in the high school, in the courts, and in her decisions to start a foundation to prevent teen dating violence and to become a correctional officer. In Video 3, Mosley describes reconciling with her mother before her mother’s death.

Mr. Renaud is an activist, poet, and the author of Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates," based on his time spent in prison. In part one of his interview he discusses the life experiences that led him to prison, his time in prison, and the unique culture that develops within prisons. He also explains how he gained experience writing in prison and getting an education while incarcerated. In part two, he continues his story, highlighting particularly the effects of Ruiz v. Estelle, a landmark Supreme Court case on prison conditions, in 1980. In part three, he reads some of his poetry and discusses his writing career.

Mr. Roger Wade is Public Information Officer (P.I.O.), for the Travis County Sheriff's Office. He was a friend of Deputy Sheriff Keith George Ruíz, an officer who died in the line of duty on February 15, 2001, while part of a SWAT team attempting to serve a narcotics warrant at a residence in Del Valle. In this interview, Roger Wade explains how he came to work for the Sheriff's Office, his work as P.I.O., and in particular his actions and feelings as on the night of Deputy Ruíz’s death. In this interview, Mr. Wade also thinks out loud about his reaction -- at the time of trial and years later -- to the Travis County District Attorney's decision not to seek the death sentence in the shooting of Keith Ruíz, even though murder of a law enforcement official is a capital crime in Texas. Mr. Wade also describes Deputy Ruíz's personal qualities, the danger of law enforcement work, and the effects of Deputy Ruíz's death on his coworkers in the Sheriff’s Department.

David Atwood is an anti-death penalty activist. In Video 1, Mr. Atwood describes his involvement with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and his relationships with since-executed Death Row inmates including Richard Jones, Ronald Allridge, James Allridge, Antony Fuentes, Dominique Green or their families, as well as the family of murder victim Andrew Lastrapes. In Videos 2 and 3, Mr. Atwood describes an execution and outlines numerous problems with capital punishment. In Video 3, Mr. Atwood ascribes the relative silence of the contemporary Catholic Church about the death penalty to generational change: a generation of men who focus narrowly on abortion have replaced Vatican II-era clergy who cared about social justice in broad terms.

In Video 1, Larry Daves describes how he and small group of recent University of Texas Law School students first went to Nacogdoches in the early 1970s to assist voter registration efforts in Black communities; the virulent anti-Black racism and poor material conditions the students observed in East Texas; how they started a legal services office; effects of single-member districting; and his first criminal trial. He also describes his current work with the Piñon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition as it resists U.S. Army plans to turn much of Southeastern Colorado into a training area for a ground war against China. In Video 2 and the first part of Video 3 he recounts the capital murder trial of Herman and Thurman Davis. In Video 3, Mr. Daves describes his successful representation of undocumented immigrant children barred by Texas statute from attending public school, a case that he filed in federal court under Judge William Wayne Justice, and that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court as Plyler v. Doe. Video 3 also describes Daves' unsuccessful representation of Mexican American women workers who lost their jobs and organized as Fuerza Unida when Levi's closed its San Antonio plant. Video 4 concerns Daves' upbringing in New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, including high school in Amarillo, his family's early encounters with law enforcement and juvenile incarceration, and finding his way to Washington University and then U.T. Law School.

Vic Feazell was the District Attorney for McLennan County for two terms. In Video 1, Mr. Feazell speaks about his capital murder prosecutions of David Wayne Spence and Muneer Deeb, Clifton Belyeu, and Ed Graf. He also describes challenging the bogus confessions of self-proclaimed serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and the retaliation he endured as a result of his investigation. In Video 2, Mr. Feazell discusses Texans' attachment to capital punishment, describes his own Baptist upbringing, and explains his thought process as a prosecutor and defense attorney in voir dire (or jury selection). Vic Feazell closes his interview by recommending that people forgive those who have caused them pain.

Steve Hall is the director of StandDown Texas Project, which advocates “a moratorium on executions and a state-sponsored review of Texas’ application of the death penalty.” In Video 1, Mr. Hall describes the renewal of capital punishment in Texas, which he facilitated and witnessed in his capacity as Chief of Staff for Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox from 1983 to 1991. Texas executed thirty-six people during this period. Hall also draws on his experience, between 1993 and 1996, working for the Texas Resource Center, which represented Death Row inmates directly and also recruited pro bono lawyers, In Video 2, Hall continues to discuss major issues in death penalty jurisprudence and politics. In Video 3, Hall identifies signs that the death penalty may be disappearing.

Dennis Longmire is a professor of sociology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas who conduct a silent, personal prayer vigil outside of "The Walls" Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (T.D.C.J.) during most executions. In the first part of his interview, he talks about his background and how he came to live in Huntsville. He continues to explain how he became interested in the Death Penalty as a topic of both research and activism, as well as his first vigil. He continues with a rich and detailed account of the execution of Eric Nenno, who he came to know as he served as an expert witness in Nenno's trial. He then meditates on the wider communal effects of the death penalty and how it affects the family of the executed and the family of the murdered, including revenge, forgiveness, anger, and mediation. He also talks at length about T.D.C.J. procedures on the day of an execution.

Alan Pogue is a photographer who has documented movements for social justice and the problems those movements seek to eliminate for four decades. In Video 1, Mr. Pogue explains his entry into the Texas prison reform movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s via civil rights, anti-war, and student organizing. A member of the Austin Prison Coalition, he also soon met Pauline and Charlie Sullivan, founders of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE), who began the organization by chartering a bus to take people from San Antonio with no other means of transportation to Huntsville so they could visit incarcerated family members. Pogue's commitment to prison reform paralleled his growth as a documentary photographer; in Video 1 he describes photographing prisons in connection with Ruíz v. Estelle, the longest-running prison lawsuit in U.S. history. Videos 1 and 2 concern specific people on Death Row; in Video 3 Pogue also discusses the philosophy of incarceration and capital punishment as a form of human sacrifice. Video 3 addresses conditions on Death Row, access to prisons, prison reform and anti-death penalty movements, and the theological doctrine of predestination in relation to criminal justice policy. Video 4 is about Viet Nam and Pogue's personal intellectual growth; Video 5 is a about documentary photographer Russell Lee and the purpose, politics, and aesthetics of photography. In Videos 6 and 7 Pogue shares what he saw in numerous Latin American countries when he traveled on behalf of CURE, which produced a 2006 evaluation of prisons in member nations of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Gloria Rubac, writer and teacher, has been a committed prison activist since approximately 1971, when she participated in a protest in Huntsville against the prison rodeo. (The prison rodeo, held annually between 1931 and 1986, provided entertainment for crowds and raised funds for the Texas Department of Corrections.) Rubac, with other members of the Prisoners Solidarity Committee, supported David Ruíz and other incarcerated people as they challenged Texas prison conditions in Ruíz v. Estelle, a class action and the longest-running prison lawsuit in U.S. history. Rubac's opposition to the death penalty grew out of her commitment to prisoners' rights; she began to actively work against capital punishment with the December 7, 1982 of Charlie Brooks. Over the last twenty-seven years, Rubac has befriended and advocated for numerous individual Death Row inmates as she has also worked for abolition of the practice entirely. In this interview, she remembers her close friend Carlos Santana, whose execution she witnessed on Mary 23, 1993, and whom she promised that she would continue working against the death penalty. Gloria Rubac also discusses Death Row inmates and friends Clarence Brandley and Ricardo Aldape Guerra (both of whom were ultimately released); Karla Faye Tucker (executed February 3, 1998); Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham, executed June 22, 2000); Frances Elaine Newton (executed September 14, 2005); Joseph Nichols (executed March 7, 2007); Michael Riley (May 19, 2009); and others. In this interview, Gloria Rubac makes clear that Texas movements to abolish the death penalty, while taking numerous forms and employing diverse strategies and rhetoric, have continued unabated for three decades.

Bob Van Steenburg is the Vice President of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP). In this interview, he explains that through the prison ministry that he and his wife, Jean Van Steenburg, have taken part in since the late 1970s led him to learn about the death penalty and that his views on inmates and the death penalty are rooted in his Catholic faith. He also talks about his involvement with TCADP from his arrival in Texas in 2002, the purposes of TCADP, current TCADP activities, and reasons to be against the death penalty.