Book Reviews
A Saint on Death Row
The life story of a young man who transformed himself – and others – during his 11 years in prison.
By Jane Lampman | April 7, 2009 edition
Dominique Green, a poor black man from Houston, could easily have ended up like others executed on Texas’s Death Row: buried beneath a headstone sporting nothing but an X and a date. Instead, his ashes are buried in the shadow of a beautiful basilica in Rome.
They are there because of his ingenuity – and the remarkable transformation he brought about in his own life and the lives of others during the 11 years he spent in the most restricted section of state prison.
In A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green, Thomas Cahill pays poignant tribute to a young life that ended at age 30 by lethal injection, but affected almost all who met him. After visiting Dominique in prison, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Green’s hero, called him “a remarkable advertisement for God.”
Cahill, author of the bestselling, seven-book “Hinges of History in the Western World” series – including “How the Irish Saved Civilization” and “The Gifts of the Jews” – came to know Green well and care about him deeply. They met through a retired judge from Chicago, Sheila Murphy, who was working to win the young Texan’s freedom.
Green died for his role in a robbery at a convenience store that resulted in a shooting and a man’s death. A white youth in the group of teens was not charged, and a jury without any black members convicted Green, although someone else’s fingerprints were on the gun. The victim’s family believed in his innocence and opposed the execution.
Cahill’s moving tale shines a sharp light on a negligent and flawed justice system, and on a state that uses the death penalty far beyond any other. Texas has executed at least 425 people since the penalty was reinstated in 1976, while the next highest state, Virgina, has executed 102.
Yet Green’s story is also a stand-in for thousands, perhaps millions, of other American youths who get into trouble because they were raised in poor and abusive environments, and whose potential is often snuffed out.
As a small child, he was raped by a priest at his school. His mother, also abused in her youth, became an alcoholic and drug user, and once punished him by holding his palm over a burning flame. The youngster fled home with his two smaller brothers in tow, and struggled from then on to feed, clothe, and house them. Forced to steal in order to do so, he ended up several times in juvenile detention, where he was raped again.
The preponderance of Green’s heartrending story, however, plays out on Death Row, where he fought to prove his innocence – and read and read. One of the books that changed this bright young man’s life, Archbishop Tutu’s “No Future Without Forgiveness,” lit a flame. He set about forgiving those in his life who had hurt him and seeking forgiveness from others. And he began nudging other men on Death Row to do the same.
Dominique organized football pools, lessons on the law, and encouraged the men to contribute their innermost thoughts to a manuscript, seeking among other goals to eliminate the racial prejudices that divided them. Excerpts from their poems and prose reverberate with self knowledge, intelligence, caring, and descriptive power.
As his appeals failed, Green reached out to Italy, where the death penalty is frowned on. Sending a letter to Italian newspapers seeking help and friendship, he won several pen pals and support from the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic religious movement active in peacebuilding around the world. Sant’Egidio involved Judge Murphy, who became like a mother as well as a lawyer to Green, while her son became his close friend.
But it was too late – the Texas system and appeals courts were indifferent. He was executed on October 26, 2004.
While Green’s innocence was never established, Cahill says the most important question is, “Did he receive a fair trial?” The narrative leaves little doubt that answer is “no.”
Given the stark power of this tragic tale, it’s unfortunate that Cahill begins his storytelling with a prologue that tends to undermine his purpose. His description of his first impressions of Green is so glowing that one is immediately on guard as to whether this writer was predisposed by some leanings of his own to find a saint in a prison cell. Once the history itself takes over, however, the young inmate’s special character comes to the fore.
Those engaged in the growing movement to end the death penalty in the United States will find inspiration and help for their efforts from this short but riveting book. Others will be moved and reminded that many behind bars have much to offer if given the chance.
What stands out most, though, is the incredible price society pays for indifference – indifference to the needs of children, to flagrantly unjust systems, and to youths, often victims of abuse themselves, who are locked up and forgotten.
Jane Lampman is the Monitor’s religion reporter.
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Comments
3. Ann | 04.07.09
Sad! Yet in the federal prison at Florence, Arizona, a Spanish-American male who was on death row found Christian Science through a chaplain. He gradually became able to help others through Christian Science prayer. We never heard what happened to his life, whether he was executed or his sentence was changed to life in prison. Hopefully, something good came of this man’s life.
4. clyde comer | 04.07.09
To forgive unto death, a true example. He forgave many - poor environment, flawed justice, preverted authority and maybe even himself.
6. Sandra Henderson | 04.07.09
Thanks for this enlightening article, for continuing the focus on the need in this country to move past indifference, vengeance, failure to recognize that reformation and healing are worth so much more, makes a far greater contribution to all of us than punishment, and failure to forgive. There are no winners when we carry around the grief and blame, as the family of the victim in this case apparently recognized.
8. dale trembley | 04.07.09
Ah, Texas! The land of eternal soul-searching and warped justice! How many innocents have you helped along to an early death?
9. KHAYES7356 | 04.07.09
TO ANN; There is not a Federal Prison in Florence AZ.
Medrano is in the State Prison in Florence on death Row, where he belongs.
10. KHAYES7356 | 04.07.09
Yes, Green was such an wonderful person, as long as you count cold-blooded murders as being good.
11. Harlan Leyside | 04.07.09
Texas, oil kings. Texas, who sent a failed wannabe oil baron to the White House, to further the oil-kings’ power and wealth by invading Afghanistan (oh yes), then Iraq. Texas, who so sent many of it’s young men - notably poor blacks - to die / suffer terrible injuries / trauma for rich old men to try to get richer still (did they hope to get enough to buy eternal life while youth lay bleeding?).
Texas, where in the 1980s, oil men suffered the most extreme torment imaginable - an oil price crash - and in their hour of greatest need, many turned to God and in Jesus claimed to be Born Again, their spirits saved in the face of abject poverty (down to their last few million dollars?). From their midst emerged their new saviour on earth, Bush the second (coming?), who’s destiny was to battle and defeat the oil anti-Christ - Saddam - restoring the Texas barons to riches amidst a truly marvellous oil price boom.
Oil was now cheap, Texans are doing deals to reap rich rewards from Iraq’s expected oil harvest when the oil price skyrockets one more.
12. ral domondon | 04.07.09
Mr. Green’s act of tranformation is awe inspiring.People should be emboldened to overcome the racial divide and cultural indifference in our lives to be able to see the intrinsic purpose God has for all of us in this world. How many more Mr. Greens who are victims of our failed justice would cruelly be snuffed out of this world to wake up the inherent good in us? No one will ever know for sure if Mr. Green really ended up a saint but perhaps he may be lesser innocent of the crime he was involved in but his act of transformation is a real eye opener for all God and life loving people.
Author Thomas Cahill should be congratulated for bringing out to this world’s attention another cry of innocence from the prison.
13. KHAYES7356 | 04.07.09
TO THE WEBMASTER: What does —–11. Harlan Leyside | 04.07.09 — have to do with anything in the article? Have you read your own rules?
“Finally, we will not publish any comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence.”
14. Jack Garvey | 04.08.09
In fable, people worshiped false God, leader selected Noah and told him to build a large ark. Noah was told to collect two of each animal. STOP!!!
Why two? Flood was coming that would kill all of civilization. Civilization’s
only way to continue was with the creatures on the ark. The two individuals of each creature would be a man and a woman and they would reproduce and hace children. Life’s ability to continue depended on the creatures in the ark.
This is why slaves had sex. Yes, my life stinks, but my children’s lives will be better. Many slaves were not educated, why did they create children?
Life must continue, and will continue.
15. Dudley Sharp | 04.08.09
Green and an accomplice approached Lastrapes and demanded his wallet. When Lastrapes refused, Green shot him in the chest. Green then ripped Lastrapes’ pants pocket off and took his wallet, which contained $50.
—————
Dominique Jerome Green, 30, was executed by lethal injection on 26 October 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of a man in a parking lot robbery.
On 14 October 1992, Green, 18, and 3 accomplices spotted Michael Lastrapes in the parking lot of a Houston-area convenience store. Green and an accomplice approached Lastrapes and demanded his wallet. When Lastrapes refused, Green shot him in the chest. Green then ripped Lastrapes’ pants pocket off and took his wallet, which contained $50.
Three days later, a Houston police officer spotted a stolen car traveling on a highway. The officer pursued the vehicle until it swerved off the road into a ditch. The driver, Dominique Green, attempted to flee on foot, but was found hiding in a nearby field. Two of the other robbery participants were also in the car, as was a Tech-9 semiautomatic rifle. A firearms expert later testified that the weapon found in the car was the same one used to murder Andrew Lastrapes.
While in jail awaiting trial, Green wrote a letter that included the phrase “I forever be a trigga happy *****,” a quotation from a rap recording about a violent armed robbery.
All three of Green’s accomplices testified against him at his trial. Green admitted being involved in the robbery, but denied being the trigger man. Under Texas law, a defendant can be found guilty of capital murder if he participated in the crime, regardless of whether he directly caused the victim’s death.
At age 18, Green had no prior prison record, but he had previous convictions for burglary, weapon possession, and marijuana possession.
At his punishment hearing, nine people testified to being robbed by Green and his co-defendants.
A jury convicted Green of capital murder in July 1993 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in September 1996. For the next eight years, all of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.
Michael Neal pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and received a 40-year prison sentence.
Paul Lyman pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and received a 10-year prison sentence.
Charges were filed against the fourth robbery participant, but the grand jury refused to indict him.
Green’s lawyers contended that this amounted to illegal racial discrimination, as the fourth person was white, while Green, Neal, and Lyman were all black.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this argument, noting that the participants were charged and sentenced according to their respective degrees of culpability in the crime.
From death row, Green said that he was a changed person. A prison spokeswoman said that Green had no major disciplinary record and was considered a well-behaved prisoner.
His clemency request was supported by Lastrapes’ mother and two brothers. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Green’s request for a commuted sentence by a 5-1 vote. Governor Rick Perry also declined to issue a reprieve.
In the days before his execution, lawyers working for Green filed a motion for a stay, based on problems at the Houston Police Department’s crime lab. Among several other evidence-related problems at the crime lab was the discovery in August of 280 boxes of evidence that had not been thoroughly examined and cataloged. Lawyers claimed that evidence pertaining to Green’s case could be in those boxes. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal stated that the newly-discovered evidence did not contain any evidence affecting Green’s case. A federal judge granted the defense’s request for a stay on Tuesday at midday, but the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that order later in the day. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Green’s case at 7:20 p.m.
In his last statement, Green offered thanks and encouragement to his friends and supporters. He also said, “I am not angry, but I am disappointed that I was denied justice.”
He was pronounced dead at 7:59 p.m.
edited, with permission, from
http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/331.asp
By David Carson. Posted on 26 October 2004.
Sources: Texas Attorney General’s office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, Houston Chronicle.
16. Dudley Sharp | 04.08.09
To say that the appellate court’s were indiffertnt to Green is, of course, untrue. In fact, they rejected all of Green’s claims, which is a far cry from indifferent.
Let’s look at the “indifferent” criminal justice system, in Green’s case:
— January 5, 1992 - A Harris County grand jury indicted Green for the capital murder of Andrew Lastrapes. — July 9, 1993 - A Harris County jury found Green guilty of capital murder. — July 14, 1993 - Following a punishment hearing, the court sentenced Green to death. — September 11, 1996 - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Green’s conviction and sentence on direct appeal. — November 13, 1996 - The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Green’s petition for rehearing. — April 28, 1997 - The U.S. Supreme Court denied Green’s petition for writ of certiorari. — August 29, 1997 - Green filed an application for writ of habeas corpus in the state trial court. — May 31, 2000 - The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Green’s application for writ of habeas corpus. — January 8, 2001- Green filed a federal petition for writ of habeas corpus in a Houston U.S. district court. — February 28, 2002 - The U.S. District Court dismissed Green’s federal habeas petition. — June 9, 2003 - Green requested permission to appeal from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. — October 21, 2003 The 5th Circuit Court denied Green’s request to appeal. — February 19, 2004 Green petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari. — October 4, 2004 The Supreme Court denied Green’s request for certiorari review.
17. David Murdoch | 04.09.09
That’s a very interesting and provocative story. Here is the best part:
‘The preponderance of Green’s heartrending story, however, plays out on Death Row, where he fought to prove his innocence – and read and read. One of the books that changed this bright young man’s life, Archbishop Tutu’s “No Future Without Forgiveness,” lit a flame. He set about forgiving those in his life who had hurt him and seeking forgiveness from others. And he began nudging other men on Death Row to do the same.’
I wonder espeically if the other men on death row did the same after they were nudged? The other men may have been guilty, and who knows if their souls were redeemed with Green’s help. I wrote a fictional book (see http://www.eloquentbooks.com/AnaMarkovic.html) about a person who did terrible things who needed redemption before she died, but in truth, these sorts of stories are not fictional. And God Bless you, Dominique Green, for shedding that kind of light among those convicted to die.
18. Dudley Sharp | 04.09.09
One of the real problems with a book review, such as Lampman’s, is that it is very likley, if not guaranteed, that she didn’t fact check the claims in the book. Possibly, she has an anti death penalty bias and such would lead her to want to believe what was in the book, as opposed to wanting to see if all the material were true.
For example, she writes: “A white youth in the group of teens was not charged, ” . . . “someone else’s fingerprints were on the gun.”
These are said to make us believe that there was some wrong with the conviction. but, an incomplete picture can be a very distorted picture. In reality, neither one of these speaks to any unfairness or inaccuracy with the conviction.
Is there any evidence that Green was ever raped or was this offerred as mitgation at his trial, based soley upon the evidence of Green’s word?
One poinent section: “Cahill says the most important question is, “Did he receive a fair trial?” The narrative leaves little doubt that answer is “no.” ”
The narrative is used, not the trial transcript. This is understandable. Green had 11 years of appeals in which to challenge the fairness of the trial. All of Green’s appeals were denied.
Few deny that almost any person can turn their life around. But, it is a crass morality that avoids facts and questions, but warmly embraces a “saint” based on feel good, wishful thinking.
And, it happens all the time.
Is it reasonable to ask: “Is it possible that Green was a really terrible carreer criminal and murderer whose life was transformed by a spiritual journey that began only because he was sentenced to death?”
Ms. Lampman, you can get a copy of the trial transcript.
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1. Jorge Leuschner | 04.07.09
You shall not kill. This should be the rule for everyone - starting with Government. Capital punishment is neither a deterrant nor does it bring justice as it usually kills somebody else but the perpetrator of a crime, because people change in time. Cahill’s story and many others proof this. It is time America abolishes death penalty.