The Last 12 Weeks

Overview

This episode delves into the high-stakes, last-minute efforts of a legal team trying to halt the execution of David Wood, a man convicted as El Paso's most notorious serial killer. The story explores the complexities of the case, including questionable evidence, jailhouse informants, and untested DNA, while following the defense team's race against time to prove Wood's innocence.

Notable Quotes

- What I have to live with is, can I live with myself knowing that I know two people fabricated testimony to get a guy executed, and I don't say anything about it? – George Hall, on his decision to come forward after decades of silence.

- If you're not ready to kick the football with all you've got when the one time Lucy doesn’t pull it away... then when the planets align, you're not going to be ready. – Greg Warchuk, on maintaining hope and persistence in death penalty cases.

- "We have a ****** serial killer here somewhere."* – Detective John Guerrero, on the discovery of multiple bodies in the El Paso desert.

🕵️‍♂️ The Case Against David Wood

- David Wood, nicknamed The Desert Killer, was convicted of murdering six women and girls in El Paso in the late 1980s.

- Evidence included orange fibers found near the victims and in Wood's vacuum cleaner, as well as testimony from two jailhouse informants who claimed Wood confessed to the murders.

- Critics, including Wood's defense team, argue that the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and potentially fabricated testimony.

🧬 The DNA Controversy

- A piece of a victim's clothing tested for DNA revealed male DNA that did not match David Wood.

- Defense attorney Greg Warchuk has been fighting for years to have over 100 additional pieces of evidence tested with modern DNA technology, but the state of Texas has repeatedly denied these requests.

- Warchuk is pushing for the new district attorney, James Montoya, to support further DNA testing, but Montoya has so far declined to get involved.

📜 The Role of Jailhouse Informants

- George Hall, a former inmate, alleges that police coerced him and two other prisoners to fabricate testimony against Wood in exchange for rewards, including money and reduced sentences.

- Hall wrote to prosecutors in the 1990s about these improprieties, but his testimony was never used in court.

- One informant received $13,000, and another had a capital murder charge dropped after testifying against Wood.

⏳ The Defense Team’s Race Against Time

- With only weeks until Wood's execution, Greg Warchuk and his co-counsel Jeremy Schuppers are scrambling to find new evidence and allies.

- Their efforts include lobbying the new district attorney, engaging local media, and tracking down witnesses to build a case for Wood's innocence.

- Despite setbacks, including a failed attempt to secure a meeting with the DA and a botched media interview, the team remains determined to prevent what they believe would be the execution of an innocent man.

⚖️ The Broader Debate on the Death Penalty

- The case highlights the polarizing views on capital punishment. Critics argue that defense lawyers like Warchuk are ideologically opposed to the death penalty and disrupt justice, while supporters of Warchuk’s efforts believe he is fighting to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.

- The episode raises questions about the reliability of evidence, the ethics of jailhouse informants, and the systemic challenges in death penalty cases.