On January 31, 2022, the State of Missouri issued an execution warrant for Carman Deck. His execution is set for May 3, 2022. We are asking you to sign this petition to spare his life and ask Governor Parson to grant clemency.     

Background:

James and Zelma Long tragically lost their lives in 1997. Missouri twice cut corners to obtain a death sentence against Carman Deck. Missouri only succeeded in obtaining a death sentence found to be legal at a third proceeding, eleven years later in 2008. By no fault of his own, the significant delay between Missouri’s first and third trials seriously impaired Carman’s ability to present mitigating evidence to the third and final jury. What had been described by the Missouri Supreme Court as “substantial” mitigating evidence “regarding his horribly abusive childhood” disappeared. The passage of time eliminated Carman’s ability to let the jury be in the same room and see and hear from the very individuals who cared for him and witnessed first-hand the violence and neglect he suffered as a child. This evidence would have supported a life sentence. In April 2017, the only court to address the merits of Carman’s claims called Missouri’s third penalty phase trial “fundamentally unfair,” noting Carman was unable to fully present evidence and advocate for his life due to delays caused by the state of Missouri.

The “substantial” mitigation “regarding his horribly abusive childhood,” which Carman’s last jury heard only in a very limited way included:

• A mother that not only failed to feed her children causing Carman, the oldest, to steal in order to provide for his three younger siblings but was the corrupting influence that taught him to steal in the first place;
• A mother that neglected and physically abused him when she was present in the home. While at other times, a mother that abandoned her children for long periods of time, leaving an 8 year old Carman to fend for himself and care for his three younger siblings who were about 3, 5 and 7 years younger than he was;
• Constant hunger and food insecurity, so much so that when abandoned once again for days by their mother the Sheriff called his father to pick up the children. Given a meal, they gorged so much, his youngest brother threw-up and tried to eat his own vomit;
• Constant home instability, Carman moved between the homes of family members and foster parents, living in twenty-three different placements before the age of eighteen;
• Constant physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother, and a step-mother. For example, his step-mother rubbed feces on his face leaving only his eyes, nostrils and mouth uncovered and demeaned him even more by taking a picture of it to share with others;
• Efforts by others to intervene and provide Carman a safe and stable home were rejected by his mother and father;
• Sexually abused as a child and viciously raped when being held by the State of Missouri. 

During Missouri’s third trial for Carman Deck in 2008, not a single family member or witness was able to provide live testimony for Carman. As his attorneys argue, “It would have been good to have at least one person from Carman’s family to look at the jury and say, please spare his life.” There was much to say – just no one to say it anymore due to Missouri’s earlier errors.

At the time the warrant of execution was issued, Carman lived in the “honor dorm” at Potosi. During the 25 years since the offense, he has learned to function in prison in a peaceful way.

We ask Missouri Governor Mike Parson to grant clemency to Carman Deck and commute his sentence to life without parole.