My husband, Jeff Wood, is on Texas Death Row. He is sentenced for a crime that happened back in 1996. He did NOT kill anyone though. He was actually outside of the place where it all happened. He was charged by The Law of parties, and his case has a lot of similar aspects to Kenneth Foster's case. What is special in Jeff's case though, is the fact that several bad mistakes were made during trial court, and it looks like Jeff was actually sentenced to death because of those mistakes, and not because of the actual crime. He did not get a fair trial! Both the attorneys that he had back then, and the one that he has today, has all stated that if those mistakes hadn't been made, Jeff would most likely not be on Death Row today!
Our attorney did get the 5th Circuit to agree to hear oral arguments. Some of the very best defense attorneys in Texas actually took interest in the case, and they helped our attorney to get prepared for the oral arguments. One of those attorneys even brought several of his law students to New Orleans so that they could be present at the hearing. Our attorney did a good job up there, and we all thought they would actually rule in our favor, but they didn't. And in January, we got turned down by the US Supreme Court as well.

Up to this point, we have complied with Jeff's attorney's wish to let this legal process be completed, but at this point we really do want a second opinion. With all due respect to Jeff's attorney, who by the way is overloaded with work on several other cases, we just need to make sure that everything possible has been done! Jeff's attorney has agreed to work with anyone who wants to help Jeff.
I really hope that you can help us with this. We don't really have anyone else who has looked into our case at all, and I don't feel even close to being competent enough legal-wise to decide how we should go on from here. I have tried to get someone to help, but I just don't know who all to turn to...I just know that there has to be something that can be done. I know that Texas law is very complicated, but they just can't be serious about wanting to execute a man who hasn't killed anyone, can they?


Here is a brief summary of Jeff's case:

Full name: Jeffrey Lee Wood
Date of birth: 8/ 19 /74
Convicted: Killing a convenience store clerk during a January 1996 robbery in Kerrville, TX
Convicted under: The law of parties.
Previous record: None

Co-defendant: Daniel Earl Reneau (executed on 06/13/2002)

Short case summary: At approximately 6:00 a.m. on Jan. 2, 1996, while Wood waited outside, Reneau entered the gas station with a gun and pointed it at Kris Keeran, the clerk standing behind the counter. Reneau ordered him to a back room. When he did not move quickly enough, Reneau fired one shot with a 22 caliber handgun that struck Keeran between the eyes. Death was almost instantaneous. Proceeding with the robbery, Reneau went into the back office and took a safe. When hearing the shot, Wood got out of the car to see what was going on. He walked by the door and looked through the glass. Then he went inside, and he looked over the counter and ran to the back, where Reneau was. Wood was then ordered, at gun point by Reneau, to get the surveillance video and to drive the getaway-car.

Outstanding facts:

Wood suffers from a bi-polar disorder. He was abused and beat severely and repeatedly as a child. He is submissive to dominant behavior because of such.
At arrest Wood was forced into interrogation by the police and did not have council present. Wood was kept awake the entire time. He was refused sleep. He eventually confessed saying it was a planned robbery. He later revoked this statement.
Wood was found not mentally fit to stand trial. He was admitted into a mental hospital and a couple of weeks later was found 'trial ready'
At trial, Wood was not satisfied with his representation. Wood asked to represent himself, but wasn't allowed to do so. The judge found him not capable of doing this. The judge however, did not argue Wood when Wood said he would then order his attorney's not to do anything. Result: Jeff had no witnesses during the punishment phase of his trial on his behalf.
The victims father is against the death penalty and actually campaigned to keep the actual gunman Reneau alive.
There are many additional facts that might be of importance, Jeff's mental state being the most important factor. There are mental health records that date back all the way to his childhood.



If you want to help me to look into this, I've got most of the paper-work, so I can send it all to you.
I can also meet you if you want to talk. Jeff's family is also very interested in helping with whatever information you may need.


I want to thank you for reading this. As you probably understand, we start to get desperate now because of the US Supreme Court ruling on Baze v. Rees.

I hope and pray that you can help us in some way.


Sincerely,
Kristin Oftebro Wood