Death’s Waiting Room a great success

Over 600 clemency letters signed, over 4,000 names added to the petition, 50 personal letters written to Linda and dozens of cupcakes baked by dedicated supporters and consumed by hungry volunteers – after an amazing three-week run the Death’s Waiting Room exhibit is now closed.

A great deal of work went into making this project happen. Reprieve representatives who manned the cell on a daily basis were overwhelmed by the levels of public support for Linda. Visitors were shocked by the incompetence of her lawyer and the gaping holes in the prosecution’s case, and moved (sometimes to tears) by watching the film of Linda singing ‘Amazing Grace’ and speaking about her family. It was wonderful to see our existing loyal supporters and perhaps even more wonderful that so many passers-by were open-minded enough to stop, listen, and sometimes have their views on the death penalty radically altered in the space of half an hour or so.

Linda is a committed Christian and will be delighted to receive letters from the several prominent members of the clergy who visited the cell. In his message, Reverend George Pitcher wrote: “Your song is playing out in our town and in our hearts. God loves you. You will know he does by the love shown to you by your friends, here and in the US.” Reverend Joanna Jepson, Chaplain of the London College of Fashion, wrote: “Linda, I’m here because you are my sister in Christ. I can’t shrug off what you are going through and turn away from you because your pain, fear and injustice hurts me too.”

We can only hope that Governor Rick Perry is moved by this project and by the huge amount of support it generated, and sees fit to grant Linda the clemency she deserves.