Last Words From Death Row
Norma Herrera
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
The story of Leonel Herrera is a picture of a flawed justice system. In
Last Words From Death Row,
Norma Herrera relates the events of the early 1980s which took place in
a small border town in Texas that put an innocent man, her brother, on
death row. Reading the story is like suffering through the horrendous
ordeal with Norma. She begins by explaining her family's history. Her
father, Jose, an abusive man, was a key player in a drug cartel
propagated by local law enforcement. He did not hesitate to bring his
sons into his saga of corruption and make them key players in it, as
well. As Norma opens her home to us, we become familiar with her family
through photographs.
Leonel was a cocaine addict and his pitiful situation made him
an easy target to be framed. When two police officers associated with
the cartel are gunned down due to a failed transaction, the Hidalgo
County Police Department wastes no time pinning the crime on Leonel.
Arrested and beaten to the brink of death, labelled a cop-killer, Leo
immediately went to trial based on false circumstancial evidence. With
a corrupt legal system facilitating his trial, he is sentenced to death
by lethal injection. A series of mysterious deaths occur afterward
while evidence of Herrera's innocence surfaces. Norma and her family
began an exhaustive battle against legal technicalities preventing the
new evidence to be presented.
This is a true story that evokes strong empathy from the
reader. Norma points out repeatedly how easily one of our own family
members could be sentenced to death for crimes they had absolutely
nothing to do with. Her frustration and sense of helplessness are
apparent in her words. The controversy caught the attention of
thousands of sympathetic Americans, including celebrities such as Danny
Glover, who spoke at rallies organized in support of Leonel and others
like him. The story makes a strong argument for those who oppose the
use of capital punishment under any circumstances. It presents an
alarming reality that forces the reader to question the sanctity of the
American judicial system.