Disappointed by the judicial system that never offered him a chance to display his version of events in court, Charles Thompson’s survival instinct took over. He had lost total trust in the legal system. The case is simply a case of wrongful conviction in Texas' death row.

 

On November 3rd, 2005 Charles Thompson walked out of Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, where he was housed, awaiting his new sentencing trial. Charles Thompson used NO violence in his escape, but simply talked himself out of jail!

 

Just a few hours later, a state-wide manhunt started. The media portrayed him as a very dangerous killer. But he only wanted one thing: Life!

 

His freedom lasted only four days. Charles Thompson was arrested while one the phone with a friend. She had sold him out, and kept him on the phone until the police arrived. Charles Thompson did not resist his arrest in any way. During his four days of freedom, Charles Thompson did not hurt anyone.

 

Back on death row in Livingston, Charles Thompson knows today that escaping was the wrong thing to do. But still under the shock of receiving a new death sentence, escaping seemed to him to be the only way to survive.

 

Below is Charles Thompson's account of his escape, in his own words!  (written in 2005)

 

 

Greetings to all from TX D/ROW’s Evacuee,

 

After a very short lived 3 ½ day vacation, I’ve been promptly returned to the Row. As messed up as it may sound – being on level 3 with nothing – is a pleasure trip compared to the treatment I got once in custody again. I’ll spare ya’ll the details; just know I just kept on smiling at them no matter how deprived, cold, hungry & sleepless they kept me. Toilet paper, clothes, water & real food were alien to me & to the row. But still I jest. I’m not happy to be back on the row, BUT AT LEAST I’M ALIVE.

 

Suffice to say several people are pissed at me & many cops will lose their jobs – I’ll not lose any sleep over that I assure ya! Why did I do it – many a reason – to buck the system, to go on vacation – whether it was 3 day, 3 years, or 30 years – It was worth it all.

 

My deciding moment was during trial as the DA basically broke the law – violated my rights & told my new jury I was on the row & had an anti-DP website asking for money – furthermore, the ice breaker was when the judge arrested my 60 year old Dad for being 30 minutes late to court!! My Dad walks with a cane & has a severe limp from a wreck – he was late getting downtown and up to the 30th floor. The public never heard of this till now. This is an outrage & a judicial act without conscious! Folks, they had his son on trial for his life – he was late NOT by choice – that’s for sure! Still they arrested him & that’s TX justice at its finest! Late for a 2nd day of testifying & got arrested! No, I believe I debunked how “just” our system is.

 

It is Harris County’s system that wears egg on its face – as one of many faceless ,nameless Death Row prisoners that the Death penalty capital of the Free World – persecutes & railroads – Struck Back – NOT with violence…. But with a little cunning insight & to the Heart of the Criminal Justice Systems – legal Basis to Sentence a man to death – is he a continuing threat to society? We will return to the future threat prediction later….

 

For those of you who know me, the gross one-sided depiction of my mistakes, sins & worst moment in my life (these murders) & the way the media portrayed me , only proves  first hand to those with first hand knowledge of the man I am today – vs. – the young immature confused drug addicted alcoholic I was in 1998 when this occurred. The people who know me (death row guards to even) all say just how biased the media was. This is the media norm. Sure I’m a death row fugitive. Our media is pro-death – after all as TV dictates – Death Sells!

 

Indeed, I’m a mature man now, who has been forever changed by 7 years of hard time under the fear of death. Moreover, what’s interesting is the stereotype that society puts on all death row prisoners. Ask not what I did (I ran) but look deeper – Did I kill again? Go on a crime spree? No, No, and I hurt nobody but myself. As I told myself while sleeping in leg irons w/no mattress, clothes, blanket – nothing. Guess that kinda debunks TX’s claim that I am a future threat to society. Don’t appear to be the case here – upon taking in all the facts (not the pro-death one sided media). It appears human nature’s basic survival instinct – the strong will to live overtook me. The will to buck the system & make a statement. Obviously, our death sells, journalistic society that glamorizes crime, portraying me in the worst light as some man out for some vengeance is what made the front page a week straight, ever news channel 24/7.

 

Should it be any surprise to the public that my supporters, friends & family – my loved one’s all & even folks only remotely involved in my life say the same thing – That’s not the man we know now. Today, I smiled as an elderly death row guard told me – none of her lady friends were scared; when I was the talk down at the local beauty shop in Livingston. In cases like mine – crimes of passion – it proves these are once in a life time offenses. 99% of murderers do not re-offend. I’ve had cops, guards, ministers & people I don’t even know tell me they wish I had got away, that I don’t belong on death row. Yes, I can honestly say I’ve changed – my vacation even changed me. It showed me just exactly what I’m missing out there & I’ll just kick myself harder now & turn that into positive MOTIVATION to keep on fighting the good fight.

 

Lastly, I like to touch on these biased comments made about my lack of remorse & emotion during my trial. When your attorney tells you that you will get the death penalty if you take the stand – legalities come into play – other facts, the fact that I’d been on the row “all would of come before the jury if I took the stand”. Believe me, I carry a heavy heart & am burdened with sorrow for my bad acts in the past. It's no reflection of the man I am today – the jury learned nothing about me – all they heard was bad things I did up until 1998. Our legal system is much like a double edged sword – it can cut both ways – and to use poor souls who live & die by the sword, of the TX justice system.

 

To you reading & listening to this I make just one request:

Get involved – open your eyes to what is really going on. One person can make a difference – I urge you to adopt a prisoner – make a difference in a condemned man’s or woman’s life – I assure you this….

 

Our justice system in not just.Today, justice wears her blindfold well! Will society continue to?

 

In Struggle,

 

Chuck Thompson.Texas Death Row