Always on
This project successfully funded on 20th May 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Justice for Robert Drew: a Death Penalty Case
Bristol, Bristol City, United Kingdom
Aim
Traveling to Texas to research the case of Robert Drew, who was sentenced to death and whose conviction is now widely questioned
THE PROJECT IN BRIEF
I will be walking 597 km in two months (mid-May to mid-July) to raise funds to travel to Houston (Texas), where I will carry out research into the case of Robert Drew as part of the Post Mortem Project. Robert was sentenced to death in 1983 at the age of 24 and spent over 10 years on death row. His conviction is now heavily questioned. The challenge I will undertake represents one kilometre for every week Robert spent awaiting execution.
During this challenge, I will be guiding you through the defining moments and locations connected to the case. Each week, I will stop at a location connected to Robert’s case and share a detailed account of how a miscarriage of justice unfolded there, explaining what happened, why it mattered, and how the system failed him.
My research in Texas will be conducted under the supervision of US human rights attorney Clive Stafford Smith, who is also the founder of Reprieve and The Justice League.
WHAT IS THE POST MORTEM PROJECT?
The Post Mortem Project explores the potential innocence of people who have been executed in the US since 1976.
In the 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia proclaimed that there is not “a single case in which it is clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit.” Since 1973, more than 200 people have been exonerated from death row, roughly 1 for every 8 people executed.
We are creating a case repository that can be made available to journalists, academics, documentary makers, and producers so that these stories can be more widely told and these men and women finally get the hearing in the court of public opinion that they were denied in the courts of law.
THE CASE OF ROBERT NELSON DREW
In Texas, my team and I will be looking at the case of Robert Nelson Drew, sentenced to death in 1983 at the age of 24 for the murder of a teenage runaway from Alabama. This is a conviction now heavily questioned.
Robert Nelson Drew’s case is a stark illustration of injustice:
- He was sentenced to death largely on the testimony of a single eyewitness, while police withheld a recording in which that same witness admitted he did not see the killing
- There was no forensic evidence linking Robert Drew to the crime. The blood on the weapon belonged to the co-defendant Ernest Puralewski.
- Puralewski later confessed in a sworn statement that he alone committed the murder and that Drew was innocent. This confession came too late to be considered under Texas law.
- The signing of Drew’s death warrant was marked by callousness, with the district judge adding a smiley/happy face next to his signature (as seen in the following picture).
- Drew maintained his dignity until the end. In his final poignant words, he said: ‘The state refuses to admit they made a mistake… I love Jesus Christ, but I am in no hurry to meet him. I love you all.’
My team and I will undertake research that includes gathering testimony, analysing trial records, exploring archives, and identifying evidence that was overlooked, mishandled, or buried. Through this project, we hope to reignite public attention around the case and support the pursuit of justice and accountability.
HOW YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE USED
Donations will be used to fund the essential expenses required to carry out this research effectively, which include transport, accommodation, and on-the-ground costs. My team and I will travel from England to Texas in mid-July, where we will be based for approximately 8–10 weeks.
Your support allows this project to be conducted with the care and rigour it requires, helping to ensure that cases like Robert’s are not quietly forgotten and that meaningful justice can still be pursued. This research moves us closer to truth, accountability, and dignity for those who were denied all three.
I will be sharing updates via social media (Instagram): @justiceforrobertdrew
ABOUT ME
I am a third-year Law student at the University of Bristol with a strong passion for social justice, human rights, and environmental law. I have nurtured these interests through my roles as a Student Advisor at the University Law Clinic and the Human Rights Implementation Centre, as well as through writing blog articles and participating in academic conferences. In the summer of 2025, I interned with The Justice League under the supervision of Clive Stafford-Smith, contributing to human rights projects across the US and UK. Following graduation, I plan to continue my studies, focusing on the intersection of human rights and environmental law.
Thank you so much for reading and for your support!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made