Post Mortem Project: Orien Cecil Joiner

Aim: I am raising funds to support my human rights research trip to Texas, where I'll be investigating the execution of Orien Cecil Joiner

I will be travelling to Texas in June 2025 for 2 months to continue my research into the execution of Orien Cecil Joiner. I am researching this case with The Justice League and under the guidance of Clive Stafford Smith, a renowned US defence lawyer. The funds raised through this campaign will go directly towards my travel, accommodation, research materials, and living expenses. 

The Case: Orien Cecil Joiner

Orien was convicted in 1986 for the murders of two roommates and his neighbours, Eva Marie DeForest and Carol Lynette Huckabee, in Lubbock, Texas. The case against him was built on circumstantial evidence; there was no credible physical evidence linking him to the crime. A critical testimony in his conviction came from Dr. Ralph Erdmann, a forensic pathologist who was later convicted of falsifying autopsy reports in numerous other cases. His involvement casts serious doubts over the credibility of the original forensic evidence.

Despite these glaring inconsistencies and appeals, Orien was executed by lethal injection on July 12th, 2000.

His final words were deeply poignant:

"As I have said from the very first thing, I am innocent of this crime and God knows I am innocent... Sooner or later, whoever did this crime is going to be caught... and they'll realise they witnessed an innocent man going to be with Jesus Christ."

Due to the many questions that remain unanswered in this case, our research will focus on conducting a thorough, on-the-ground investigation; identifying and speaking with witnesses, law enforcement officers, lawyers, jurors, and potential alternative suspects.

The Death Penalty

The death penalty remains one of the most controversial aspects of the criminal justice system, particularly in the United States, where it continues to raise profound ethical, legal, and practical concerns. While often justified as a means of delivering justice or deterring serious crime, mounting evidence reveals deep flaws in its application, people are sentenced to death through systems riddled with racial and economic bias, poor legal representation, unreliable forensic evidence, corruption and even outright mistakes. For many, the idea of executing someone who might be innocent is unthinkable. And yet, it happens. 

Key Facts and Figures:

• For every 8 people put to death, 1 person has been proven innocent. 
• At least 200 individuals have been exonerated after being wrongfully sentenced to death. Some spent decades behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit, with their lives permanently shattered.
• Race plays a huge and undeniable role: in the U.S. criminal justice system, non-white people, especially black people, face discrimination at every stage, from arrest all the way to execution.
• Poverty is another driving force. Many people sent to death row simply couldn’t afford a decent lawyer. Their lives depended on overworked, underfunded, and sometimes inexperienced court-appointed lawyers.
• From 1890 to 2010 at least 276 executions in the United States were botched, meaning they were visibly painful, prolonged, or went seriously wrong. Botched executions have left prisoners in agony before death.
• Flawed assessments, lack of proper evaluations and police coercion continue to put vulnerable individuals, such as those with intellectual disabilities, at risk of wrongful execution.

The use of the death penalty in the US has declined in recent years; nevertheless, this inhumane practice continues, and with it, the risk of irreversible mistakes. 

Why This Research Matters

This research matters, not only because it seeks justice for individuals who may have been wrongfully executed, but because it forces us to confront deep flaws in a system that still allows such tragedies. By supporting this project, you will help bring buried stories to light, honour lives lost without a fair chance, and hold an unjust system accountable.

People executed aren’t just statistics; they’re human beings who also deserve fair trials and justice. Justice isn’t vengeance. It’s the fundamental right of every human being, regardless of their flaws, to a truthful and fair legal process. This project is about returning a voice to people like Orien and establishing an honest record of events for their loved ones and for history. We owe it not only to them, but also to the victims and their loved ones. 

The Post Mortem Project

The Post Mortem Project, created by Clive Stafford Smith, aims to investigate and exonerate individuals who may have been wrongfully executed since the resumption of executions in the U.S. in 1977. The lawyers and students undertaking this task will create a comprehensive repository of these cases, making it accessible to journalists, academics, documentary makers, podcasters, and drama producers, ensuring these stories are widely shared. The goal is to give those denied justice in court a fair hearing in the court of public opinion.

Clive Stafford Smith has spent his career representing over 400 cases around the world, including detainees tortured and rendered to Guantánamo Bay. He founded the capital trial charity LCAC, the legal action charity Reprieve, and most recently established the Justice League (formerly the 3D Centre) to mentor young people like me.

This research is vital for raising awareness about the injustices of capital punishment. It is intended to act as a catalyst for reform, highlighting the human cost of wrongful executions and promoting a shift towards safeguarding the innocent and, ultimately, eradicating the death penalty. 

About Me 

I am currently a second-year anthropology student and human rights intern with the Justice League. I have a deep passion for human rights, justice, and advocacy. Since last summer, I have been deeply involved in various human rights projects and legal cases under Clive’s guidance.

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps me and my team continue this research on the ground in Texas and helps us push these stories into the public eye where they belong. Thank you for helping me carry this research forward for truth, for justice, and for the people who never got either. 

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 6th August 2025 at 4:03pm