Death by Fire

This PBS-aired Frontline documentary examines capital punishment in America through the lens of a single controversial case—the execution in Texas of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was found guilty of arson for a fire that killed his three young children in 1991. Almost immediately, suspicions coalesced around the 23-year-old father, who not only had a long history of petty crime and spousal abuse, but was partying hours after the tragedy. Most damaging of all, investigators found that an accelerant was used to start and spread the fire. Willingham was arrested, beginning an emotional process that led some to question the evidence and ultimately the legal system itself. Producer-director Jessie Deeter tells the story primarily via interviews with attorneys, fire officials, local citizens, and a few defenders, including Willingham's stepmother. Willingham is remembered as the product of a troubled family, a “mean man,” a womanizer, and a sociopath. After his arrest, a jailhouse “confession” to another inmate seemed to seal his fate, but he refused to admit guilt. Instead, he chose to go to trial, was quickly convicted, and was sent to death row. Despite a strong case for reasonable doubt, he was executed in 2004. A posthumous forensics commission, taking advantage of new techniques, was able to cast doubt on the evidence for arson, but the governor of Texas rejected their findings. Although Death by Fire doesn't make a convincing argument for Willingham's innocence, it does offer a strong condemnation of a rush to judgment. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)