Kenneth Foster, Jr. is a prisoner formerly on death row

Death row

Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...

 in Texas

Capital punishment in Texas

Capital punishment has been used in the U.S. state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819.As of 16 November 2011, 1,228 individuals have been executed. Only Virginia has executed more individuals overall; however, since the death penalty was re-instituted in the United States in the...

, convicted under the law of parties

Felony murder rule (Texas)

Texas' felony murder rule, known as the law of parties, is a variation on the common law felony murder rule. Codified in Texas Penal Code § 7.02, the law states that a person can be criminally responsible for the actions of another if he or she aids and abets, or conspires with the principal...

. He was convicted of murdering Michael LaHood in August 1996. His conviction and execution were contested because he was convicted under a law of parties, not for physically committing the crime.

Texas Governor

Governor of Texas

The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...

 Rick Perry

Rick Perry

James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...

 commuted

Commutation of sentence

Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...

 the death sentence

Capital punishment

Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...

 to life imprisonment

Life imprisonment

Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...

 only three hours before the execution was scheduled to take place

Execution warrant

An execution warrant is a writ which authorizes the execution of a judgment of death on an individual...

 on August 30, 2007. Kenneth Foster, Jr. will be eligible for parole in 2037. He is currently located at the Byrd Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...

to be reprocessed as a general population prisoner.

External links

• Man to Be Executed, Although Prosecutors Say He Didn't Kill (ABC News)
• The Case of Kenneth Foster: Texas Prepares to Execute Man for Driving a Car Near Scene of Murder (Democracy Now)
• USA(Texas): Kenneth Eugene Foster (m), Death penalty / Legal concern (Amnesty International)
• "Free Kenneth Foster" website
• Kenneth Foster Interview, July 25, 2007 (Archive.org)