Local News
Simpson dies for teacher killing
Death Row inmate was sentenced in Athens nine years ago
A 30-year old man, sentenced to die in Athens nine years ago, was executed Wednesday, despite attempts to save him from lethal injection.
In December, 2000, 3rd District Judge Jim Parsons sentenced Danielle Simpson to die for his part in the death of 84-year-old Geraldine Davidson.
Davidson, a former school teacher, was abducted that January during a burglary of her Palestine home. Her body was found a few days later in the Neches River.
Simpson, one of four defendants in the case was the only one sentenced to die for the crime.
In recent days, attempts to help Simpson avoid execution gained national attention. Simpson won federal court approval earlier this year to stop his appeals. Later, he changed his mind and allowed his lawyers to try to save him.
According to an Associated Press story, his attorneys argued to the federal courts that Simpson is mentally impaired, incapable of deciding whether or not to drop his appeals, and offered his repeated reversals as proof.
They also wanted permission to appeal a lower court’s determination that Simpson is not mentally-impaired, and challenged the elimination of two Black people from consideration to serve on Simpson’s trial jury.
Simpson is Black. There were no Blacks on the jury that convicted him, and decided he should be put to death. Ultimately all the appeals were denied.
Testimony in Simpson’s 2008 trial detailed the final hours and death of Davidson. The state was represented by Anderson County District Attorney Doug Lowe. Mark Calhoon, now 3rd District Judge, assisted Lowe in the prosecution.
According to accounts in the Athens Review, testimony revealed that Davidson had been tossed into the chilly river with her hands tied behind her back, and a cinder block tied to her ankles. A medical examiner testified that Davidson was alive when thrown into the river.
Earlier this week, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott released information pertaining to the murder. According to Abbott’s office, Simpson held a knife to Davidson’s throat, and ordered her to surrender money from her purse. Her mouth was duct-taped, her hands tied behind her and her legs taped. A pillow case was pulled over her head, and then he carried her over his shoulder outside and threw her in the trunk of her car.
The Associated Press and Paul Stone contributed to this story.
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