Arkansas Governor Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey, But Denies Clemency for Wrongly Convicted Black Man Who Was Locked Up for 30 Years
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing criticism following her decision to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey while denying clemency to a developmentally disabled Black man who may have been wrongly convicted. Charlie Vaughn, along with three other suspects, was convicted in 1991 for the 1988 murder of an elderly woman. However, a different suspect confessed to the crime in 2015, and new evidence has emerged supporting Vaughn’s claim of innocence.
Vaughn’s attorney, Stuart Chanen, submitted a clemency petition to Sanders back in June, highlighting the newly uncovered information in the case. However, the governor’s office remained silent on the request until July, when it was revealed that clemency would not be granted. Vaughn was told he could reapply for commutation in 2029, a decision that has sparked outrage among legal advocates.
Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump, has faced pressure to reconsider her stance, with critics speculating that she may be using the Vaughn case to boost her national profile among conservatives and position herself for a potential vice presidential run in 2024.
The case against Vaughn has been marred by questionable circumstances from the beginning. Despite his disability, Vaughn was never given a professional mental health evaluation to determine his competency for trial, as required by law. Instead, an informant was sent to obtain a confession from him while he was in jail awaiting evaluation. This information was concealed from his defense attorney for over two decades, raising serious concerns about due process.
Vaughn’s confession also contradicted key evidence, such as DNA testing on semen collected at the crime scene, which excluded him and another suspect as the perpetrators. His defense attorney, Edward Oglesby, who was hired by the county right out of college, switched Vaughn’s plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect without his consent. This led to a 30-day mental health evaluation.
In 2015, Reginald Early, one of the other convicted individuals implicated by Vaughn’s confession, confessed to the murder. He claimed to have acted alone and barely knew Vaughn and the other suspects. Early’s confession aligned with the evidence and matched details known only to the police, further casting doubt on Vaughn’s guilt.
Two of the men convicted based on Vaughn’s confession have been released from prison after their convictions were overturned. However, Vaughn remains behind bars, with the state arguing that his failure to file a claim within a year of the discovery of new evidence renders him ineligible for relief.
Vaughn’s attorney, Chanen, plans to submit a habeas petition to the Arkansas Supreme Court, acknowledging the limited options available due to the state’s stringent laws on cases previously denied on appeal.
The case has sparked a broader discussion about the flaws in Arkansas’ criminal justice system and the need for reform. As the spotlight intensifies on Gov. Sanders, there are growing calls for her to right this injustice and grant clemency to Charlie Vaughn, who has spent three decades behind bars for a crime he may not have committed.
