Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott Writes Letter In Support of Julius Jones’ Prison Release

It’s amazing to see celebrities and people in high positions of power take a stance on matters outside the scope of their regular work.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has decided to use his platform to advocate for Julius Jones, the man convicted of murdering Paul Howell in 1999.

On Thursday, Prescott wrote a letter to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and members of the state’s Pardon and Parole Board seeking the commutation of Jones’ death sentence. Jones has maintained his innocence throughout the case, which was highlighted by ABC’s documentary series The Last Defense in 2018. There is also a Change.org petition requesting his release, citing an “explicit racial bias,” his petition has received six million signatures, according to Bleacher Report.

Time’s Sean Gregory obtained a copy of Prescott’s letter, which in part stated, “After reviewing the facts of the Julius Jones case, I firmly believe the wrong person is being punished for this terrible crime; furthermore, an evaluation of the process that led to Mr. Jones’ conviction raises serious legal and ethical concerns. I implore you to right this wrong. Please don’t let another innocent Black man die from the systemic mistreatment that has plagued our nation for far too long.”

The website Justice for Julius also spotlighted Jones’s story and included a copy of his clemency petition filed in October 2019.

“But, as God is my witness, I was not involved in any way in the crimes that led to Paul Howell being shot and killed on July 28, 1999,” Jones wrote. “I have spent the past 20 years on death row for a crime I did not commit, did not witness, and was not at. I feel terrible for Mr. Howell and his family, but I was not responsible.”

Sadly, Chris Jordan, a co-defendant in the case, chose a plea deal and then testified against Jones. However, Jordan allegedly told two individuals that he was prepared to frame Jones, prior to the case.

“Prior to my trial, Chris admitted to two people that I wasn’t involved in the murder. In late August or early September 1999, Chris told a man named Manuel Littlejohn that ‘Julius didn’t do it’ and ‘Julius wasn’t there.’ Chris admitted to Manuel that he tried to frame me by wrapping the gun used to commit the crime in a bandana and hiding it in my house. Chris also told Manuel about his secret side deal with prosecutors, telling him, ‘I’m going to do 15 years and go home.’ That’s exactly what happened. Even though I told my lawyer about Chris’ confession, he never asked Chris about it, and he never called Manuel to testify at my trial.”

Within the letter, Prescott referred to his own familiarity with racial injustice, saying “as a black man in this country right now, I experience injustices firsthand day in and day out, even as an athlete with ‘celebrity status.'” He urged Stitt and the board to overturn a “miscarriage of justice.”

“It is my firm belief that Julius Jones’ conviction and death sentence is an egregious injustice. Mr. Jones has been on death row for 20 years, despite written affidavits from his trial lawyers describing the ways they failed him in court. Mr. Jones’ attorneys never presented the photo taken nine days prior to the crime that could have provided clarity about the shooter’s description. They were appointed without having any experience in death penalty cases and did not even present Mr. Jones’ alibi at trial. In addition, a member of the jury (comprised of 11 white members out of 12) has confirmed that the jury acted with racial animus—admitting that inappropriate and biased statements were made by other jurors during the trial, including the use of racial slurs,” Prescott wrote.

“The treatment of Julius Jones is the kind of miscarriage of justice African American men like myself live in fear of, and that is why I feel compelled to use the influence that God has blessed me with to speak up for what I believe is right and to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Julius Jones’ case is a clear example of what can happen to a person who cannot afford legal representation, and what can happen to a black person at any time in this country—which is exactly why so many are protesting for the changes we so desperately need. … My prayer is that he is able to salvage what remains of his life and that, through the righting of a decades-old wrong, he will be restored to his family soon,” he said.

Amid the racial tension in America, in June, Prescott donated $1 million to address systemic racism and to improve the training of police officers throughout America.

Jones is not the only person of status to support Jones. Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Trae Young, Buddy Hield, and Baker Mayfield, all of whom have starred at Oklahoma in college,  also wrote letters on Jones’ behalf.