Can you spare a few minutes to write a letter or an email to help prevent a gay bashing murderer from being released after serving only twenty years of a forty-five year sentence? Whether you are in Texas or not, you can help change the wrong-headed decision of the State of Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Per Equality Texas:
The State of Texas recently granted parole to Jon Buice, convicted gay basher and murderer of Paul Broussard. With Buice having served less than half of his 45-year sentence for this vicious, hate-filled crime, it is the position of Equality Texas that justice has not yet been served; Jon Buice stabbed Paul Broussard three times in a fit of random hate, and so deserves a punishment that befits his heinous crime. We need your help in ensuring that Paul Broussard’s memory is respected and that Jon Buice pays for his homophobic, violent actions. ...
The mother of the victim, Nancy Rodriguez, has been actively working to keep Jon Buice in jail where he belongs, and this is our last chance to help her achieve that goal. If you choose to write an email, she has requested that you copy her on your email as well. So, where do you write? I'm glad you asked.
Postal address:
State of Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Review and Release Processing
TDCJ Parole Division
P.O. Box 13401
Austin, TX 78711
Email addresses:
Rissie Owens
Presiding Officer, Board of Pardons and Paroles
Rissie.owens@tdcj.state.tx.us
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Victims Services Division
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Victim.svc@tdcj.state.tx.us
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Charles Shipman (voted in favor of parole)
Parole Commissioner
Charles.shipman@tdcj.state.tx.us
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Marsha Moberley (voted in favor of parole)
Parole Commissioner
Marsha.Moberley@tdcj.state.tx.us
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Finally, Nancy Rodriguez has asked that we all copy her on the emails that we send. Nancy is Paul Broussard's mother and has been active in trying to keep Jon Buice where he belongs - in jail. Her email address is Nrodriguez5257@att.net.
More background can be found below the fold.
Again from Equality Texas:
Background:
On July 4, 1991 Jon Buice and 9 of his friends drove from The Woodlands, Texas – a wealthy Houston suburb – to Montrose to “beat up some queers,” which was apparently a disgusting hobby of the young men; the FBI later concluded that the July 4 attack was not the men’s first gay bashing, and that they had even bragged about their new sport in school.
The so-called “Woodlands Ten” identified victims by asking them directions to Heaven, a gay bar in Montrose. If a pedestrian knew the directions, the men would then hurl objects at the innocent passerby with the assumption that they were gay. Unfortunately for Paul Broussard and two friends he was with, the Woodlands Ten asked them for directions to Heaven; upon answering, the the three men were attacked. Broussard’s two friends managed to escape, but he was cornered in a dead-end street. The 10 assailants beat Broussard with their fists, steel-toed boots, nail-studded 2x4s and a knife; Paul Broussard was murdered for being gay and for being nice to enough to offer passerby directions.
All 10 men were identified, captured, and sentenced; Jon Buice received the longest sentence of 45 years due to that fact that was the one who stabbed Broussard three times, the action which was ultimately determined to have caused Broussard’s death.
Twenty years is simply not enough time for Buice to serve for this heinous crime. As many have noted, Paul Broussard was
Matthew Sheppard before Matthew Sheppard. So do you have 5 minutes to spare? Equality Texas has many more background links, and a PDF of the letter they sent, if that will help you draft your letter of outrage.
You are outraged, right? Thanks for your time.
5:21 PM PT: Equality Texas provided a PDF of their letter for guiding you here.