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BLACK-ON-WHITE: BLACK HITMEN: Murray Hooper: Arizona death row prisoner’s clemency bid rejected by board=
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona’s clemency board unanimously declined on Thursday to recommend that the governor commute a man’s death sentence to life in prison, keeping the inmate’s planned execution on track for his conviction in two 1980 killings. The decision by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency marks one of the last steps before Murray Hooper’s scheduled Nov. 16 execution for the slayings of William ’Pat" Redmond and his mother-in-law, Helen Phelps. Board members rejected Hooper’s claims that he was innocent and that there wasn’t credible evidence to support his convictions. "There is no doubt as to Mr. Hooper’s guilt," said Mina Mendez, who chairs the board that advises Gov. Doug Ducey. Board member Louis Quinonez said he didn’t think Hooper’s sentence was excessive based on the nature of the killings. "I find Mr. Hooper’s convictions to be lawful and authentic," Quinonez said. Hooper is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at the state prison in Florence, Arizona. Authorities said Redmond and Phelps were killed after Hooper and two other men forced their way into Redmond’s home on Dec. 31, 1980. Redmond’s wife, Marilyn, was shot in the head but survived and testified against Hooper. Two other men, William Bracy and Edward McCall, were convicted in the killings but died before their death sentences could be carried out. Authorities say Robert Cruz, who was alleged to have had ties to organized crime, hired Hooper, Bracy and McCall to kill Pat Redmond, who co-owned a printing business. They said Cruz wanted to take over the business and was unhappy that Redmond had rejected his offers to enter into several printing contracts with Las Vegas hotels, according to court records. In 1995, Cruz was acquitted of murder charges in both deaths. Murray Hooper Arizona Death Row - Defense pulls in the RACE-CARD The federal appeals court addressed only the procedure by which Hooper, who is black, was convicted. It found that the Illinois Supreme Court made “at least four errors” in affirming Maloney’s opinion that prosecutors properly removed potential jurors who were black. Cook County prosecutors struck every potential black juror — seven from a pool of 63, according to the appellate ruling. Two were removed for cause, while prosecutors used peremptory challenges to remove the remaining five possible jurors who were black. Six Asian or white jurors also were struck. Among the errors made by the Supreme Court, the appeals court found, was finding that a claim for racial discrimination could be undermined by the race of the participants in the case. Searching for any images of murdered WHITE victims... [NNN forum thread posted by Arheel's Uncle:] 
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