By Arnold Prieto
To read Entry #2, click here
September 10th, 2014 12:48am
Normally I would be fast asleep during these wee hours of the morning, but instead I find myself typing out my following thoughts to you. My night lamp is my only source of light, beaming down from its perch over my head on my shelf, while the silence is booming its loudness throughout this tomb all around me. I can hear someone’s radio so softly that it gets lost in the silence and making it sound so small compared to it .....
Count time will be called out within the next couple of seconds and the locking mechanism of the crash gate leading into the death watch section will break the silence with its loud metal on metal clanging sound. Soon, there will be a flash of light piercing our dark cages. Well, semi-dark in my case, as if a lightening bolt struck within our walls. The loud silence will once again reclaim its rightful place as the thundering of closing doors echoes out with the guards passing through the tomb with their infernal light.
Within that silence, I can hear the whooshing sound of Father Time's heavy pendulum swinging with every passing second ..... tick.tick.tick.tick.tick. Today is the loudest that I have heard time ticking since my time here in death watch. For later today there is an execution scheduled for Willie "T-Rock" Trottie and if the state has its way tonight, he will be the 513th and 8th for the year to be executed in Texas.
Oh Father Time, couldn't you slow down a little, if but for a few hours .....
T-Rock is a man that any one could get along with and could depend on to receive help from if you had a legal question. He is no attorney, nor does he claim to know all of the law, but he helps you as best as he can. If anything else, he will help you use the unit law library.
I do not know who he was 21 years ago when his case happened. But I do know that he has been a modeled inmate within these walls and never caused any trouble with other inmates or officers.
While we were housed at the other unit, Ellis-One, T-Rock was one of the barbers who cut our hair and to be honest with you he was a good barber! As I have said earlier, T-Rock was someone that would help out anyone if the need arose, be it with something to eat or legal issues. I can literally say that I have never heard anything negative towards him nor towards his character from either inmates or officers working death row. His character and behavior towards others leads me to believe that there is no doubt in my mind that he would be a model inmate out in general population. That is why I am hoping that he gets some kind of reprieve/action from the courts because the Clemency Board has already denied him clemency. If only the Board would take the time and talk to him in person, they would see the sincerity of his remorse for what he had done all those years ago. How can a person's sincere remorse be seen if he is not given the chance to show it to the people who have power over our lives?! I know that his crime has cause the family and friends of the victims great pain… I, of course, am not condoning the violence, nor any violence of any crime for that matter. But I do wish to send both families my sincere condolences as well to the families of all victims, be they victims of crime or of the states executioner. I just believe that T-Rock should at least spend the rest of his life serving a life sentence in prison and not have to face the executioner tonight at 6pm. For death will always create victims, no matter who does the murdering, be it by an individual or by the state.
Last night T-Rock and I played a game of scrabble after his long day of visits with his friends and family. I was hoping that I could at least help him get his mind off tonight if only for a little while........
As the pendulum continues to swing its heavy arm, I cannot help but to wonder what he is doing at this very hour. Is he asleep? Is he reading his bible or a letter? Maybe answering a letter? Or pacing his cell like I am about to do to ease my mind a bit? Five steps forward to the door, Four steps back towards the bunk .... Four steps to. Four steps back.
September 10, 2014 6:40 PM
I have just heard that T-Rock has been executed by the State ..... making him the 513th inmate to be executed since the reinstatement of capitol punishment and the 8th for this year. 2014.
REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND ......
My condolences to the friends and family that stood by T-Rock through his years on Death Row. May he continue to live through the memories of his loved ones....
Always,
Arnold Prieto, Jr.
Arnold Prieto 999149
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351