8/8/2019 Pflugerville Pflag Story on Death Row Exoneree Anthony Graves Receiving $3,000 in Donations from Texas Morato

1/1

Family picks up pieces after fire destroys mobile home

The Texas MoratoriumNetwork presentedexoneree Anthony Graveswith $3,000 raised by itsmembers to help support histransition back to freedom.

What I want to do ismove forward with mylife, Graves said. I justwant to go out and make a

difference. I want to be apart of a solution to a plagu-ing problem in our criminal

justice system.Graves was convicted for

the murder of six people inSommerville who werebludgeoned to death.

Scott Cobb of the TMN

said Graves fell victim to

gross prosecutorial mis-

conduct.

The current prosecutorsare saying that the reason hewas wrongfully convictedand sentenced to death wasthe prosecutorial miscon-

duct, Cobb said. The

worst misconduct by a pros-ecutor that the current pros-ecutors have ever seen.

Other capital cases havebeen overturned by DNAevidence, but Cobb saidDNA evidence only plays arole for 10 percent of thestates death row exonorees.

As soon as we heard

about Anthonys release onOct. 27, we asked our mem-ber [approximately 20,000members] if theres any-thing that they wanted to doto help, Cobb said.

Base funds are often an

essential need of death

row exonorees when they

are fresh out of prison,

Cobb said.

We called up his lawyerand she said he may be ableto get some compensationfrom the state, but its goingto take a long time and there

Thursday

November 25, 2010

Vol. 30, Issue 33

50

Since 1980

OpinionA4CommunityA7

HealthA8Sports B1

Classifieds B4-5

Vol. 30 Issue 33

INSIDEHigh 69Low 36

More weather A2

City ditches pond plans Feature: Hanovers

Volleyball awards Veterans Day photos

ONLINE NOW THANKFULThanksgiving meals delivered

PAGE A5

FLYING COUGARSConnally faces Tyler John Tyler in area round

PAGE B1

I want to ... moveforward with my life

El Rincondonates tovictims

family

Photo by James RinconMary Lou, Mariah andChristina Martinez wear aportrait of family memberCynthia Martinez, shot todeath Saturday in Austin.

By James RinconPflag Reporter

A Pflugerville restaurantopened its doors Monday nightto the family of a formerConnally High School student

who was shot to death in northAustin early Saturday morning.

The family and friends gath-ered in El Rincon restaurant at200 Pecan St. to remember 23-year-old Cynthia JoannMartinezs life and to raisefunds for her funeral services.

She was coming home. Shewas going to come spend thenight with me and go to mynieces party. All we talkedabout was my niece, Cynthiassister, 16-year-old ChristinaMartinez said.

Christinas phone conversa-tion with Cynthia the night of

the shooting was Cynthias lastcontact with her family.

According to an arrest affi-davit, Martinezs boyfriendEric Munoz, left the scene of acrash in the apartment complexparking lot at around 10 p.m.after hitting 20-year-oldValentino Garcias FordExplorer.

Garcia followed Munoz fromthe scene and struck MunozsBuick before losing control ofthe SUV and rolling it onto itsside, according to the affidavit.

Garcia told police he hadbeen the victim of a hit-and-run

and was trying to catch theother driver, the affidavit said.

Later that night Garciareturned to the apartment com-plex where he confrontedMunoz, according to the affi-davit, and he allegedly shotMunoz and Martinez.

Garcia has been charged withfirst-degree murder and isbeing held on $750,000 bond.

Christina Martinez saidCynthia moved out of the fam-ilys house six weeks ago to theapartment where she waskilled.

She wanted to live on her

own I guess. She wanted togrow up. I kept telling her tocome back, said the youngersister.

See Martinez,A5

See Graves,A2

Graves home forholidays after 18

years innocenton death row

Photo by James Rincon Anthony Graves stands outside his sisters house inPflugerville Saturday after his Oct. 27 exoneration

from charges that had him on death row for 18 years.

By James RinconPflag Reporter

Aformer death row prisoner received donations inPflugerville on Saturday after his Oct. 27 exon-eration from multiple murder charges that had-

him awaiting execution for 18 years.

Photo by James RinconAnthony Graves accepts $3,000in donations from TexasMoratorium Network PresidentScott Cobb on Saturday in

Pflugerville.

By James RinconPflag Reporter

Area residents who lost theirmobile home to an electrical fireNov. 16 have spent the weekrummaging through the charredwreckage looking to salvagesome belongings.

Pflugerville firefighters res-ponded to the fire in the 13000

block of Tophill Circle off ofImmanuel Road just south of thecity, but could not quench theflames before the house, an adja-cent building and most of theitems in them were consumed.

My mom woke up and shesmelled smoke. She went to thekitchen and she saw fire outside.She went outside, and she wasgoing to turn the water hose on,but it was too hot and the firewas already there, said 12-year-old Yuridiana Xonthe, the oldestof the six children left homeless

by the blaze.Xonthe was asleep in the

mobile home, along with herfive younger brothers and fouradults. Firefighters said thedwelling did not have any smokedetectors.

Fortunately, everyone got outin time with no injuries, PFDLt. Tim Wallace said. Theinvestigation team has found an

area of origin but is still lookinginto the cause.

Xonthe said her mother wokeup her father and his two friendswhile she woke up her brothers.

My mom woke me up and Ihad to wake up my brothers,Xonthe said. When we startedgoing outside there was all thissmoke My dads friend calledthe fire truck to come to try toput the fire out, and when theyput it out, everything was gone.

Photo by James RinconAngel, Leonardo, Yuridiana and Geancarlos Xonthe and Delia Morales sift throughwhats left of their home Friday on the 13000 block of Tophill Circle. Electric wiringis believed to be the cause of the fire that left 10 residents homeless.See Fire,A5

Rhythm section

Photo by Pat McCordMembers of the Connally High School Band dance duringthe Cougars playoff game in Waco last weekend. SeeSPORTS for more information on the game.

Pfest crafters linked by loveof hobby, knack for recycling

By James RinconPflag Reporter

Hobbyists of all experience levels andcrafts filled the Pflugerville RecreationCenter Saturday for this years Pfall Pfest.

Jean Rutledge started crafting over thesummer, using her background of morethan 40 years sewing experience, shechurned out a cornucopia of appliqu wallhangings with scenes of the season from

falling leaves to turkeys, Christmas lightsand snowmen.

I just love doing it. Its the way I relax,Rutledge said.

When shes not cutting and sewing,Rutledge substitute teaches at Caldwell

Elementary School.She said educators taking a break in the

school teachers lounge might catch aglimpse of one of her colorful creationsbefore the school breaks for the winter.

Beverly Gilbert said shes been a crafteras far back as she can remember. Hertables were spilling over with more than150 seasonal knickknacks that virtuallyturned her corner of the recreation centerinto a winter wonderland.

Garlands, poinsettias and handmadeornaments speckled and spiraled aroundminiature Christmas trees so ornate theymight make Charlie Brown blush.

See Pfall Pfest,A5

pflugervillepflag.com

Serv ing P f lugerv i l le , P f luger v i l le ISD and Nor th Aus t in