The Marshall Project

He Pocketed His Victims' Organs. Was His Death Penalty Trial Fair?

As Andre Thomas faces execution for three gory murders, a court questions jury bias and his competency.

Warning: This story contains graphic content that could be disturbing to some readers.

It’s been 13 years since a floridly psychotic black man named Andre Thomas was sentenced to die. He killed his estranged white wife, their young biracial son and the wife’s other biracial child. He then stabbed himself three times and laid down next to his victims, expecting to die. When he didn’t, he walked five miles to his father’s house in Sherman, Texas, carrying his victims’ organs in his pockets, and tried to call Laura, the woman he’d just killed.

Five days after his confession to police, he decided he would heed Matthew’s Biblical advice: “If thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out.” And

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