Jeffery Lee Wood

Law of Parties

Texas has what is commonly referred to as the "law of parties" under criminal cases. The law says that if a person, "acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense", then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another as well.

Murder of Kris Keeran

Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on January 2, 1996, Wood and Daniel Earl Reneau parked outside a Texaco station in Kerrville, Texas. While Wood waited outside, Reneau entered the station and pointed a .22-caliber handgun at clerk Kris Keeran. When Keeran did not respond to Reneau's requests, Reneau shot the clerk, killing him almost instantly.

Hearing the gunshot, Wood entered the gas station and found the clerk on the floor behind the counter. Wood then ran to the back, where he removed the surveillance video and the murder weapon, while Reneau carried the store's safe and cash box. They both then fled from the scene. The value of cash and checks was estimated to be $11,350.

According to ABC News, Wood says he was forced by Reneau at gunpoint to take the surveillance video. He then destroyed the video after showing it to his brother and telling him that he and Reneau had carried out the robbery and murder.

Conviction and sentencing

Wood and Reneau were both arrested on January 2, 1996.

Wood was convicted and sentenced to be executed although he was not present in the store during the killing, being outside at the time, and claims that he was not aware that Reneau was going to use force. Wood has been on the Texas death row since March 3, 1996. Additionally, Wood has a history of mental illness and was initially not mentally fit to stand trial.

Victim's family

The victim's father, Charles Keeran, said he would like to see Wood live the rest of his life in prison instead of being executed. "The death penalty, to me, is the easy way out," he said. "If you had to be down there and get up every morning, as hot and humid as it is, knowing that you are going to spend the rest of your life locked up under those conditions, that's punishment. That's what I think my son would want for him."

Clemency

A group of Texas legislators sent a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles urging clemency for Wood.

On August 19, 2008, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7–0 against clemency for Wood. The governor of Texas can only grant one 30-day stay of execution without a recommendation from the board for a longer stay.

2008 stay of execution

Five and one half hours before Wood's scheduled execution, a federal judge in San Antonio issued a stay of execution to allow a hearing to determine whether Wood was mentally competent.

2016 stay of execution

On August 19, 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution, sending the case back to the original trial court.