David Lynn Carpenter

Case identifiers and background

David Lynn Carpenter was sentenced to death in the state of Texas. He was listed with TDCJ Number 999300 and a date of birth of 08/25/1967.

Carpenter’s record of receipt for sentencing was dated 04/08/1999. His age at receipt was 31 and his education level was 10.

Background

Carpenter was born in Texas. He was a White male with brown hair and blue eyes. He was 6' 2" tall and weighed 240.

At the time of the offense, Carpenter was 24 years old and the offense occurred on 08/28/1991 in Dallas County, Dallas, Texas.

Before the murder, Carpenter had worked as a carpenter, heavy equipment operator, and laborer.

Prior prison record

Carpenter had a prior 2 year sentence from Dallas County for 1 count of Burglary Of A Building and 1 count of Criminal Mischief. He was released on parole on 05/25/88, and on 05/03/89 he returned as a parole violator with a new conviction and new number (#508994). That later conviction carried a 20 year sentence in Kaufman County for 1 count of Burglary of a Habitation. He was released on parole on 4/15/91 to Smith County.

The offence

On 08/28/1991, during the daytime hours, Carpenter murdered a 52 year old white female while burglarizing the victim's residence in Dallas, Texas.

Carpenter kicked in the front door of the victim's residence and cut the victim's throat.

Victim

The victim was a White female, aged 52.

Investigation and evidence

Carpenter’s case included references to footprints on the outside of the house and a partial of the same print on the inside. The prints were reportedly tennis shoes, and Carpenter stated he never wore tennis shoes. The court proceedings reportedly included an assertion that a mud made from the footprint existed, but the size was refused to be stated, and Carpenter said this was mentioned.

Carpenter also stated that there was no physical evidence that would put him in or around the victim's home. He further stated that the car allegedly attributed to him was in a pasture for 5 years up until the first weekend in October.

He stated that fingerprints found were not his and hair found was not his. He stated that DNA testing proved the hair was not his.

Arrest

No arrest details were provided in the supplied record.

Trial

The record indicated that there were no co-defendants.

Carpenter also included an account of the trial and witness issues in a letter he wrote about his case and end of trial. He said he had been sentenced to death for the murder of a Dallas woman and asked readers to believe him when he said: "I did not do this!"

Carpenter described that the prosecution used what he characterized as witness issues involving Mandee McBay. He stated that she was taken to Braums for ice cream and shopping one weekend, and he said: "This is in the transcripts !" He asserted that during the first week of trial questions were asked, and he said: "But the DA didn't like the answers." He then described what he said happened during the weekend and said: "Then the following week they ask her the same questions and they were inconsistent from the answers she had previously given."

Carpenter stated that he asked for Mandee McBay to be excluded as a witness, and he said they were common law married and had 2 children together. He stated that the defense proved this beyond a reasonable doubt but he asserted: "But, the prosecution and the judge conspired together to abuse her discretion. So, that they could use her "Hearsay" testimony." He also said: "Which, had she agreed with the law, (in Brooks Vs State) any thing she had to say as a far as her opinions or hearsay, would have been off limits."

Carpenter stated that the prosecution threatened to take her kids from her if she didn't. He said in her testimony she admitted on the stand that she had threatened his life.

Carpenter asserted that another witness described seeing a tall skinny man with long ratty brown hair and no facial hair running from the scene, and he said she stated she was close enough to see his eyes but did not know whether he was wearing a shirt.

Carpenter stated that the murder was supposed to have taken place in August of 1991 and that the witness was not shown a photo line up until September 1997. He stated that she was shown 6 photos, and he said: "only one of the photos was different from the others in color and texture," and he further said that it was the only one with a signature on the back of it dated the day before she was to view them. He said: "You guessed it, mine."

Carpenter stated that the witness testified she spent 10 minutes looking at the photos "she wanted to be sure." He then argued: "If that were the case, then the investigator who gave the photo line up, lied." He stated that the investigator said she picked out the photo in about 2 minutes. He also said the witness testified she told Penrod that the reason she remembered the man was his eyes and said: 'He had an evil look'. He then stated that when Penrod was asked "Did she say he had an evil look ?" Penrod said: 'No'. Carpenter stated: "I believe she was told to say that." He also wrote: "The truth will be the same no matter who tells it !"

Carpenter stated that witnesses’ statements were inconsistent, including inconsistencies about the color of his hair. He stated he got out of prison in April 1991 and that the murder happened in August 1991 and argued: "How could I have long ratty brown hair ?" He stated that a witness said the guy had dark brown hair and said his hair was bleached out at that time as he said was testified by 2 different States witnesses.

Carpenter stated he had always been large and never skinny, including referencing that he was a 16 year old girl in his discussion. He said at the time of his release he was 6' 2" and weighed 230 lbs, and he said he steadily gained weight as the photos would show.

Carpenter also stated that the defense did not call witnesses he wanted to call and that he said an attorney “wouldn't call in.” He also stated that one witness that he said was in TDC was brought back and never called her.

He stated that at the end of the arguments the jury had a conflict, and they were called in and told how to get the portion of the court records that they wanted to see and that it would take some time to find it and translate it so they could read it. He then stated that after 5 minutes they were called in and he said guilty was returned.

Carpenter stated that the DA said it was the eyewitness testimony that done it and asked: "How did she know that ?" He then stated: "I believe she interfered in the deliberations." He wrote: "If you would have been there you would have seen what a circus it was."

He stated that the DA told a gruesome theory of how he thinks it happened. He said pictures of him were shown while he was incarcerated, and he said the DA came out and said that he had been in prison, which he said was a violation in itself.

Carpenter asked for help and wrote: "I don't have much time, with this new law." He stated there were 2 witnesses who were, in his view, there to testify that the guy who really did it had confessed to them that he did it, how he did it and where she lived.

Carpenter stated that one witness said the guy came to her house and told her son he did it. He stated that after he left, her son told her what he said and she immediately called the police. He stated the police talked to her son and a report was made.

Carpenter stated that about 2 years ago her son was killed and that he said it was about the same way as the woman that was murdered, and he stated that the boys mother was told it was road rage for the reason that her son was killed.

He further stated that there was a girl and her mother who were present who he said would testify that the same boy also told the daughter that he did it and showed her the knife he used. Carpenter stated they called in the boy and he pleaded the 5th out of the presence of the jury, and Carpenter stated the judge refused to let the jury know about it.

Carpenter wrote about the money he said the victim gave him. He stated: "Yes, the girl did give me some money but it was to rent a moving truck. Which I did rent and I did help her move." He stated: "But thats the only money that I ever got from her." He also stated that she offered to pay him to do a hit and he said he told her she was crazy, and he said she admitted it and said that she offered. He then stated she changed her story and said she did pay him to do it, and then she changed her story again and said she only gave him a down payment. He stated: "She's a liar."

Carpenter stated he had a letter from one of her friends admitting she took a lie detector test and that he described her as a habitual, vindictive liar.

He also included statements about his prior history and denied wrongdoing, writing: "I have gotten into trouble before and done things I shouldn't have but never, never would I do anything like this to a person."

Sentencing

Carpenter was sentenced to death on April 8, 1999.

Appeals

No appeal details were provided in the supplied record.

Outcome

Carpenter’s current legal outcome was that he was sentenced to death. The record included that he believed he did not do the murder and sought reconsideration or a new trial.

Aftermath

A statement was added by Carpenter’s mother, Diana Carpenter. It began: "PS Hello, I'm David's mother. He asked that I type this letter for him and I would like to add," and continued with her comments.

Diana Carpenter questioned the footprint analysis and asked: "Back in grade school they done some tests on him at Dallas Children's Hospital. It included all kinds of tests, such as what hand he uses to eat with, what hand he throws a ball with, and even what foot he uses to kick a ball with." She said she told his court appointed attorneys and that they did not try to get this information, and she stated: "They could have looked to see when the car he was supposed to have been in was registered in his name. None of this came up at his trial."

Diana Carpenter stated her view of the reason for the murder, describing that a man was seeing these 2 women (the hirer, and the murdered), and she wrote: "The woman (that supposedly done the hiring) and the man (that got on the stand and testifed that he was very much in love with the murdered woman, moved in together on the same day that the woman was murdered." She then asked: "Doesn't this sound a little strange to you ?" and she stated her belief: "To me, there would be a lot of reasonable doubt."

She stated: "I'm not very smart but I believe all of this would be grounds for a new trial." She said she and her family did not have money to hire a lawyer and that if they did they would have already done so, and she asserted: "we know that our son didn't do this." She ended with: "If you could help in any way we would greatly appreciate it. A sincere thanks for your time, DIANA CARPENTER (David's Mother)"

Other details

Carpenter’s letter included references to Mandee McBay being threatened regarding her children and to the trial involving witness questions and photo line up procedures. It also included Carpenter’s statements about deliberation time and the jury being called in after a conflict.

The record referenced David Carpenter homepage: CCADP.org and included the date "August 27, 1999" within the letter’s text context.

Carpenter’s record also included a statement: "Date of Offense 08/28/1991" and "Date Received 04/08/1999," and it listed county as Dallas and native county and native state as Dallas Texas.