The Arson Science Reckoning: How Texas Executed an Innocent Man

On December 23, 1991, a fire tore through the Willingham home in Corsicana, Texas, killing three young girls — daughters of Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham escaped and was the only survivor. Fire investigators examined the scene and declared it arson. Willingham was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

On February 17, 2004, he was executed by lethal injection. He maintained his innocence until the end.

THE EVIDENCE: Prosecutors relied on testimony from fire investigators who pointed to:

• "Crazed glass" — irregular cracking patterns on windows
• "Char patterns" showing "pour patterns" suggesting accelerant
• "Alligatoring" — a pattern in burned wood supposedly indicating an accelerant
• Multiple points of origin

Each of these indicators, investigators said, proved arson.

THE SCIENCE — THEN AND NOW: Modern fire science has invalidated every single indicator used to convict Willingham:

• Crazed glass is caused by rapid cooling (e.g., firefighters' water) — not accelerants
• The "pour patterns" and alligatoring are consistent with fast-burning ordinary household fires
• Modern research shows trained fire investigators perform no better than chance when distinguishing accidental from intentional fires using old methods

In 2009, nationally recognized fire investigator Gerald Hurst reviewed the evidence and concluded: "There is nothing to suggest to a reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire."

THE COVER-UP: A report commissioned by the Texas Forensic Science Commission in 2009 also found the investigation deeply flawed. Before the Commission could vote on findings, Texas Governor Rick Perry — who had signed Willingham's death warrant — replaced three members of the panel.

THE LEGACY: The Willingham case is the most widely cited potential wrongful execution in American history. Texas has never officially acknowledged the possibility that it executed an innocent man.

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