Peter’s pen pal is a killer on death row (From Southend Standard)
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Peter’s pen pal is a killer on death row
6:40pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in Echo News
Peter Covey
EVERY fortnight Peter Covey sits down to write a letter detailing the ins and outs of his life to his American friend.
Their long distance friendship seems like any other between international pen pals, but the man who receives his letters in Florida is a convicted murderer on death row.
Mr Covey, 66, of Wells Gardens, Basildon , is reluctant to reveal the identity of his friend, but revealed he knows intimate details of the horrific crime committed in 2007.
While many death-row prisoners proclaim their innocence, the pen pal admitted shooting dead his former lover in a pre-meditated murder.
Mr Covey has faced criticism for giving up his time to someone capable of such an inhumane attack.
He said: “He’s done a terrible thing, but he’s still a human being. I would like to live in a society where we are all compassionate. I regard my pen pal as a close, personal friend.”
“It is quite common for friends and family to reject a prisoner so pen pal letters may be the only human contact they have.”
The pair struck up their unlikely friendship when Mr Covey signed up to Human Writes, an organisation which was founded to give humanity to prisoners on death row in America.
After an advisor and councillor assessed Mr Covey was suitable for the voluntary role they matched him up with his pen pal four years ago.
However, at the back of Mr Covey’s mind is the fact that in ten years’ time his pen pal will die when he is given a lethal injection.
He said: “It will be a day of great sadness and pain for me.”
For more information about Human Writes, visit humanwrites.org
Comments(10)
Brunning999
says...
7:20pm Thu 13 Sep 12
Get a life mate.
InTheKnowOk
says...
7:20pm Thu 13 Sep 12
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
9:26pm Thu 13 Sep 12
Soouthchurch59
says...
9:28pm Thu 13 Sep 12
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
9:39pm Thu 13 Sep 12
Wonder if the local newspaper in deathrowsville has also done a piece on the murderer having a penpal in Basildon, United Kingdom.....nahhh doubt it.
exBillericayDicky
says...
10:41pm Thu 13 Sep 12
perini
says...
11:51pm Thu 13 Sep 12
markymark1981
says...
5:14am Fri 14 Sep 12
Brunning999
says...
8:56am Fri 14 Sep 12
perini wrote:Agree that will cost he yanks at least £240,000 to keep him alive before they kill him, that fact seems odd.
Why wait 10 years - execute him now!
APR says...
7:09pm Thu 13 Sep 12
It's strange the number of British women who befriend US convicts on death row. I expect psychiatrists have an answer as to why they do it ?