To: Texas Parole Board of Pardon and Reviews
Re: Parole Review
Offender: Ricky Carter
State ID: 06227942
TDCJ ID: 01009150
Placed in parole review on 07/05/05

Dear Sir:

It brings my heart much sorrow to hear what the families and friends of Mandi, Lacey, Staci and Whitney have endured thru this tragedy. The decisions and actions of Ricky Carter also bring about much anger in that he deliberately drank and got behind the wheel knowing the possible end results. There is absolutely no excuse or plea for allowing this man to walk free. The United States is a country of freedom but criminals, in this case a murderer, should not have the freedom that these four young ladies had taken away from them. If we allow this man to be free we are relaying values to young people that drinking and driving is acceptable and there is always a way out with a good lawyer. I think this is the wrong message. You commit the crime, you pay the price.

The statistics of repeat DWI offenders reveals that about a third of all drivers arrested for DWI are repeat offenders and 1 out of 8 intoxicated drivers in fatal crashes have had a prior DWI conviction within the past three years. The state of Texas rates third in the United States for percentage of repeat DWI offenders. (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov) These are trends that have continued for years and something must be done.

In closing, please consider the evidence that allowing this man to walk free will not bring justice to the innocent girls that lost their lives nor their friends and families. Ricky Carter is not the victim in this case, he deserves rightful punishment, not freedom.

Regards,

Keisha Leatherman