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From Kerry Max Cook

I am the person wrongly convicted and nearly executed in what is said to be one of the worst examples of documented police and prosecutorial misconduct in Texas history. This pernicious misconduct isn’t just confined to my first 1978 trial as frequently touted by certain Tyler talking heads, but ran rampant throughout every “trial” I ever had spanning 47 years and nearly four capital murder trials.

Vanessa Curry is not an unbiased source of information on this case. (Editor’s Note: Curry has previously submitted letters to the editor [Sept. 25] about the case and was interviewed by the Tyler Morning Telegraph in June for an article about the case).

In my nearly five decades search for truth, justice and Smith County accountability for Ms. Linda Jo Edwards and myself, I have found two things to be true: First, once someone believes something, they see everything through that prism. Secondly, “What is the cost of lies? It’s not that we will mistake them for the truth, but that if we hear them long enough, we will no longer recognize the truth.” — Excerpt from the Netflix Series, The Chernobyl Diaries

Kerry Max Cook

On-point golf piece

The piece by Pat Wheeler about the LIV Team Championship held at Meridoe was really spot-on and an entertaining look into what true golf can be in the sense of global and unity. No opinion just fact but good fact and enough to draw golfers together thinking about a future of the two tours working together and not apart.

It was well written. Well done, Pat Wheeler and Tyler Morning Telegraph. Keep it going.

George Machock

Golfer, University of Texas Golf Team 1968-1971

Mahomes Sr. needed a stiffer sentence

I was very disappointed to hear that Patrick “Pat” Mahomes Sr. got only five years probation for driving while intoxicated (DWI).

I consider myself a compassionate person, but when it comes to willful DWI, he could have killed someone. It isn’t as if he accidentally ingested too much cough medicine. The man chose to drink and when arrested he had a blood alcohol content of 0.23, extremely beyond intoxication.

Were he not the father of a famous NFL football player, he would probably have gotten 10 years in prison. I take a dim view of DWI/DUIs. Too many innocent people have had their lives taken by such offenders. Anyone who looks at Mahomes Sr.’s mugshot can see the frazzled face of a man who probably has been a heavy drinker for years.

Despite his request, he shouldn’t be allowed to travel out of the state of Texas during football season during those five years. He needs to “feel” the severity of his offense. He needs to do more that simply Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He needs to do hard, community-service, such as picking up litter and going to area high schools to apologize for his behavior and caution students against even doing anything remotely resembling his behavior. (Editor’s Note: Mahomes Sr. recently said in an interview with Tyler media that he plans to participate in public speaking engagements to “enlighten” others on his issues with alcohol and journey to a better path).

I don’t think celebrities’ family-members should receive preferential treatment. Equal justice should prevail and that means stern discipline for DWI offenders.

James A. Marples

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