Jeanette Popp: Get Well Soon

One more bit of bad news to pass along ...

Anti-death penalty advocate Jeanette Popp has been hospitalized in Fort Worth after suffering a heart attack. Popp's daughter, 20-year-old Nancy DePriest, was the victim of Austin's notorious 1988 Pizza Hut murder, for which two innocent men, Christopher Ochoa and Richard Danziger, served more than a decade in prison before being exonerated. The two were freed after DePriest's real killer, Achim Josef Marino, confessed to the crime. Popp has been a tireless crusader against the death penalty and, in the case of Marino, implored Travis Co. prosecutors not to seek the death penalty for her daughter's murderer. She also ran an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for state representative, running on an anti-death penalty platform. Popp is in the Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. To send her a get-well message via e-mail, go to https://www2.texashealth.org/contactus/success.asp

Shannon Sizemore had the Q&A and Overview of Popp's 2004 race for State Rep. over at TT. Agree with her or not, politically, but her background and sense of commitment are remarkable. She's fought back prior personal challenges and hopefully this one will be seen in the rear view mirror soon enough for her. We could use a few more with a fraction of her determination.