Abbott Pardons Man Who Murdered BLM Protestor, Sparking Controversy

In a controversial move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) pardoned Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murdering Garrett Foster, a Black Lives Matter protestor.

In July 2020, Perry drove to a protest for racial equality and killed Foster, who was carrying an AK-47 at the time. Perry claimed he had acted in self-defense. However, his claims were not enough for the jury, and he was found guilty of murder.

Perry’s social media posts showed he had previously expressed a desire to shoot protestors. Furthermore, he referred to himself as a “racist” and to black people as “monkeys”, after his conviction.

Abbott’s questionable pardoning of Perry was shockingly quick. Most of his pardons come around the holiday season, and they are usually non-violent crimes. That said, Abbott previously showed his eagerness to pardon Perry. In 2023, the Texas politician stated that if the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles nominated Perry for pardon, he would do it.

Foster’s lawyer blasted the decision stating that the board and current governor “put their politics over justice and made a mockery of our legal system.”

“They have sent a message to Garrett Foster’s family, to his partner, and to our community that his life does not matter.  They have sent the message that the service of the Travis County community members who served on the grand jury and trial jury does not matter,” said Garza.

Garza continued, “We will not stop fighting for justice.“

Foster’s partner Whitney Mitchell shared heartfelt remarks, condemning Abbott’s pardoning of Perry.

“I loved Garrett Foster. I thought we were going to grow old together," said Mitchell. "He was the love of my life. He still is. I am heartbroken by this lawlessness. Governor Abbott has shown that to him, only certain lives matter. He has made us all less safe.”

"With this pardon, the Governor has desecrated the life of a murdered Texan, impugned that jury’s just verdict, and declared that citizens can be killed with impunity as long as they hold political views that are different from those in power,” concluded Mitchell.