The petition
Michael Nicholson was a beautiful man with mental retardation whose life was cut short on June 6, 2009 by a state caregiver while living in the Lubbock State School (now known as the Lubbock State Supported Living Center) in Texas. Several state workers witnessed this homicide, did nothing to stop it, and the school attempted to cover it up claiming his death was caused by an accidental fall. During the investigation, the truth was revealed that Michael was restrained by a caretaker until he stopped breathing as several witnesses looked on. Incredibly, the early autopsy findings done by the county medical examiner ruled out death by trauma or inflicted abuse of any kind. This exam was later finalized with the cause of death determined to be "physical altercation with asphyxia."
Despite the reality that Michael was killed by a state worker in front of multiple witnesses, and an autopsy that confirms Michael's death was due to a homicidal act of suffocation, these individuals continue to roam free. This is not only a threat to public safety, it sends the message that your life doesn't count if you happen to have a lower than average IQ. This is an outrage against this man, his family, our state and the country.
Please sign this petition to demand the immediate arrest and conviction of this dangerous killer and his accomplices.
You can read about the initial cover-up attempt by the school, the premature dismissal of this crime by the Lubbock Police Department, and the eventual homicide ruling at the attached links.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect is that the homicide ruling only occurred after Michael's mother obtained the investigation files from adult protective services (the state school refused to hand over any files) and it was only then that she discovered the truth about Michael's death. After she shared these findings with the medical examiner, it was then determined that the actual cause of death was homicide. This heinous crime was almost successfully swept under the rug by the state school, its oversight agency and the Lubbock police department, as evidenced in the articles below.
Despite the heroic efforts of Michael's mother, the state of Texas has not issued a single charge or arrest warrant almost four months later. If this is an outrage to you and you want to seek justice for this family, please send the message that this kind of cover-up will not be tolerated in the United States of America by signing this petition and forwarding to everyone you know urging them to do the same.
Make sure to check out the youtube video below at the first link and the family's website at the second link.
Thank you for seeking justice for Michael!
tinyurl.com/y94c9l8
justice4michael.com
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