Peter’s pen pal is a killer on death row (From Echo)

Peter’s pen pal is a killer on death row

6:40pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News

EVERY fortnight Peter Covey sits down to write a letter detailing the ins and outs of his life to his American friend.

Their long distance friendship seems like any other between international pen pals, but the man who receives his letters in Florida is a convicted murderer on death row.

Mr Covey, 66, of Wells Gardens, Basildon , is reluctant to reveal the identity of his friend, but revealed he knows intimate details of the horrific crime committed in 2007.

While many death-row prisoners proclaim their innocence, the pen pal admitted shooting dead his former lover in a pre-meditated murder.

Mr Covey has faced criticism for giving up his time to someone capable of such an inhumane attack.

He said: “He’s done a terrible thing, but he’s still a human being. I would like to live in a society where we are all compassionate. I regard my pen pal as a close, personal friend.”

“It is quite common for friends and family to reject a prisoner so pen pal letters may be the only human contact they have.”

The pair struck up their unlikely friendship when Mr Covey signed up to Human Writes, an organisation which was founded to give humanity to prisoners on death row in America.

After an advisor and councillor assessed Mr Covey was suitable for the voluntary role they matched him up with his pen pal four years ago.

However, at the back of Mr Covey’s mind is the fact that in ten years’ time his pen pal will die when he is given a lethal injection.

He said: “It will be a day of great sadness and pain for me.”

For more information about Human Writes, visit humanwrites.org

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