John Franklin Burns v. Dr. George Beto, Director, Texas Department of Corrections

RIVES, Circuit Judge.

Burns, the appellant, is confined in the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, Texas, under sentence of death. Upon his trial on January 15, 1964, in Criminal District Court No. 2 of Harris County, Texas, for the murder of Jessie Odum, there was admitted in evidence over his objection his written statement admit*600ting in effect that he killed Odum. The jury found him guilty of murder with malice and assessed his punishment at death. The judgment of conviction was affirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.1 Subsequently, Burns was sentenced on June 3, 1965, by the…