Johnny Paul Penry

Johnny Paul Penry (born May 5, 1956) is a Texas prisoner serving three consecutive life sentences for rape and murder. He was on death row between 1980 and 2008, and his case generated discussion about the appropriateness of the death penalty for offenders who are thought to be intellectually disabled.

Penry's case went twice to the United States Supreme Court: Penry v. Lynaugh (1989) found that executing intellectually disabled persons is not cruel and unusual punishment, and Penry v. Johnson (2001) found that the jury's instructions regarding mitigating factors were incomplete and that Penry should be re-sentenced. In 2008, prosecutors reached a plea agreement with Penry, in which he received three consecutive life sentences and waived his right to be eligible for parole.

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