Murderer Daniel Perry’s messages reveal racist heart

Defender News Service

Convicted murder Daniel Perry, whom Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to pardon for the murder of an Austin protester, ofen made racist comments and regularly announced his desire to kill protesters in the months leading up to the day Perry killed Garrett Foster, according to social media posts and texts recently made public after court documents were unsealed.

On May 29, 2020, days afer George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police ofcer prompted nationwide protests, Perry sent a text message saying, “I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.”

Two days later, records reveal Perry posted a Facebook message that said when he is in Dallas, “no protestors go near me or my car.”

Te person who Perry was messaging, whose Facebook handle is Justin S., replied, “Can you catch me a negro daddy,” to which Perry responded, “Tat is what I am hoping,” Perry said.

In June, Perry sent text messages from an undisclosed location mentioning that concurrent with a bars closing, “the blacks … gathering up in a group I think something is about to happen.”

Reminiscent of white domestic terrorists who cut of body parts of Blacks they had recently lynched, and using the severed limbs as souvenirs and trophies, Perry said, “I wonder if they will let m[e] cut the ears of of people who’s decided to commit suicide by me.”

Prosecutors had filed the sealed 82-page document of Perry’s phone records and social media messages in March, but much of it was not brought before jurors. Information depicting a defendant’s character is often not allowed to be introduced while a jury weighs guilt versus innocence, and was apparently not needed for a jury to fnd Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant, guilty of murder.

However, that same information can be used in a sentencing hearing.

Perry’s long history of racist social media messages also includes anti-Muslim messages the convicted killer posted before and afer Floyd’s death. One such post from April 2020, included a photo of a woman holding her child’s head under water in the bath, with the text, “WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER’S FIRST CRUSH IS A LITTLE NEGRO BOY.”

Additionally, in 2019, Perry Facebook messaged someone saying, “To[o] bad we can’t get paid for hunting Muslims in Europe,” as part of his search for activeduty military weekend work.

“Daniel Perry, who was recently convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester…sent private messages for years containing racist memes and defending the killing of protesters and Muslims,” read a statement released by Texas Democrats.

Perry’s defense attorney Clint Broden declined to comment on the newly released court documents.

Perry was convicted less than two weeks ago in Travis County for shooting and killing Foster in July 2020. Perry drove his car into a group of protesters, including Foster, a white Air Force veteran. Foster was carrying an AK-47, a legal act in Texas. Perry’s attorneys said at trial Foster raised his rife, prompting Perry to shoot Foster fve times through his car window with his handgun. Multiple witnesses said Foster did not raise his rife.

Conservative politicians, prompted in part by commentary made by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have rallied to Perry’s side, saying the act was purely self-defense in the face of dangerous protests. Tey’ve faulted the progressive prosecutor for pursuing the case.

Less than a day afer the conviction, Abbott took the unprecedented step of declaring his intent to pardon Perry for the murder, requesting the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles hand him the legally required recommendation as soon as possible.