Last August, forensic fire expert Craig Beyler published a report commissioned by the Texas Forensic Science Commission on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham was executed in 2004 for setting a fire that killed his three daughters. Beyler’s report was damning. He concluded that there was no evidence Willingham set the fire, or even that the fire was intentional. Beyler wrote that the state fire investigators who testified against Willingham had “poor understandings of fire science,” had a “”predisposition to find arson in his cases,” and their opinions weren’t founded in science but rather were “nothing more than a collection of personal beliefs.”

Beyler was the ninth forensic fire expert to reach the conclusion that there was no evidence Willingham set the fire.

Last month, the New Yorker followed up with an in-depth investigation by David Grann arguing that Willingham was innocent. A national discussion followed over whether Willingham represents the first known innocent person executed in the modern era of capital punishment.

The Forensic Science Commission was supposed to meet today to review Beyler’s report and Willingham’s case. But that isn’t going to happen. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who signed off on Willingham’s execution, has abruptly replaced three of the commission’s members, forcing the cancellation of today’s meeting. Notably, he replaced the head of the commission—defense attorney Sam Bassett—with John Bradley, a district attorney. Another member Perry replaced, prosecutor Alan Levy, warned Perry’s office weeks ago that replacing members now could disrupt the Willingham investigation.

Perry says the commission members had reached the end of their terms, so their removal was “business as usual.” Those familiar with the commission say reappointments are common, and Perry’s timing is suspicious.

Perry also continues to defend Willingham’s execution. The Associated Press reports that after the Beyler report and New Yorker articles came out, Perry referred to the nine forensic arson experts who criticized the trial testimony of two local fire chiefs as  “supposed experts,” adding that he hadn’t “seen anything that would cause me to think that the decision” to put Willingham to death “was not correct.”

Homer, Alaska.

Starting on Saturday, I’ll be switching to a new comments system.

It’s called LivePodium and features some pretty cool interactive features. You’ll be able to IM and chat live with other commenters, vote up or down on my posts and other comments, and see real time accumulation of karma.

It’s quite a bit different than what I use now, and it’s still experimental. So I’m sure there will be bugs. I’m getting paid to use you all as guinea pigs. So give it a shot. The trial will last for four months, after which I’ll decide whether to adopt it permanently or go back to the old system.

I’ll put up a post each week where you can register complaints, suggestions, glitches, etc. It would also of course be helpful to note things you like about the system.

So given that I’m starting a new column in Reason next month, have lost about 50 pounds in the last year, and that the photo I had been using was about six years old, I met up with superb (and libertarian!) photographer Noel St. John the other day to snap some pics, one of which you’ll now find on my “About Me” page, and others of which you’ll see around the web in various forms.

I put up this post not to invite you to comment on the photos (though I’m sure you will anyway), but to thank Noel for helping me out. The guy’s got talent–he managed to make even my pasty mug look good. He’s done some great work for Reason, too.

If you live in the Atlanta or D.C. area and need a photographer, you should give him a call. Here’s his website.

Indiana.