CNN: Barbour helped freed killers buy cars

JACKSON, Miss., March 15 (UPI) -- Two convicted killers pardoned by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour as he left office this year were able to buy cars while still prisoners, investigators say.

CNN reported it obtained documents from the state attorney general's investigation of the pardons. Investigators said the governor's wife, Marsha, called a car dealer, and the chief of security at the governor's mansion took the two men to get their driver's licenses renewed.

David Gatlin and Charles Hooker worked at the governor's mansion as trusties. They were among 200 people pardoned by Barbour in his final days in office.

The car dealer said the vehicles were delivered to the governor's mansion. Both were paid for with checks from Bank Plus.

Wayland Adams, who retired as security chief in January, said Barbour did not ask him to help Gatlin and Hooker with their licenses.

"I thought that if I went ahead to get them a driver's license it would speed things up on getting them a job," Adams said. "And that was the only reason. I was just trying to help them."

Randy Walker, who was wounded in the head 20 years ago when Gatlin shot and killed his estranged wife, said that was too much help: "Where is enough enough? It should be enough that they gave a convicted killer his life back."