Oswald Danes

Oswald Danes was a convicted murderer, rapist and paedophile, and also a former teacher.

Biography
In 2006, he raped and murdered twelve-year-old Susie Cabina. When taken into police custody he stated that she should have run faster. He was sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection. However, he survived his execution since it occurred on Miracle Day. Because his sentence was technically carried out, his lawyers successfully advanced a force majeure argument, apparently flavoured with Fifth and Eighth Amendment implications, which induced the reluctant Governor of Kentucky to parole him. (TW: The New World)

He thereafter made an appearance on WWCN in which he broke down and cried, apologising profusely for his crimes. This started to shift opinion in his favour — opinion which had been solidly against him when he departed Montrose Hill State Penitentiary. Public relations guru Jilly Kitzinger thereafter offered her services to him, but he declined, saying that he didn't need representation. (TW: Rendition)

After being beaten by two Police officers, Oswald decided to accept Jilly's offer, and attended a meeting at PhiCorp. He agreed to promote giving PhiCorp the power to sell drugs to people without prescriptions, and PhiCorp offered him bodyguards. Captain Jack Harkness then broke into the studio where Oswald was going to appear on teleision, and Oswald admitted that the murder and rape of Susie Cabina was the best moment of his life. Jack then inferred that Oswald wanted to be executed, and Oswald had his bodyguards repeatedly punch Jack in the stomach, and escort him out of the building. Once out on the street, a woman approached Jack and asked if he'd seen or touched Oswald, almost infering that he was some kind of deity. Oswald then addressed the nation, promising them new drugs laws and stated that this was a new era for mankind, before asking them just one thing, "Walk with me."(TW: Dead of Night)

Soon afterward Ellis Hartley Monroe began preaching for a contrasting message, calling for the segregation of those who should be dead and the 'living': "Dead is Dead". Her campaign began to gain increasing media attention, competing with and surpassing that of Oswald. One one occasion he was supposed to give a press conference in front of a hospital where the worst medical cases were abandoned, only to find Monroe there and giving her own conference instead. In an attempt to upstage her, Danes entered the building to comfort the patients and pledge his help for their plight. His move worked, as the reporters turned their attention to him, especially when he held up an abandoned baby and promised a comfortable life for her. Monroe subsequently lost favour in the public's eye and disappeared soon afterwards. (TW: Escape to LA)

Behind the scenes

 * During pre-production of Torchwood: Miracle Day, this character's name was reported as "Oswald Jones". (DWM 427)