Thanks for coming Jack. I thank God for having patience with me. Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. Stacy Kuykendall said she believed for over a decade her husband, Cameron Todd Willingham, didn't deliberately start the house fire that killed their three daughters. Mon, Feb 27, 2023 LOGIN . And it is a shame that it had to come to this. I am really so sorry about it, I really am. There is a central room and two witnesss rooms divided by a wall, ensuring the two groups never meet. Lyons who is a mother to a daughter herself claimed that during the killers execution, his wife was behind a glass window witnessing it, and he screamed at her: "I hope you rot in hell, b***h. I hope you f**king rot in hell.". Read more about the TFSC and download key documents relating to the panel here. While we can not be sure about where Stacy currently resides, you can find her on her social media accounts, which she uses as a platform to ensure that no one will ever forget her late daughters. Michelle Lyons worked as a newspaper reporter and a Texas state employee at the jail and said Willingham was swearing and yelling at his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even as he was being executed. Well Mom, sometimes it works out like this. Here are 10 instances where executed prisoners were later found out to be innocent. Innocence Project Co-Director Barry Scheck responded that the the reasoning of the opinion is wrong and contrary to the clear intention of the legislature when it formed the Commission.. Yet, Michelle explained that by far the most chilling part of the process is when the inmates are given the opportunity to talk before they depart. The panel's review was interrupted several times over the last two years, however, and continues today. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return-so the earth shall become my throne. "From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. Though she hadn't said this to investigators or during his trial, Kuykendall said she threatened to divorce Willingham the night before the fire. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Michelle Lyons is a reporter who covered hundreds of executions at a prison in Texas, She said the final words of Cameron Willingham, who killed his three daughters, were some of the worst she heard, Texas mom who witnessed more than 300 executions talks of her experience, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Tell my kids I love them. Having your wife, whod fought in your corner for so long, change her mind and convict you along with the powers-that-be-well, thats an experience that could easily bring out such a statement right before one is executed. It seems like Cameron admitted to the couples tumultuous past first, acknowledging that their relationship was affected by their troubled backgrounds. SCOTT HONEA Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Top: The aftermath of a . My life is all I can give. That's it, I have nothing else to say. February 8, 2023 by Blessed Antwi. Willingham was executed in February 2004 proclaiming his innocence and hoping aloud that his wife would "rot in . Interesting and key material from the Cameron Todd Willingham case, with annotated highlights Willingham's Writings and a Drawing "You asked me what it was that kept me going, then answered the . I lied on him in court. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. His other relatives are fighting to clear his name. View our online Press Pack. The panels review was interrupted several times over the last two years, however, and continues today. I am at peace with God. In 2008, the Texas Forensic Science Commission agreed to investigate the case. And on October 15, the Texas Forensic Science Commission discussed the case in depth at its regular meeting. She stood by that claim in her statement to HuffPost, "I did not want to believe that he could kill our children either, but he did," she said. I knew I would pay with struggle and strife, but I never thought the cost would be me losing my life.Written through his sister, Michelle Winn, Robert Carter Executed 5/31/00"To the Davis family, I am sorry for all of the pain that I caused your family. I love you Gabby. I confess my sins. ", Furthermore, a fellow final speech, delivered by Cameron Todd Willingham, saw a tirade directed at his ex-wife, including every swear word you could imagine.. 36-year-old Willingham flicked a middle finger at his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, as he was strapped down to the gurney for his execution in 2004. His body was cremated and his ashes secretly spread on his children's graves by his parents. "I gotta go, road dog. "They don't allow that usually. On December 23, 1991, a house in Texas burned to the ground. I love you Gabby. (Yes, they couldnt resist bringing in Clintonesque.). Stacy was unharmed as she was out Christmas shopping at the time. To my step father Paul, I love you. My wife had nothing to do with it. Matthews. I love you mom. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. By Maurice Possley. Willingham's former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. I pray Lord, please forgive me. I hope you rot in hell, bitch; I hope you fucking rot in hell, bitch. I love you, Gabby.". It was me and me alone. Two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall and one-year-old twins Karmen Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham were killed in 1991 in a fire that Willingham claimed was an accident. I love you Gabby." The chilling memoirs, which she recently penned in her book Death Row: The Final Minutes, has now been fully revealed, with every experience unique in its own right. I deserve what I am getting. "He directed so much vitriol towards her that the warden actually started the execution as he was talking to make him stop.". Investigation Discoverys Evil Lives Here: What If He Was Innocent? examines one of the most fascinating tales in American true-crime history by putting the focus on Cameron Todd Willingham once again. Is it the whole truth? Lyons who is a mother to a daughter herself claimed that during the killers execution, his wife was behind a glass window witnessing it, and he screamed at her: "I hope you rot in hell, b***h. I hope you f**king rot in hell.". Thanks to Carolyn and Gloria, who have been my friends for over four years. To my family, to my brother Gerard, I love you. As previously revealed by The Sun, Lyons says this can sometimes be an arduous process as some refuse to die quietly. ", Furthermore, a fellow final speech, delivered by Cameron Todd Willingham, saw a tirade directed at his ex-wife, including every swear word you could imagine.. On February 17, 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for the arson and murder of his three children, two-year-old Amber, and one-year-old twins, Karmon and . Read more on the case below, along with news coverage and key documents. My grandmother is the pillar of the community. Documents obtained by the Innocence Project show that state officials received that report but apparently did not act on it. I just got your letter. I would first of all like to express my sincere gratitude to innocence project org for the noble work youre doing in fighting for justice for those that have been treated unfairly in the eyes of the law. How 'deluded' Putin thought Ukraine invasion would break up Nato & have West bowing down to Russia, leaked docs show, Man had sex with his wife on bollard after fuming neighbour placed it in cul-de-sac in protest during parking row, 'Bubbly' nightclub worker, 31, killed after her Audi crashed into a bridge on her way home from work, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). "I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. Protestors posthumously campaigning for Cameron Willingham's innocence, photographed outside a hearing in 2010 (Image: Jay Jenner/AP) An American chemist and fire investigator named Gerald Hurst was able to rebut the evidence of arson brought against Willingham. As previously revealed by The Sun, Lyons says this can sometimes be an arduous process as some refuse to die quietly. He said, The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. Michelle's book Death Row: The Final Minutes, is available now. For years, even after they divorced, Stacy Kuykendall advocated for Cameron and his innocence. After all, she also agreed to take to the stands to state the same during his trial. An investigative report in the September 7, 2009, issue of the New Yorker deconstructs every facet of the states case against Willingham. I will wait for you in Heaven. And ah, I believe I'm going home. Resources in the case are below, along with background on the role of unvalidated forensics in wrongful convictions. ", Cameron Todd Willingham Executed 2/17/04"Yeah. He was a former hitman who, despite not appearing a particularly sympathetic character, had become someone she had grown to like. But Stacy Kuykendall knew Todd better than anyone, and she's convinced that he was a monster who was guilty as charged. However, the final words that she describes as the 'worst' are those of a convicted child killer who used his final moments to directed a chilling tirade towards his ex-wife and the mother of the three daughters he murdered. Well, Grann doesnt actually say those words are the very last, but that is certainly the picture the reader gets. Yes, sir. ", I saved myself from Royal life, Harry says & insists 'sharing's an act of service', Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, Coronation Street fans horrified as Amy Barlow is raped in disturbing scenes, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. At the trial, the prosecutor asserted that Willingham wanted to . Willingham claimed he tried to rescue them, but the police didn't buy that story, as he was relatively unharmed. To all of the racist white folks in America that hate black folks and to all of the black folks in America that hate themselves, she claimed he said, while tied to an electric chair. Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of murder for killing his three daughters in a late 1991 house fire after a prosecution based almost entirely on a forensic fire analysis performed by an assistant fire chief and a state deputy fire marshal in the days after the blaze. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. "His wife was watching from the witness room and I was . Take care of yourselves. Also back in October, but apparently, near-totally unnoticed, there was a post over on the legal blog Crime and Consequences that finally did print all of Willinghams final words. Lyons explained that initially the process made her "completely unbiased and unaffected" by what she saw, as the executions ran like clockwork and lasted a mere few minutes. Lyon recalled that warden signalled for the execution to begin while he continued hurling insults at her until he finally became silent. By an 11-to-1 vote, a Navarro County jury rejected claims by the State Bar of Texas that Jackson made false statements . Might Willingham have been guilty after all? All Rights Reserved. "I hope you rot in hell, b--," Willingham said . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. To my family and loved ones and friends, I thank all of you all for your support and I am sorry for the pain and hurt I have caused you. I'm sorry, and I really mean that, it's not just words. In 2009, an arson expert hired by the commission issued a report finding that experts who testified at Willinghams trial should have known it was wrong at the time. The case was originally prosecuted by the Navarro County district attorney. Though, in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, Willingham has faced the harsh reality . (That blog is a project of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which describes itself as the only public interest law foundation in the nation working full time to strengthen law enforcements ability to assure that crime does not pay. Its advisers include Edwin Meese III, who is also associated with the Heritage Foundation.). His wife, 22-year old Stacy Willingham, had gone out early that morning to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. Rick Perry turned down an eleventh-hour request to stop the execution. 1 of 5 Cameron Todd Willingham waits for guards to take him back to his cell on death row days before his execution on Feb. 17, 2004. Lyons explained that initially the process made her "completely unbiased and unaffected" by what she saw, as the executions ran like clockwork and lasted a mere few minutes. "My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. I don't deserve to cause you pain. This statement contradicted Stacys several others, especially as shed never mentioned such an argument earlier. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. Willingham was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville on February 17, 2004. I had a good life. Do you value our journalism? I love all of you very much. But by 2004, she had declared Willingham guilty. Take me home. 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He said, the only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime. She reversed herself shortly before his 2004 execution, declaring that she now considered him guilty for murdering their 2-year-old daughter and her 1-year . A woman who witnessed nearly 300 executions in the state of Texas has revealed that she is still haunted by the final words of a man who killed his children in a shocking arson. All right, Warden, let's do it. Did it really make him feel like a king Did he actually think he was capable of getting away with anything? Saying that Willingham is guilty is not new for Kuykendall, but it's a 180-degree change from the early years of the case. (Download the full trial transcripts here.). After reading in a local paper that a witness to the execution said that there was more to Willinghams last words than Grann conveyed, Crime and Consequences Kent Scheidegger contacted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to retrieve a full transcript. Willingham, a husband and father of three girls managed to escape the house but his daughters all died. Her Facebook page asserts that she is The mother of three daughters that were murdered by their father Cameron todd Willingham 12/23/1991, whereas her Instagram showcases just how much she misses her young girls and how shell continue to shout her truth from the highest peaks. Having your wife, whod fought in your corner for so long, change her mind and convict you along with the powers-that-be-well, thats an experience that could easily bring out such a statement right before one is executed. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. He is fixing to find out some deep things that are real. You bitch; I hope you fucking rot, cunt. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The family of Cameron "Todd" Willingham, unjustly executed in 2004, urge to test DNA in Sedley Alley's casewhich was never done before Alley was executed in 2006. It turned out the forensic evidence was completely bogus, but he was executed anyway. Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. Cameron Todd Willingham was executed by the state of Texas on February 17 200 Ten years after that was first published it has now been adapted into a film starring British actor O'Connell as . Michelle, who has revealed all in her fascinating memoir Death Row: The Final Minutes, told the Daily Mirror: "His last statement was the worst that I had ever seen. In 2009, an arson . However, Cameron maintained his innocence to his dying breath, and later evidence also suggested that he could have been wrongly executed. So now, lets find out where she is, shall we? I regret it because now I have to face the lethal injection while doing death row time. "You b****. I have been persecuted 12 years for something I did not do. The former journalist said: "You do have some that would just do outlandish stuff. ", David Long Executed 12/8/99"Ah, just ah, sorry ya'll. Y'all take care and God bless you. I have a good family. A WOMAN who has seen nearly 300 prisoners die at Huntsville State Prison in Texas said she still remembers the final words of Cameron Willingham, who killed his three daughters. "(In) the infamous words of my famous, legendary brother Nat Turner y'all kiss my black a**. He was put to death for allegedly taking his daughters' lives by intentionally setting fire to their home. This would include meeting with prisoners hours before they died and hearing prison chaplains offer advice to those on death row on how to die well.. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Cause He is the only one that can give you the strength that you need. Justice denial in Uganda is common due to the existence of a non-indepedent judicial system and rampant corruption that has made the system rot and the question remains of how can justice be administered free and fairly regardless of ones status in the society? Everybody has been so good to me.I love all of you very much. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Harold, I love you. Sicha, Michael Why did he go out into the world to see? Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. If my death gives you any peace, so be it.I want my friends to know it is not the way to die, but I belong to Jesus Christ. This page is an online memorial to Cameron Todd Willigham, an innocent man who was executed by the state of Texas for a crime he did not commit. Cameron Todd Willingham who was born on the 9th of January 1968 passed away on the 17th of February 2004. My wife, who had been up a flight of stairs, beat me there. Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 - February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted and executed for the murder of his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991.Since Willingham's 2004 execution, significant controversy has arisen over the legitimacy of the guilty verdict and the interpretation of the evidence that was used to . Last week, the pair filed a petition with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a pardon for Willingham. The chilling memoirs, which she recently penned in her book Death Row: The Final Minutes, has now been fully revealed, with every experience unique in its own right. She also added her experience about a man named Rodolfo Hernandez, that she felt had been treated harshly with his death sentence. That is it.". Cameron Todd Willingham (9 gennaio 1968 - 17 febbraio 2004) stato un uomo americano condannato e giustiziato per l'omicidio dei suoi tre figli per incendio doloso nella casa di famiglia a Corsicana, in Texas , il 23 dicembre 1991. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man-convicted of a crime I did not commit. When you are dealing with reality, real is not always what you want it to be. Despite expert testimony against the arson, and the jailbird informer's retracted confession, he was still sentenced to die. Take me home Lord. Excerpt follows. The process usually sees witnesses and the media brought into a small viewing room where the inmate is already strapped to a gurney. ", Donald Aldrich Executed 10/12/04"Yes sir, I would. Yesterday, Willingham's former wife . His hopes and dreams became a fantasy. Stacy, who had for so long expressed belief in Willinghams innocence, had recently taken her first look at the original court records and arson findings. I have been persecuted for twelve years for something I did not do. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return, so the Earth shall become my throne.. Who called the fire department? In 2009, Stacy even went as far as to claim that during one of her final visits to Cameron while he was on death row, he confessed to the crime by stating that it was his response to her divorce threat from the night before. Its the best book I read this year. While Willingham . Fade to black. You bitch; I hope you fucking rot, cunt. Cameron Todd Willingham. The reporter also said she witnessed the last moments of Brian Keith Roberson, who stabbed his neighbors James Boots, 79, and Lillian Boots, 74, to death during a burglary in Dallas in 1986. Is it the wholetruth? . ", Angel Maturino Resendiz Executed 6/27/06"Yes sir. Click on the document to see photos of the prisoner and a description of the crime. On October 29, 1992, he was sentenced to death. Background on the cases of 17 people exonerated through DNA testing after spending years on death row. Then, turning to his wife, who was behind a screen just a few metres away, he said: "I hope you rot in hell, b****. Gov. Well, Grann doesnt actually say those words are the very last, but that is certainly the picture the reader gets. ", Earl Behringer Executed 6/11/97"Its a good day to die. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. ', "It was just such a crazy contrast to see in the space of 30 minutes, and it stuck with me.. ", Raymond Kinnamon Executed 12/11/94"guys like them got tied up in something like this. Yes, if one defines truth in the Clintonesque way of defensible as not literally false. On October 14, Texas Judge Charlie Baird held a hearing in the Willingham case to determine whether to hold a court of inquiry. You know what I'm saying. I don't know what to say. S2010 E14 - 1m 42s. Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. Along with the Willingham case, the Innocence Project submitted information about another arson case in Texas where identical evidence was used to send another man to death row. However, there are some that do produce some heartfelt moments in their final minutes. The late Texas native was arrested, tried, convicted, and executed for the murders of his three toddler daughters by arson in their family home on December 23, 1991. A Troubled Young Man | "Death by Fire". Take me home, oh Lord. Our system is set in place to protect the people, and acts as a model to prosecute the evil in society. Also back in October, but apparently, near-totally unnoticed, there was a post over on the legal blog Crime and Consequences that finally did print all of Willingham's final words. Willingham, who was asleep when the fire started, survived. [Remaining portion of statement omitted due to profanity.]. Cameron Todd Willingham's last words before the state of Texas executed him are amongst the ones that have stayed with Michelle Lyons . He knew the thought of life wasnt ticking in his head. According to an article by The New Yorker, Cameron was unfaithful, a heavy drinker, and physically assaulted Stacy at times, even while pregnant. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? To the end, he denied setting the fire that killed his wife and kids. I gotta go, road dog. After reading in a local paper that a witness to the execution said that there was more to Willinghams last words than Grann conveyed, Crime and Consequences Kent Scheidegger contacted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to retrieve a full transcript. I want to remember Patsy Buntion, Gladys and a lot more friends.I want to thank the prosecutor in my case; it took courage for him to do what he did but he did what he did because he believed in the judicial system.Im not ready to go, but I have no choice; I sent several letters to my family; theyll be very moving when you get them. In 1992, Willingham was convicted of arson-related triple homicide and was executed 12 years later by the death penalty after his three daughters were killed in a 1991 house fire. The Case Of Cameron Todd Willingham. I gotta go, road dog. The most unfortunate part is that the film poorly serves a real-life miscarriage of justice, the 2004 execution in Texas of Cameron Todd Willingham (O'Connell) for the arson murder of his three . It was vulgar, it was hateful. Is Granns report the truth? The 16,000-word article by David Grann shows that all of the evidence used against Willingham was invalid, including the forensic analysis, the informants testimony, other witness testimony and additional circumstantial evidence. "His wife was watching from the witness room and I was told later by the chaplaincy that she had come to witness not on his behalf but as one of the victims, she added. I love my parents. The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that,however. Willingham claimed he was awoken by Ambers cries for her Dad but that the blaze was too intense and he had to flee after initially trying to save his daughters, The Daily Star reported. But she shifted her outlook shortly before his 2004 execution, proclaiming that she now found him guilty of deliberately setting fire to their house. Trial by Fire is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Edward Zwick.The story is based upon David Grann's article "Trial by Fire" that appeared in The New Yorker in 2009. Precious Lord. He claimed he was innocent right up until his death, using his last words to say . (That blog is a project of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which describes itself as the only public interest law foundation in the nation working full time to strengthen law enforcements ability to assure that crime does not pay. Its advisers include Edwin Meese III, who is also associated with the Heritage Foundation.). I am so sorry for what all of you had to go through. I have known the love of a good woman, my wife. He was a former hitman who, despite not appearing a particularly sympathetic character, had become someone she had grown to like. In that case, Ernest Willis was exonerated and freed from prison because the forensic evidence was not valid. Willingham's actual final words were a venom-filled curse at his ex-wife as he attempted an obscene gesture, Cook reported. "His wife was watching from the witness room and I was told later by the chaplaincy that she had come to witness not on his behalf but as one of the victims. Willingham's ex-wife said that he . (That blog is a project of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which . I think of tried everything I could to get in touch with ya'll to express how sorry I am. "Mothers love their children and always will, no matter what happens in their lives. She also added her experience about a man named Rodolfo Hernandez, that she felt had been treated harshly with his death sentence. And although Stacy did tell investigators about the assault, she always said that her then-husband wasnt capable of hurting their children because she knew him better than anyone else. Here are five crucial facts about the case. "Todd is guilty, the criminal justice system and the courts confirmed his guilt, and he should not be pardoned for his crimes," Kuykendall said in an exclusive statement to The Huffington Post. The Innocence Project assembled five of the nations leading independent arson experts to review the evidence in the case, and this prestigious group issued a 48-page report finding that none of the scientific analysis used to convict Willingham was valid. I just ask you to forgive me and ask the Lord to forgive me for allowing the devil to deceive me. Here is what they senthim: Yeah. Willingham was executed in 2004. The current DA, R. Lowell Thompson, told HuffPost he doesn't plan to challenge the pardon request. There is a central room and two witnesss rooms divided by a wall, ensuring the two groups never meet. ", Dennis Dowthitt Executed 3/7/01"I am so sorry for what y'all had to go through. And to my family, I love you. The Texas parole board checks with victims' families, the prosecutor and other people involved in the original murder case before deciding whether to recommend that the governor issue a pardon. She recalled: "We had two guys in one night, and the first had a really ugly statement where he was telling the victims' families, 'I hope y'all get in a crash and die on your way home., He also said: You can kiss my ass,' and a whole bunch of stuff., Lyons explained: "It really stood out that night because it was so ugly, but then the second execution afterwards, the guy was so apologetic and was crying and telling the victim's family, 'I am so sorry I did this to you.