There was no Hollywood happy ending, no last-minute call from the governor . After a trial of more than two weeks, a Texas jury on Wednesday found that former state prosecutor John Jackson had not committed misconduct in the 1992 death penalty trial of Cameron Todd Willingham. Everybody has been so good to me.I love all of you very much. Sometimes officers were forced to gas them out of cells, strap up their heads and even give chase across prison grounds. But Stacy Kuykendall knew Todd better than anyone, and she's convinced that he was a monster who was guilty as charged. On October 29, 1992, he was sentenced to death. So now, lets find out where she is, shall we? TIL that the real last words of Cameron Todd Willingham, executed in 2004 but now widely believed to be innocent, were a stream of curses directed at his ex-wife who was watching the execution and who claimed that he had confessed to her . of Criminal Justice. I want to say goodbye again to my boys. "I gotta go, road dog. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. ", Irineo Montoya Executed 6/18/97"Goodbye. But she shifted her outlook shortly before his 2004 execution, proclaiming that she now found him guilty of deliberately setting fire to their house. Bounce back, baby. The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son," Kuykendall said in her statement. 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. ", 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. 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. Do you value our journalism? I just got your letter. It was vulgar, it was hateful. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. 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. 1 year old twins: Kameron, Karmon, and two year old: Amber. In 2009, she unleashed a startling accusation that Willingham confessed the crime to her when she visited him on death row. As incomprehensible as it seems, Scheidegger wrote, we know that some fathers do kill their young children, and anger at the mother is one commonreason.. To my step father Paul, I love you. His other relatives are fighting to clear his name. This is because Willingham was anything but that; he regularly verbally abused and beat his wife, and in some of these instances, the police was called. Cameron Todd Willingham's last words before the state of Texas executed him are amongst the ones that have stayed with Michelle Lyons . The date is December 23, 1991, and 23-year-old Cameron Todd Willingham has fallen asleep while caring for his three young daughters, two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall and one-year-old twins . Anthony Graves had nothing to do with it. Michelle's book Death Row: The Final Minutes, is available now. Documents obtained by the Innocence Project show that state officials received that report but apparently did not act on it. "My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. Did it really make him feel like a king Did he actually think he was capable of getting away with anything? I pray Lord, please forgive me. At the state prison in Huntsville that housed the execution chamber, Lyons saw the harrowing arbitration of justice as hundreds of criminals were put to death by lethal injection. Abul, behold your son, and Anitra, behold your mother. You know what I'm saying. You bitch; I hope you fucking rot, cunt. Standing in the way of a pardon for a Texas man that his family considers was wrongly convicted and executed is his ex-wife. You had some lovely girls and I am sorry. 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? 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. 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. On December 23, 1991, a house in Texas burned to the ground. Handout. Matthews. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the Corsicana, Texas, home Cameron Todd Willingham shared with his wife and three daughters, killing the three girls. Cameron Todd Willingham. Perhaps most notably, Hurst was able to explain the presence of lighter fluid at the scene: a charcoal grill which had been used . Willingham's ex-wife tearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday . Todd granted the inspectors permission to search the property. His wife was at the Salvation Army buying Christmas presents for the girls. He asked Stacy if his tombstone could be erected next to their childrens graves. However, she later worked as an official spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where she witnessed the final few hours of the inmates life. Well Mom, sometimes it works out like this. Aftermath of the fire [Texas State Fire Marshal's Office] On December 23, 1991, fire gutted the home where Cameron Todd Willingham, then 23, lived with his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, and the couple's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Kuykendall and one . Might Willingham have been guilty after all? Scheidegger takes Grann to task for depicting an execution scene more dramatically in line with the articles assertion of Willinghams innocence, and suggests that the omitted vitriol points to a possible motive in the case-something the prosecution struggled to establish incourt. 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. Click on the document to see photos of the prisoner and a description of the crime. Trial by Fire: Directed by Edward Zwick. Read more on the case below, along with news coverage and key documents. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. 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. I live in New York. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice keeps a record of these last statements. Take care of my daughters, Kaneisha and Ieisha. Then, turning to his wife, who was behind a screen just a few metres away, he said: "I hope you rot in hell, b****. O.K. He then reportedly looked right at his victims' family and told them: "Be careful when you drive home. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. Testimony from an informer and the fire investigators convicted him, with the prison informant saying Willingham confessed that he'd started the fire to hide the evidence that his daughters had been abused. 3. I have no revenge because hate wont solve anything. Stacy was unharmed as she was out Christmas shopping at the time. Todd had minor burns but no major injury. "From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. by Brandi Grissom Willingham, a husband and father of three girls managed to escape the house but his daughters all died. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return-so the earth shall become my throne. I hope you rot in hell, bitch; I hope you fucking rot in hell, bitch. 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. That poignant end reads almost like a Hollywood script, doesnt it? Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Take action: In 2009, an arson . The pursuit of justice has always been rooted in good will, to succeed those who have been wronged. To the West Family, I would just like to apologize for your loss. Willingham said he was asleep in the home when the fire started and always maintained his innocence. But others she admits are very hard to forget as she recalled the horrific final words of one inmate. I walked in here like a man and I am leaving here like a man. I know Im missing somebody, but if theres anything I have left to say, it would be that I wish I had a Shakespearean vocabulary, but since I was raised in TDC, I missed out on some of my vocabulary.If my words can persuade you to discontinue this practice of executing people, please do so. Last week, the pair filed a petition with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a pardon for Willingham. 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. ", 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.. Stacy Kuykendall, his then-wife, played a . Take care. You don't have to. But anyway I just wanted, right after that to apologize to you. What Happened To Cameron Todd Willingham? As previously revealed by The Sun, Lyons says this can sometimes be an arduous process as some refuse to die quietly. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. ", Angel Maturino Resendiz Executed 6/27/06"Yes sir. I got to go sister, I love you. I will wait for you in Heaven. A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that,however. 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. (Download the full trial transcripts here.). Cameron Todd Willingham's stepmother and cousin, . Their father Cameron Todd Willingham es-caped from the fire, was tried, and eventually executed for their deaths. It turned out the forensic evidence was completely bogus, but he was executed anyway. I love you Gabby. The case was originally prosecuted by the Navarro County district attorney. I have been persecuted for twelve years for something I did not do. All of you, all of you have truly been the best. Fight for the good. I can only imagine how lonesome he was all by himself. I regret it because now I have to face the lethal injection while doing death row time. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. Momma, I will always love you. Im sorry and my head wasnt on straight. Its basically like reading a 300-page Indiana Jones movie that teaches you important and incredible things about the world. Excerpt follows. She denied him his wish, later telling a reporter, He took my kids away from me.. I hope you will accept my apology, even though its too late. Willingham's three daughters were killed in a fire a few days before Christmas of 1991. 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. 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. He said, The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. 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. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. 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 . He was put to death for allegedly taking his daughters' lives by intentionally setting fire to their home. Im not sure Im entirely comfortable with the way Grann structured his ending, in light of Willinghams full statement-but Im not content with Scheideggers takeaway, either. By Maurice Possley. 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. I love you all, take care. 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. (Dont worry, Brad Pitts making it into a movie.) I picked it up after finishing Trial By Fire, Granns story in The New Yorker that made the case that Cameron Todd Willingham, a man executed by the state of Texas in 2004 for murdering his three baby girls by arson, was innocent-that the fire was likely an accident. I Killed Dirty John - Season 8, Episode 1 On Dec. 23, 1991, a fire consumed the Willingham home, killing Amber, 2, and twins Karmon and Kameron, 1. I deserve what I am getting. A WOMAN who witnessed almost 300 people be put to death has revealed that one inmate told the victims family I hope you die.. 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. State bar files charges more than 10 years after execution. Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of murdering his three children in 1991. That is it. Michelle Lyons, who worked as a journalist for The Huntsville Item between the years of 2000 and 2012, recently recalled some of the prisoners final words - admitting that some she will never forget. The undeniable facts of the Cameron Todd Willingham case are these: On Dec. 23, 1991, 2-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall, and 1-year-old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham died in a mid-morning house fire at 1213 W. 11th Ave. in Corsicana. However, she later worked as an official spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where she witnessed the final few hours of the inmates life. He was 36 years old. Apart from a few rare interviews, she doesnt let her past interfere with her day to day life. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. ", 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.. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I love you.I am ready to go home and be with my Lord. Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. However, a police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some sort of liquid accelerant, and Willingham was reportedly relatively unharmed after the fire. Through interviews with Willingham's friends and family, FRONTLINE tells the story of a troubled young man with a history of domestic violence who quickly became the prime suspect in his children . "You b****. In September 2011, the TFSC met to consider an addendum to its final report on the Willingham and Willis cases. more to his last words than that, however. Wake up to the day's most important news. Granns story establishes that, after years of supporting Willingham as he waited on death row, Stacy had lost herfaith. That is it.". "(In) the infamous words of my famous, legendary brother Nat Turner y'all kiss my black a**. Its the best magazine article I read this year. Continue to pray for me, I am fine. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. You all take care of yourselves. Saying that Willingham is guilty is not new for Kuykendall, but it's a 180-degree change from the early years of the case. I gotta go, road dog. 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 . They knowingly put an innocent man to death. 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. Theres nothing left but the memory of those who lay dead. He knew the thought of life wasnt ticking in his head. We had one guy that was telling jokes, we had another that was referencing a song by a Texas songwriter called 'The Road Goes On Forever And The Party Never Ends.. And ah, I believe I'm going home. Ask the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to investigate the wrongful execution of Cameron Todd Willingham! From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return-so the earth shall become my throne. Please don't ever forget me. Here is what they sent him: Yeah. Details of the case. It seems like Cameron admitted to the couples tumultuous past first, acknowledging that their relationship was affected by their troubled backgrounds. I am going to be face to face with Jesus now. 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. I don't deserve to cause you pain. examination of the evidence persuaded her. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham's final rant was so vulgar that the warden of the prison started out the execution just to shut him up. ", James Moreland Executed 1/27/00"Dad, I love you both. Months after Willingham was executed, the Chicago Tribune published an investigative report that raised questions about the forensic analysis. But others she admits are very hard to forget as she recalled the horrific final words of one inmate. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. ", George Whitaker III Executed 11/12/08"First off I'd like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Carrier, I apologize for your pain and suffering. They had died in the blaze. The panel's review was interrupted several times over the last two years, however, and continues today. 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. Here are 10 instances where executed prisoners were later found out to be innocent. Its the best magazine article I read thisyear. I will be waiting for you. "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. Before prison officials administer the lethal cocktail of drugs used to carry out executions, the condemned prisoners are offered the chance to say their final piece. Yes, if one defines truth in the Clintonesque way of defensible as not literally false. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. Though she hadn't said this to investigators or during his trial, Kuykendall said she threatened to divorce Willingham the night before the fire. That process could take months. 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