Its basically like reading a 300-page Indiana Jones movie that teaches you important and incredible things about the world. State bar files charges more than 10 years after execution. (Download the full trial transcripts here.). 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. ", Irineo Montoya Executed 6/18/97"Goodbye. And piranha, and electric eels and anacondas and poisonous insects that attack your eyes and maggots that fester under your skin and toothpick-sized parasite catfish that swim up your penis through your urethra, lodge themselves there with sharp spines, and kill you. . I love you mom. 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. And the statement as Grann reports it is consistent with what we might expect from a person who actually was innocent. Details of the case. Since the pair had been together for about four years and had tied the knot just months before, when Stacy told officers that Cameron would never hurt their children and that they hadnt been fighting, she wasnt challenged. To my family, to my brother Gerard, I love you. Standing in the way of a pardon for a Texas man that his family considers was wrongly convicted and executed is his ex-wife. He was a former hitman who, despite not appearing a particularly sympathetic character, had become someone she had grown to like. There was no Hollywood happy ending, no last-minute call from the governor . 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. For a complete list of contributors, click here. He could never explain why he hung around with thugs? On the night of January 8, 1992, two weeks after the fire, Willingham was riding in a car with Stacy when SWAT teams surrounded them, forcing them to the side of the road. Our system is set in place to protect the people, and acts as a model to prosecute the evil in society. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man-convicted of a crime I did not commit. Todd is guilty, the criminal justice system and the courts confirmed his guilt, and he should not be pardoned for his crimes, Stacy said. That's it, I have nothing else to say. "He directed so much vitriol towards her that the warden actually started the execution as he was talking to make him stop," Lyons said. Website by MADEO. 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. 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. Stacy Kuykendall, his then-wife, played a . My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return, so the Earth shall become my throne.. Well Mom, sometimes it works out like this. Yes, if one defines truth in the Clintonesque way of defensible as not literally false. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. 1 On 23 December 1991, Cameron Todd Willingham escaped a house fire only to be arrested for the death of his three daughters. Willingham, who was asleep when the fire started, survived. I have known the love of a good woman, my wife. Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. Feb. 5, 20117 PM Central. He was confessed, he was one of the guilty ones. My grandmother is the pillar of the community. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Take action: EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Wife Doesn't Think Texas Man Was Wrongly Executed. Warden. And the statement as Grann reports it is consistent with what we might expect from a person who actually was innocent. One-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron, as well as two-year-old Amber, were killed in the blaze. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. Yes, sir. Its so sad that in a country like the US which we Ugandans admire and always wish that our lawmakers could benchmark in abid to create a free and unbiased judicial system such loopholes. 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. Take me home Lord. He was a former hitman who, despite not appearing a particularly sympathetic character, had become someone she had grown to like. His body was cremated and his ashes secretly spread on his children's graves by his parents. You don't have to. While Willingham . Matthews. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man-convicted of a crime I did not commit. The arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. David Grann, a staff writer at The New Yorker, has presented . I deserve what I am getting. 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 . 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. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Ardmore, Oklahoma (CNN) Cameron Todd Willingham's family here . I was in their reformatory schools and penitentiary, but ah, they create monsters in there. Willingham was sleeping when a fire broke out in his family's home. Take care of my daughters, Kaneisha and Ieisha. Case creates controversy as governor resists and arson experts are challenged. 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. 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. 1763 Words8 Pages. They had died in the blaze. Cameron Todd Willingham. It was vulgar, it was hateful. For other inquiries, Contact Us. I gotta go, road dog. God is real. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. To my step father Paul, I love you. 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 . 2023 Innocence Project. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice keeps a record of these last statements. I'm real sorry for it. Fade to black. Willingham, 23, the children's father, and the only . That's the story of my whole life, that's what alcohol will do for you. Below are some final statements of convicted murderers. He asked Stacy if his tombstone could be erected next to their childrens graves. 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. Willingham, who said he was home napping at the time . That is it. That poignant end reads almost like a Hollywood script, doesnt it? A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that,however. You all take care of yourselves. Cameron Todd Willingham's last words before the state of Texas executed him are amongst the ones that have stayed with Michelle Lyons . I love you.I am ready to go home and be with my Lord. 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. By Maurice Possley. Show us with your support. ', "It was just such a crazy contrast to see in the space of 30 minutes, and it stuck with me.. I have no revenge because hate wont solve anything. We both knew he had no future left! "His last statement was the worst I had ever seen, she told The Mirror. Momma, I will always love you. 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. Lyon recalled that warden signalled for the execution to begin while he continued hurling insults at her until he finally became silent. I hope you f***ing rot, c***. I love you too Pop, keep your head up. 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 . I love you Gabby. I love you Gabby. 3. Do you value our journalism? On Feb. 17, 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed by the state of Texas for a triple homicide that never happened. Anthony Graves don't even know anything about it. more to his last words than that,however, Choire Take me home. 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. Macher, Dusty By an 11-to-1 vote, a Navarro County jury rejected claims by the State Bar of Texas that Jackson made false statements . I love and cherish my friends and family. CORSICANA More than five years after his final act from the Texas death chamber gurney was a profanity-filled tirade, the murder case of executed inmate Cameron Todd Willingham refuses to die. I just ask you to forgive me and ask the Lord to forgive me for allowing the devil to deceive me. However, there are some that do produce some heartfelt moments in their final minutes. You know? I will be waiting for you. Although Willingham fought for his innocence for 12 years on death row, he was executed in . 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. I was raised by the California Youth Authority, I can't really pin point where it started, what happened, but really believe that's just the bottom line, what happened to me was in California. However, Cameron maintained his innocence to his dying breath, and later evidence also suggested that he could have been wrongly executed. Handout. Thirteen years later, in the days leading up to Willinghams execution, his attorneys sent the governor and the Board of Pardon and Parole a report from Gerald Hurst, a nationally recognized arson expert, saying that Willinghams conviction was based on erroneous forensic analysis. "His last statement was the worst I had ever seen, she told The Mirror. For years, Stacy Kuykendall advocated for Cameron Todd Willingham, stating repeatedly that she believed he didn't deliberately start the house fire that killed their three daughters in 1991. That is it. But by 2004, she had declared Willingham guilty. Their father Cameron Todd Willingham es-caped from the fire, was tried, and eventually executed for their deaths.