His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. "What they are interested in is finding the poster boy for the abolition of the death penalty," Bradley said. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. He was executed on February 17, 2004, aged 36. October 26, 2009. The order comes at the end of a day of testimony. Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. During his trial, Willingham did not testify; the defense called only one witness, the Willinghams' babysitter, who stated that she believed that Willingham could not have killed his children. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . So where is Willinghams wife now? Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. If he had pleaded guilty, he would most likely have been sentenced to life in prison. Video image from KVUE-TV Stacy Kuykendall, at right, tells reporters in Austin Wednesday that ex-husband Cameron Willingham confessed to setting the 1991 fire that killed the couple's three children. In her most recent statement explaining why she had once defended Willingham, she said. AUSTIN, Tex. Authorities had to restrain Willingham from going back into the house. Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). No clear motive was found, and Willingham's wife denied that the couple had been fighting prior to the night of the fire. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. His report was sent to authorities asking to postpone the execution. But Stacy Kuykendall knew Todd better than anyone, and she's convinced that he was a monster who was guilty as charged and deserved to die. (Scott Honea/Corsicana (Tex.) Not long after their encounter, a leading fire investigator, Dr. Gerald Hurst, completed his review of the original investigation and concluded, as other leading fire investigators would in the years to come, that there was no scientific basis to determine that Willingham had set the fire, and that the original fire investigators had based their theories on discredited methods. The family of Cameron Todd Willingham has asked a judge to posthumously clear his name, arguing that he was put to death based on "junk science." . In the following days, Willingham returned to the house with some family and friends. In 2009, an investigative report by Grann[1] drew upon analysis by arson investigation experts and advances in fire science since the 1992 investigation; he suggested that the evidence for arson was unconvincing. [8], During the penalty phase of the trial, a prosecutor said that Willingham's tattoo of a skull and serpent fit the profile of a sociopath. I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. His then-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, was, too, convinced of his innocence until ultimately believing he was guilty. Willingham, played . But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. They married a few months before the fire and were a significant part of each others lives. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the blaze. Yesterday, Willinghams former wife, Stacy Kuykendall,released a statement to the Fort WorthStar-Telegram saying that he secretly confessed to killing their three daughters, who died in a fire on December 23, 1991. 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. By Maurice Possley, The Marshall Project. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. About Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even John Jackson (who prosecuted Willingham and . Cameron was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. She told reporters thatWillingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while their tiny bodies burned.". STORY HIGHLIGHTS Craig Beyler's report criticized investigators who ruled the . Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. Craig Beyler, hired by the Forensic Science Commission, said of one of the analysts: None of these determinations have any basis in modern fire science, and of the second analysts findings: There is no basis for this notion in modern fire science. He found that the investigators did not comport with the standard of care for fire investigation at the time, and that a finding of arson could not be sustained., In a report filed with the Forensic Science Commission in 2006, five leading experts said each and every one of the indicators relied on [to determine that the fire was arson] have since been scientifically proven to be invalid., Gerald Hurst, whose report was sent to the governor before Willinghams execution, has said, Theres nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fireIt was just a fire.. stacy willingham married. When Willingham exited his bedroom, the hallway was not yet on fire; the fire was contained in the childrens bedroom. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. Your email address will not be published. Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. All rights reserved, Man Shot by Fort Worth Officer After Reaching for Gun in Waistband: Police, Fort Worth Music Festival Happening at Fort Worth Stockyards, Novak Djokovic Denied' US Entry Ahead Of Indian Wells, Joe Biden Asked To Intervene, Barbara Corcoran Says Meeting Mark Cuban Was Her Most Embarrassing Moment' on Shark Tank' Here's Why, 3 Children Killed, 2 Wounded in Ellis County Home; 1 in Custody: Sheriff. Kuykendall voice began quavering early in her statement, as she noted her oldest daughter would be 21 and her twins would be 19. Kuykendall played a major role in Willinghams life and fate, but in the movie version she is quite prominent. David Grann: Stacy Speaks: News Desk : The New Yorker. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. Then, after he had been sentenced to death and executed, other people began to say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted and that the court put an innocent man to death. Questions persist surrounding Cameron Todd Willingham's conviction and death sentence, but according to Stacy Kuykendall, who knew him better than anyone, Cameron is a monster who was guilty as charged and deserved to die. 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. Rick Perry in what many viewed as a political move to bury new evidence that cast doubt on Willingham's guilt. Jackson said Willingham had abused animals and was a sociopath. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. "[43] A jury later heard and rejected the claim that Jackson had hid evidence, finding in favor of Jackson. On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the family home of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas. The film, based on the 2009 New Yorker article also title Trial By Fire, chronicles events around late Texas native Cameron Todd Willingham. Yesterday, Possley, who is now an investigative researcher for the Northern California Innocence Project, at Santa Clara University School of Law, told me that he had no doubt that what he and Mills reported is accurate. [1], Eyewitnesses described Willingham as having "singed hair on his chest, eyelids, and head and had a two-inch burn injury on his right shoulder, but the prosecution highlighted the absence of any evidence of smoke inhalation. [1], Psychiatrist James Grigson, known by the moniker "Dr. Death" for his repeated testimony as an expert witness in which he recommended the death penalty, said that a man of Willingham's criminal history was an "extremely severe sociopath" and was incurable. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. [34] "It's hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say," Willingham's prosecutor said. 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. She noted that he had an inadequate defense, saying of one of his lawyers, "He's not a good lawyer. She had this exchange with a police detective and the deputy state fire marshal, Manuel Vasquez: VASQUEZ: Did you and your husband have any disagreements on the night after Kmart? According to Brandice Barbee, "All I could see was smoke. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the . The Texas Forensic Science Commission is going to determine whether Willingham was innocent. [6], The prosecutor also said that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham gave her first public statement in years. Application of the Law is not perfect in the UK either, but Todd would still be alive if hed lived here, and would probably have been exonerated. While I was reporting myNew Yorker article, I tried to talk to Stacy Kuykendall, but she said that she no longer wanted to discuss the case. Myth: Note to Stacy and Family: Many accounts refer to Amber as having lastname of Kuykendall and Willingham. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. [2] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record. Uno de los eventos ms fascinantes pero desgarradores en la historia del sistema de justicia estadounidense se lleva a la pantalla grande con Prueba de fuego. . Willingham maintained his innocence up until his death and spent years trying to appeal his conviction. I said that I was going to divorce you. Willingham's attorneys were not notified. Our justice system has become who can twist a believable story, not the truth. American justice (in many cases) is flawed. He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. [6] But none of the girls were found at the time of death to have physical injuries that were still distinguishable after the effects of the fire. Other witnesses at Willinghams trial provided contradictory statements about Willinghams behavior after the fire, but those statements were not evidence that a crime had taken place. offspring chris havel wife; airigh 'n eilean; ontario bar exam results 2020. project zomboid ham radio frequencies; gunton hall rooms; kauai hotels kama'aina rate 2021; mary katherine backstrom net worth 2020; blackstone managing director salary. As he recalled it, their conversation with Kuykendall centered directly on the question of Willinghams alleged confession. Killed in the fire were Willingham's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall and one-year-old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham. Ken Light. In the fall of 2004, just months after Willinghams execution, the ChicagoTribune reporters Steve Mills and Maurice Possley visited Kuykendall at her house and asked her if Willingham had, in fact, confessed to her. In January 2004, the forensic evidence in the case was looked at by an established fire . Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, has . Write by: . The defense did not present a fire expert because the one hired by Willingham's attorney also said the fire was caused by arson. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Movies. Willinghams former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. Her statement is curious. His former probation officer, Polly Goodin, said he had never demonstrated bizarre or sociopathic behavior and that "He was probably one of my favorite kids. Join Facebook to connect with Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered and others you may know. Two prosecution experts who testified that Willingham was a sociopath had never met him; one was expelled from his professional association three years later for unethical behavior. Prosecutors charged that Willingham set the fire and killed the children in an attempt to cover up the abuse of the children and wife. The Fire That Started & Ended It All. Therefore, I believe that there is no way he could have possibly committed this crime. However, her letter didn't work and within a year shed filed for divorce. He said that Kuykendall, who had divorced Willingham while he was on Death Row, had recently visited him, then gathered the family to say that he had confessed. Daily Sun) CORSICANA . Here is whatMills and Possley wrote: The response from local prosecutors included a two-paragraph affidavit from Ronnie Kuykendall, the brother of Willinghams former wife. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. State district Judge Charlie Baird scheduled an unusual court of inquiry hearing Wednesday after the Innocence Project filed a petition asking him to "restore the reputation" of Willingham and declare he was wrongly convicted. . Willingham was accused of arson . Within 5 miles of your location. 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 . an affidavit from Willinghams former brother-in-law, Trailer for Trial by Fire film about Todd Willingham, World Premiere of Trial by Fire about Todd Willingham at Telluride Film Festival August 31, 2018, Trial Starts to Determine if Todd Willinghams Prosecutor Hid Evidence. The new chair, John Bradley, canceled the meeting, sparking accusations that Perry was interfering with the investigation[4] and using it for his own political advantage. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. March 9, 2015. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire, as she was out shopping. Descubre qu pasa hoy con Stacy Kuykendall, ex esposa de Cameron Willingham! Photo: Flashlight Films/Kobal/Shutterstock. "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. Willingham's statement and eyewitness accounts had detailed rescue attempts. Death' says license won't be affected by allegations", "Execution Report: Cameron Willingham Page 1", "Jackson: Guest Commentary Willingham guilt never in doubt", "David Grann" The Prosecution Defends Itself", "A timeline of the Cameron Todd Willingham case", "Document USA (Texas): Further Information on Death penalty, Cameron Todd Willingham", "Inmate maintains innocence as execution approaches", "Man executed for fire that killed children", "Texas man executed for setting fire that killed his 3 young children", "Gerald Hurst | Death By Fire | FRONTLINE | PBS", "Dare Devils: Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Death Panel", "Texas Gov. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. Todd told me that it was stupid but it was like an obsession. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. Other than a jailhouse informant who has been solidly discredited (and who recently asked when the statute of limitations for perjury runs out), the forensic analysis was the only evidence that a crime occurred. (For example, she now claims the couple fought the night before the fire, but she clearly said the opposite in various official statements over the years.). In a rebuttal, Grann wrote, "If the arson investigators had concluded that there was no scientific evidence that a crime had occurred as the top fire investigators in the country have now determined Willingham's words at the funeral would surely be viewed as a sign that he was tormented by the fact that he had survived without saving his children. "[1] Bebe Bridges, a former judge who was often on the "opposite side" of Willingham in the legal system, and who had sent him to jail for stealing, said that she could not imagine him killing his children. 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. She said, No. "Our kids were spoiled rotten," she said, insisting he would never harm their children,[1] but according to Kuykendall, she herself was abused by him. That was until she spoke to . He did not. Mills, who is still at theTribune, confirms Possleys account. A judge has postponed a hearing in Austin until next week in the case of a Texas man executed for setting fire to his home and killing his three daughters. A disputed arson finding made by a pair of fire investigators following the 1991 deaths of Willingham's daughters is at the heart of the case. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder, but while he was in custody, DNA evidence revealed that he had killed before and that he was an undiscovered serial killer. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. 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. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . I think they were after somebody, she said. On one fact, Willingham changed his story. The prosecutor, John Jackson, and the City of Corsicana have both released formal responses to the Beyler Report on the investigation of the fire that killed Willingham's three children at the behest of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster. a husband returns home to find his wife dead on the living room floor; he tells first responders she committed suicide . Since her ex-husbands execution, Stacy Kuykendall has remained completely under the radar. Its hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didnt say., Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. January 9, 1968 - February 16, 2004 . Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Me and Stacys been together for four years, but off and on we get into a fight and split up for a while and I think those babies is what brought us so close together, Willingham had said, per The New Yorker. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. "[30], The Texas Forensic Science Commission was scheduled to discuss the report by Beyler at a meeting on October 2, 2009, but two days before the meeting, Texas Governor Rick Perry replaced the chair of the commission (Sam Bassett) and two other members (Alan Levy and Aliece Watts). Craig Beyler, the chairman of the International Association of Fire Safety Science, wrote in a report last year that investigators didn't follow standards in place at the time and did not have enough evidence to make an arson finding. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Chronicle sues Perry over clemency report, Freed death row inmate calls on Perry to halt executions | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com Houston Chronicle. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. After the fire, the police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some form of a liquid accelerant. [31], In October 2009, the city of Corsicana released two affidavits that included statements from Ronnie Kuykendall, the former brother-in-law of Willingham, originally made in 2004. That statement was false. Thank you for visiting us. They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. Hurst said in December 2004 that "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. He told me he was sorry and that he hoped that I could forgive him one day. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. Self - Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Getting Started . wife, Stacy. Reports from arson experts who reviewed the case have been exaggerated; the experts dont really say the fire was not arson. Cameron Todd Willingham Just when it seemed Gov. In that article, Kuykendall made it clear that she did not believe Willinghams version of events. Yesterday, Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall, released a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram saying that he secretly confessed to killing their three daughters, who . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [29] Fire investigator Gerald L. Hurst reviewed the case documents, including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene. Willingham was accused of arson . While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. The investigators also found charring under the aluminum front doorjamb, which they believed was a further indication of a liquid accelerant and tested positive for such an accelerant in the area of the front door. Today's episode is the story of Toni Jo Henry who had a horrible childhood, fought drug addiction, found true love and then was involved in a murder. [18] During his trial in August 1992, he was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea, which he turned down, insisting he was innocent. Willingham's Stepmother Responds. On seeing neighbor Diane Barbee, Willingham began to shout at her to call 911, shouting "My babies are in there! Rick Perry, others don't align with facts", "Convict in disputed execution was guilty, ex-wife says", "Third Court Rules in Willingham Case: Matter must be referred to Judge Stubblefield", "Bar Files Disciplinary Case Against Ex-Prosecutor", "Prosecutor accused of misconduct in disputed Texas execution case", https://www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/update-jury-rules-in-jacksons-favor-in-civil-judicial-misconduct-trial/article_cdcf8856-35e7-11e7-81dd-2ba5db18fbeb.html, "Jack O'Connell, Laura Dern Star For Ed Zwick In 'Trial By Fire', "Tune in Tonight: Scheck on "The Good Wife", Faulty Testimony Sent 2 to Death Row, Panel Finds, "Texas Execution Information: Cameron Willingham", City of Corsicana Response to Beyler Report, 29 September 2009, "Media Advisory: Cameron Todd Willingham Scheduled For Execution", Analysis of the Fire Investigation Methods and Procedures Used in the Criminal Arson Case Against Ernest Ray Willis and Cameran Todd Willingham Craig L. Beyler, Willingham Files A collection of all stories published by the Corsicana Daily Sun, Media Advisory: Cameron Todd Willingham Scheduled For Execution, PBS portal on the Cameron Todd Willingham case including original documents, a shorter summary of the Cameron Todd Willingham case a slide show presentation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cameron_Todd_Willingham&oldid=1137586879, 21st-century executions of American people, People executed by Texas by lethal injection, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 12:27. At the time of the trial, she said she had believed in her husbands innocence, but over the years, after studying the evidence and the trial testimony, she became convinced he was guilty. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Beyler said key testimony from a fire marshal at Willingham's trial was "hardly consistent with a scientific mind-set and is more characteristic of mystics or psychics."[1][2]. Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. Days before Willingham's execution, fire scientist Gerald Hurst concluded there was no foul play and the fire was caused by a space heater, however the governor declined Willinghams reprieve. Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse. [42] According to the complaint, "During a pretrial hearing on July 24, 1992, [Jackson] told the trial court that he had no evidence favorable to Willingham. S9 E1: Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. Willingham had escaped the fire with bare feet and no burn marks. 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. The neighbors said he seemed more concerned about damage to his property, such as his car than the welfare of his children. But she never mentioned a confession. He's just not.". Myth: The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. Also, Stacy Kuykendall now claims that he confessed in the same conversation that he asked her to help with his clemency bid. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. Tessa Thompson Talks Going To Couples Therapy With Michael B. Jordan, Everything I Know About Romantic Love, I Learned From Bollywood Movies, Christina Milian Loves Making Rom-Coms & We Cant Get Enough of Them, These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat. When I recently spoke to Tina Church, a private investigator who worked on Willinghams behalf, she told me that she had spoken to Kuykendall right after their meeting in prison. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. Many of those hearsay witnesses statements evolved and hardened once they knew Willingham was a suspect in the case.