I am at peace with God. Doubts arise about jailhouse informant Johnny Webb in this excerpt from "Death by Fire," FRONTLINE's 2010 investigation of the controversial case of Cameron Todd Willingham - convicted and executed for the arson deaths of his three young children. 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. Matthews. "I read that Todds stepmom and cousin are asking the governor for a pardon. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return, so the Earth shall become my throne.. 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.. Dad loves you. Cameron Todd Willingham's final rant was so vulgar that the warden of the prison started out the execution just to shut him up. All Rights Reserved. Lyon recalled that warden signalled for the execution to begin while he continued hurling insults at her until he finally became silent. Todd Willingham was executed by lethal injection in Texas in February, 2004. Although Willingham fought for his innocence for 12 years on death row, he was executed in . This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Might Willingham have been guilty after all? Todd is guilty, the criminal justice system and the courts confirmed his guilt, and he should not be pardoned for his crimes, Stacy said. ", Marcus Cotton Executed 3/3/04 "Yes Warden, I do. He reasserts his innocence, and his very last words are religious. He was 36 years old. A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that, however. Its the best magazine article I read thisyear. I love and cherish my friends and family. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. Show us with your support. Cameron Todd Willingham, of Texas, was the husband of Stacy Willingham and the loving father of three young girls.There is a reason why I did not include the word 'loving' in front of the word 'husband'. Last words: "The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. 3. "It . Cameron Todd Willingham had tater tots, onion rings, pie, enchiladas, and ribs. He was put to death for allegedly taking his daughters' lives by intentionally setting fire to their home. There was no Hollywood happy ending, no last-minute call from the governor . Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Yes, they couldnt resist bringing in Clintonesque.). Before this ID episode, Stacy last gave a public statement to The Huffington Post in 2012, when Camerons family was fighting to earn him an acquittal. The case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas in 2004 and whom I wrote about for The New Yorker last month, has taken another strange twist. He asked Stacy if his tombstone could be erected next to their childrens graves. Todd had minor burns but no major injury. Though she hadn't said this to investigators or during his trial, Kuykendall said she threatened to divorce Willingham the night before the fire. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return so the earth shall become my throne. That poignant end reads almost like a Hollywood script, doesnt it? Might Willingham have been guilty after all? Cameron Todd Willingham's last words before the state of Texas executed him are amongst the ones that have stayed with Michelle Lyons . 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. However, there are some that do produce some heartfelt moments in their final minutes. Stacy Kuykendall prefers to remain out of the spotlight. She also added her experience about a man named Rodolfo Hernandez, that she felt had been treated harshly with his death sentence. 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. You have been so good to me. Inside were three children: one-year-old twins named Karmon and Kameron, and Amber, a 2 year old. 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. Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. For a complete list of contributors, click here. That's it, I have nothing else to say. I hope that you can forgive me. There is a central room and two witnesss rooms divided by a wall, ensuring the two groups never meet. Saying that Willingham is guilty is not new for Kuykendall, but it's a 180-degree change from the early years of the case. The article in the New Yorker quoted Willingham's protest of innocence as his final words, but Loyd Cook of the Daily Sun was one of three media witnesses at the execution. 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. by Brandi Grissom I want to say goodbye again to my boys. My wife don't know anything about it. Though, in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, Willingham has faced the harsh reality . Amnesty International. I love you Gabby." But Stacy Kuykendall knew Todd better than anyone, and she's convinced that he was a monster who was guilty as charged. A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that, however. What would he say to the victims family? I'm real sorry for it. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. To the end, he denied setting the fire that killed his wife and kids. An investigative report in the September 7, 2009, issue of the New Yorker deconstructs every facet of the states case against Willingham. Willingham's former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. 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. Willingham, a husband and father of three girls managed to escape the house but his daughters all died. I love my parents. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Michelle Lyons has witnessed more than 300 people being executed, The first person she watched be killed was murderer Javier Cruz, Cameron Todd Willingham, delivered a foul-mouthed tirade directed at his ex-wife, Some inmates on death row refused to die quietly, Woman who watched 300 executions says prisoner told victims family I hope you die as she reveals their final words, Inside sinister rise of pink cocaine sweeping UK nightclubs as warring cartels battle to control 'Coca Cola of drugs', We live on Britain's WORST street - it's rife with drug addicts, crime & prostitutes we're terrified for our lives, Man 'naked and covered in blood' arrested before mum found 'murdered' at home as neighbours reveal hearing screams, Leicester 'explosion': Listen to massive 'sonic' boom that shook homes and rattled windows. I gotta go, road dog. Cameron Todd Willingham Last Words. The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. I hope you rot in hell, bitch; I hope you fucking rot in hell, bitch. 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.. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Rick Perry replaced key members of the panel, delayed the investigation for months. Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. Like I said, I am sorry for hurting your family. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Its the best magazine article I read this year. 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. 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." Lyon recalled that warden signalled for the execution to begin while he continued hurling insults at her until he finally became silent. 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. I have made peace with God. Willingham's supposed confession to his ex-wife on death row (which, it seems, never happened, but more on that in a minute.) In a major turn in one of the country's most-noted death penalty cases, the State Bar of Texas has filed a formal accusation of misconduct against the county prosecutor who convicted Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texas man executed in 2004 for the arson murder of his three young daughters. Documents obtained by the Innocence Project show that state officials received that report but apparently did not act on it. With Jack O'Connell, Laura Dern, Emily Meade, Chris Coy. 2. To my family, to my brother Gerard, I love you. I hope you will accept my apology, even though its too late. 2. Willingham's three daughters were killed in a fire a few days before Christmas of 1991. 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. You all take care of yourselves. That isit. I hope you f***ing rot, c***. 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. 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. 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. He knew the thought of life wasnt ticking in his head. I am going to sleep. 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 Texas Department of Criminal Justice keeps a record of these last statements. ", Earl Behringer Executed 6/11/97"Its a good day to die. Gov. In 1991, there was a fire at Willingham's home in Corsicana, Texas that quickly grew into a full blaze, completely engulfing the house. "His last statement was the worst I had ever seen, she told The Mirror. more to his last words than that,however, Choire ", 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.. 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. Tell my kids I love them. 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. The Fire That Started & Ended It All. "They don't allow that usually. I never knew I would take a life and commit a crime. The chilling memoirs, which she recently penned in her book Death Row: The Final Minutes, has now been fully . From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return-so the earth shall become my throne. View our online Press Pack. Love life; live long. Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. You've been the best. I pray Lord, please forgive me. Take me home. 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 . Days before the expert was set to testify, however, Gov. Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. The process usually sees witnesses and the media brought into a small viewing room where the inmate is already strapped to a gurney. 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. 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. In that case, Ernest Willis was exonerated and freed from prison because the forensic evidence was not valid. 1. The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. "His wife was watching from the witness room and I was . His wife, 22-year old Stacy Willingham, had gone out early that morning to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. At Willinghams 1992 trial, prosecutors claimed he intentionally set fire to his home in order to kill his own children. That poignant end reads almost like a Hollywood script, doesnt it? Read more on the case below, along with news coverage and key documents. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. Unaware of Hursts report, she had determined that Willingham was guilty. 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 Thank you for your love.To the Hancock family, I am sorry for the pain I caused you. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man-convicted of a crime I did not commit. Willingham was sleeping when a fire broke out in his family's home. (Dont worry, Brad Pitts making it into a movie.) Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. To be out there and see what really did exist, now his name is written down on the Death Row list. "Shortly before his execution, I spoke to Todd about the murders and he admitted his guilt to me.". Is it the wholetruth? "He admitted he did it and told me why," she said. I deserve what I am getting. As Willingham's relatives seek to erase his conviction, with experts dismissing the original fire investigation as primitive and conducted using out-of-date techniques, Kuykendall renewed her insistence that her ex-husband started the blaze. Does knowing the full scope of his final statement change the way you feel about Willingham? Is it the whole truth? Rick Perry turned down an eleventh-hour request to stop the execution. "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. You had some lovely girls and I am sorry. 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. He was convicted based on the testimony of forensic experts who said they had determined that the fire was intentionally set and a jailhouse informant who said Willingham had confessed to him. 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