Cameron Todd Willingham. 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 Its basically like reading a 300-page Indiana Jones movie that teaches you important and incredible things about the world. She denied him his wish, later telling a reporter, He took my kids away from me.. He survived, as did his wife, who wasn't in the house at . ", 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.. Who are Cameron Willingham's children? 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. 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seek to erase his conviction, with experts dismissing the original fire investigation as primitive and conducted using out-of-date techniques, Kuykendall renewed her insistence that her ex-husband started the blaze. He could never explain why he hung around with thugs? 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.. 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. ", Marcus Cotton Executed 3/3/04 "Yes Warden, I do. Cameron Todd Willingham, 23 at the time, told fire investigators he woke up as his wife was leaving shortly after 9 a.m., and heard their 1-year-old twins, Karmon and Kameron, crying. 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 interpretation of the evidence that was used to convict him of arson and murder. 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. I love you all, take care. Days before the expert was set to testify, however, Gov. Do you value our journalism? Click on the document to see photos of the prisoner and a description of the crime. But Stacy Kuykendall knew Todd better than anyone, and she's convinced that he was a monster who was guilty as charged. Their father Cameron Todd Willingham es-caped from the fire, was tried, and eventually executed for their deaths. 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. ", Dennis Dowthitt Executed 3/7/01"I am so sorry for what y'all had to go through. At Willinghams 1992 trial, prosecutors claimed he intentionally set fire to his home in order to kill his own children. That is it. ", Cameron Todd Willingham Executed 2/17/04"Yeah. 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 . She explained that on the day of his execution, he thanked her for helping him meet with police officers so he could confess to other crimes he'd committed because he hadnt wanted to die with them on his conscience., 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, 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, Bristol explosion - Homes evacuated after 'suspicious' blast rocks street, Sister of solicitor, 59, who died of blood clot after AstraZeneca vaccine vows she will still get second dose herself, Couple baffled why their bathroom keeps flooding shocked to discover massive SNAKE blocking the drain, Join Bear Grylls in Week 2 of his 40 day military fitness challenge to get Brits into shape, US watching Russias doomsday nuke testing very closely as Putins new Arctic warfare terrifies the world, Calls to lift lockdown faster as Covid fades to lowest level since July as cases more than HALVED in week, 'Big cat' caught on CCTV in Cheshire after couple discover strange footprints and slain chicken. Willingham, who was asleep when the fire started, survived. 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 read that Todds stepmom and cousin are asking the governor for a pardon. 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. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. I have a good family. Faulty investigative techniques, redundant fire science, and swinging witness testimonies resulted in his . I love you, Gabby.". I lied on him in court. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. Cause He is the only one that can give you the strength that you need. 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. Gov. He said, The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. S2010 E14 - 1m 42s. 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. I love you too Pop, keep your head up. 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 . On Feb. 17, 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed by the state of Texas for a triple homicide that never happened. For a complete list of contributors, click here. Anthony Graves don't even know anything about it. 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.". God is real. In 2009, an arson . In 2008, the Texas Forensic Science Commission agreed to investigate the case. An investigative report in the September 7, 2009, issue of the New Yorker deconstructs every facet of the states case against Willingham. 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. (Dont worry, Brad Pitts making it into a movie.) ", 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, 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, Texas mom who witnessed more than 300 executions tells how shes still haunted by child killers last words, Liquor CEO, 46, plummets to his death attempting backflip during Dead & Company concert at New York's Citi Field, Taliban orders British paratroopers out of Afghanistan in a weeks time or it's war, Giant Sturgeon Moon shines above lighthouse in breathtaking snap, Incredible snaps of gravity-defying stunt driver and fog-shrouded viaduct win at pic awards, Disgraced Gov Andrew Cuomo sends farewell message using NY's email alert system to brag about achievements in office, Afghan journalists beaten by Taliban & prevented from making evacuation flight, Giant tortoise thought to be vegetarian kills and eats bird in slo-mo attack, Calls for Biden to RESIGN over Afghanistan crisis grow louder as president jokes he 'may need work after this'. Apart from a few rare interviews, she doesnt let her past interfere with her day to day life. 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). In that case, Ernest Willis was exonerated and freed from prison because the forensic evidence was not valid. 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.". The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Stacy Kuykendall, his then-wife, played a . examination of the evidence persuaded her. 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. 3. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. 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. That poignant end reads almost like a Hollywood script, doesnt it? And on October 15, the Texas Forensic Science Commission discussed the case in depth at its regular meeting. Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. Fire investigators determined that the fire was caused by arson and that Willingham used an accelerant to start the blaze. The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence. 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 reasserts his innocence, and his very last words are religious. I hope that you can forgive me. Ron, give Peggy a hug for me. I recently finished The Lost City of Z, David Granns account of the British explorer Percy Fawcetts final journey in the Amazon basin, where Fawcett disappeared in 1925. "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. 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). Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. 2023 Innocence Project. I confess my sins. Months after Willingham was executed, the Chicago Tribune published an investigative report that raised questions about the forensic analysis.