Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. October 26, 2009. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. Pic credit: Texas Dept. Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas - Innocence Project. [16], But journalist David Grann reported that "there is evidence that Willingham hit his wife, even when she was pregnant, but there were no police reports or medical evidence indicating that Willingham had tried to abort or kill his children." [5] However, there was no evidence of child abuse. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Bradley was appointed to the science commission post by Gov. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Our justice system has become who can twist a believable story, not the truth. Corsicana Daily Sun While Willingham always insisted he was innocent, later evidence suggested he was wrongly convicted and executed. "[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). In fact, on the same day that her brother claimed she had told him Willingham confessed in that meeting, a local media outlet ran an interview with Stacy Kuykendall where she said Willingham maintained his innocence during the meeting (even though she thought he was guilty). 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. According to an August 2009 investigative report by an expert hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the original claims of arson were doubtful. Cameron Todd Willingham Just when it seemed Gov. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. His testimony has since been deemed unreliable as he lied in court about the prosecution offering him a reduced sentence to testify. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the blaze. October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost. The science commission was set to hear testimony from Beyler last year. On Jan. 8, the night before Willingham's 24th birthday, he was arrested by a SWAT team. The commission is determining whether the forensic analysis in the Willingham case was valid and, by extension, is also considering whether similar arson cases may have been tainted by faulty forensic evidence. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. But she said in an interview that was untrue. The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. [1], At Willingham's trial, Webb offered an explanation for the individual, distinguishable burns found on Amber's forehead and arm. A spokeswoman for Governor Perry said he had weighed the "totality of the issues that led to (Willingham's) conviction." Hes never hurt those kids, she said. 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. It also found insufficient evidence to prove that state Deputy Fire Marshal Manuel Vasquez and Corsicana Assistant Fire Chief Douglas Fogg were negligent or guilty of misconduct in their arson work. 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. Ken Light. The case was complicated by allegations that Texas Governor Rick Perry impeded the investigation by replacing three of the nine Forensic Commission members to change the Commission's findings; Perry denies the allegations.[4]. Gary Green stabbed his wife, Lovetta Armstead, and then drowned her daughter Jazzmen Montgomery before her two sons managed to persuade him to spare their lives in this particularly horrible case of anger and jealously. If the judge clears Willingham, it will mark the first time an official in the nation's most active death penalty state has formally declared that someone was wrongly executed. According to The New Yorker article, Willingham had been unfaithful, drank heavily, and would physically assaulted his partner, even while she was pregnant. Dallas, TX - Outside an Austin court room today, the ex-wife of convicted, executed killer Cameron Todd Willingham tearfully reiterated her former husband's guilt. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. as Tracy Kuykendall (l.) comforts his sister Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham. Kuykendall told prosecutors that he had never abused the children. He said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. Todd said he'd been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. [1], Jackson contradicted Willingham's account by claiming blood gas analysis at Navarro Regional Hospital shortly after the fire revealed that Willingham had not inhaled any smoke. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. Menu. "It didn't have [anything] to do with the fire," Fogg said. [33] In 2010, she declared, "Todd murdered Amber, Karmon, and Kameron. Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). Rick Perry defends 2004 execution despite questions about evidence, calls convict 'a monster', "Perry's denial of stay could become campaign issue", "CNN's Anderson Cooper to Air Report on Cameron Willingham Tonight", "Is Texas Governor Rick Perry Trying to Cover Up Execution of Innocent Man on His Watch", "Stacy Kuykendall's statement about the 1991 fire", "Death penalty case: Ex-wife says convicted killer confessed", "Texas execution: Statements by Gov. Her statement directly contradicts numerous previous statements she has made: in interviews with police and fire investigators; in testimony during the trial; in letters to public officials and Willinghams lawyers; and in her comments to the press. A jury in Corsicana, south of Dallas, convicted Willingham of capital murder in 1992. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters . The order comes at the end of a day of testimony. 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. He was executed on February 17, 2004, aged 36. [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. On December 23, 1991, a fire enveloped the home of Todd and Stacey in Corsicana, Texas. John Bradley, the top prosecutor in Williamson County who also chairs the Texas Forensic Science Commission, said he believes the effort to have Willingham declared innocent is not about justice -- or even the guilt or innocence of Willingham. He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. [citation needed] Willingham was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004, at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. Mothers love their children and always will, no matter what happens in their lives I understand why she does not want to face the facts of what he did to our girls.. a husband returns home to find his wife dead on the living room floor; he tells first responders she committed suicide . . Oct. 14, 2010. Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. Join Facebook to connect with Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered and others you may know. While Willingham . On February 8, 2004the very day that Ronnie Kuykendall claimed his sister had told him that Willingham had confessedthe CorsicanaDaily Sun publishedan interview with Stacy Kuykendall. 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. It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . She noted that he had an inadequate defense, saying of one of his lawyers, Hes not a good lawyer. What are now being described as Willinghams inconsistencies dont come from Willingham at all they are recollections from hearsay witnesses, virtually none of whom testified at trial or were cross-examined. 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.. 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. Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, has . On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the family home of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas. Cameron Todd Willingham : biography. 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 . In recreations with rooms involved in intense fires, experts can safely stand by a door seconds before flashover, and Willingham could have stood close to the childrens room without being harmed. )[39][40], In 2014, the Washington Post reported that new evidence emerged indicating that Webb had said in taped interviews that he lied on the witness stand in exchange for a prosecutor's help obtaining a reduced prison term and financial support from a rich rancher. S9 E1: Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. [12] All twenty of the indications listed by Vasquez of an accelerant being used were rebutted by Hurst,[1] who concluded there was "no evidence of arson" the same conclusion reached by other fire investigators. Myth: You can learn more about how we consider cases here. The front porch was the only place where an accelerant was verified by laboratory tests, and a photograph taken of the house before the fire showed that a charcoal grill was there. Willingham was accused of arson . On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. [34] "It's hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say," Willingham's prosecutor said. 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. The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. 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. Cameron was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. She said, firmly, that Willingham had never done so. It was the centerpiece of the case, as it is in other arson cases. 1. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster. He said he was prescribed many medications at that point while being treated for bipolar disorder. [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. of Criminal Justice . 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. [6], The prosecutor also said that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. 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 . The arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. Facebook gives people the power to. [23], In 2004, Gerald Hurst examined the arson evidence compiled by state deputy fire marshal Manuel Vasquez. Kuykendall and Willingham had a tumultuous past and both had come from troubled backgrounds. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. [22] He was 36 years old. His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. On seeing neighbor Diane Barbee, Willingham began to shout at her to call 911, shouting "My babies are in there! Throughout his time on death row, he always maintained his innocence. 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. . Stacy Kuykendall, his then-wife, played a . "[28], Since Willingham's execution, persistent questions have been raised as to the accuracy of the forensic evidence used in the conviction: specifically, whether it can be proven that an accelerant (such as the lighter fluid mentioned above) was used to start the fatal fire. 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. There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." STORY HIGHLIGHTS Craig Beyler's report criticized investigators who ruled the . Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. They married a few months before the fire and were a significant part of each others lives. . He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. [16] Against the advice of his own counsel, Willingham declined a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. [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. SYNOPSIS. As the fire took hold, Willingham was driven out through the front door of his house, where he crouched down near the entrance. "[6], Prosecutor John Jackson noted that Webb was considered unreliable, but he later supported an early release from prison for Webb. Todd is guilty, the criminal justice system and the courts confirmed his guilt, and he should not be pardoned for his crimes, Kuykendall said at the time. 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. Webb later recanted his recantation. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. The neighbors said he seemed more concerned about damage to his property, such as his car than the welfare of his children. By Maurice Possley, The Marshall Project. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire . State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. The sole exception was when she spoke out about his ultimate fate in a 2012 interview with The Huffington Post, eight years after his execution, while his family members sought Willinghams pardon. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham, said in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published Sunday that Willingham told her he was upset by threats to divorce him after . The State Fire Marshal's Office continues to stand behind the arson finding. Nine nationally renowned, independent experts have reviewed the case in the last five years and found that the forensic analysis was wrong. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. Why is it turned into a competition between lawyers. He's just not.". CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News 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. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. He burnt them. [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. October 30, 2009. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the . In their final meeting, however, he did not confess, she told the Tribune. 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'. Evil Lives Here is examing a shocking case involving the murder of three young children through an act of arson by their father, Cameron Todd Willingham, in Corsicana, Texas, in 1991. Willingham was executed in 2004. 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. [37], In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression. It didnt take this long. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. On October 25, Stacy Kuykendall told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that during a final prison meeting just weeks before he was put to death, Willingham admitted setting the fire in response to Stacy's alleged threats of divorce the night before. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. Shes given very different stories about what happened on this particular day right up to the date of his execution, Jackson said. He said that Willingham confessed to burning her twice with a piece of "wadded up" paper in an effort to make it appear as though the children were "playing with fire. Although Kuykendall, who was eventually convinced of her ex-husbands guilt, turned down many of his last requests, she was there for his execution by lethal injection. All Rights Reserved. In that article, Kuykendall made it clear that she did not believe Willinghams version of events. He wrote, "Willingham's wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. Hes just not. She also said the prosecution was motivated to find anyone to blame. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. 2023 Innocence Project. Throughout the process, Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's former wife and the mother of the three victims, has maintained that he was guilty of the murders. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. [1], Willingham had the Texas Department of Criminal Justice number 999041. During the penalty phase of the trial, she testified under oath. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire. On one fact, Willingham changed his story. Once more, she never mentioned that they had fought the night before the fire or that she had threatened to divorce him, and she said that she was convinced he was innocent. "And they want to make Willingham that poster boy. In the statement, Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, was quoted as telling family members that Willingham said "that he had set the fire because he knew she was going to leave him." The account came from Kuykendall's brother, Ronnie Kuykendall, in a statement to an investigator for the district attorney's office in 2004. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters, and just before he was executed, he told me he did it," Kuykendall said. Where Is Stacey Willingham From Trial By Fire In 2019? Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. 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 . "What they are interested in is finding the poster boy for the abolition of the death penalty," Bradley said. Cameron Todd Willingham, shown with his then-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, and their daughters, was executed in 2004. The case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas in 2004 and whom Iwrote about forThe New Yorker last month, has taken another strange twist. 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. Hes never hurt those kids, she said. 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. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. He admitted that he exaggerated having gone inside the babies room (he said he wanted to sound brave and feared that people would think he was a coward for not going into the burning room). [44], Incendiary: The Willingham Case, a 2011 documentary film covering the case and its aftermath, won the Louis Black Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. Stacy Kuykendall, Self: Evil Lives Here. 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. Evil Lives Here airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery. Willinghams ex-wife said that he hit her but never tried to hurt the children. Cameron Todd Willingham lying in his cell in 1994. As he recalled it, their conversation with Kuykendall centered directly on the question of Willinghams alleged confession. By The New Yorker. Incendiary: The Willingham Case is a 2011 documentary film by Steve Mims and Joe Bailey, Jr. that explores the conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham for arson murder. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. Willingham, played . . 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. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. I told him yes I did say that. Commissioners last month rejected Bradley's efforts to close the case and conclude that fire investigators did not commit professional misconduct. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. Details in Stacy Kuykendall recent statements contradict what she said in multiple statements to law enforcement authorities, letters to Willingham and attorneys, and under oath at his trial. In January 2004, the forensic evidence in the case was looked at by an established fire . Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No..