There is credible and reliable new information that Willingham confessed to his ex-wife. When Stacy Kuykendall agreed to lie on the stand to protect her husband, Cameron Todd Willingham, she still believed him to be an innocent man. [37], In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression. Willingham said that he never encountered Amber in those initial moments and theorized that Amber had left the kids room via a hall that led both to the front door and to another entrance to his bedroom and thats how he missed her. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. The arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. 2023 Innocence Project. [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. Myth: On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the Willingham family home in Corsicana, Texas. ", "Analysis of the Fire Investigation Methods and Procedures Used in the Criminal Arson Cases Against Ernest Ray Willis and Cameron Todd Willingham", "Shake-up in Texas execution probe draws criticism, questions", "Evidence of Concealed Jailhouse Deal Raises Questions About a Texas Execution", "Effect of "Dr. Death" and his testimony lingers", "Texas appeals court halts execution of man who did not kill anyone", "Groups Expel Psychiatrist Known for Murder Cases; Witness nicknamed 'Dr. (Thompson later received an award from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association for this motion and appeal. [22] He was 36 years old. Kuykendall told prosecutors that he had never abused the children. In 2004, Stacy Kuykendall told the Chicago Tribune that he never confessed, and she said the same to The New Yorker in 2009. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. 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 convict him of arson and murder. Your email address will not be published. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster. 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. . Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. He said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. Friends of the family testified that Willingham had beaten his wife in an . David Grann: Stacy Speaks: News Desk : The New Yorker. Jimmie Hensley, a police detective, and Douglas Fogg, the assistant fire chief who both investigated the fire told Grann that they had never believed that the refrigerator was part of the arson plot. 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. "And they want to make Willingham that poster boy. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." 1. We are evil when it comes to justice. "[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). stacy willingham married. Kuykendall claims in the . Willingham maintained his innocence up until his death and spent years trying to appeal his conviction. He was executed on February 17, 2004, aged 36. . Neighbors later told the police how they had seen Willingham crouching on the lawn outside his house as the building went up in smoke. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. 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 . In August 2009, eighteen years after the fire and five years after Willingham's execution, a report conducted by Dr. Craig Beyler, hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission to review the case, found that "a finding of arson could not be sustained." 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 . She told reporters thatWillingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while their tiny bodies burned.". 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 response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating, "Willingham was a monster. 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. 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. American justice (in many cases) is flawed. [6], The prosecutor also said that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. Even if the analysts didnt know it was wrong at the time, they surely should have known it in the years following and should have brought it to the attention of courts and prosecutors long before the 11th-hour efforts that preceded Willinghams execution. They dont care if the person is indeed telling the truth. The defense did not present a fire expert because the one hired by Willingham's attorney also said the fire was caused by arson. When the recusal motion was denied, Thompson appealed to the Third Court of Appeals and had the proceedings stayed. He was a guy who murdered his three children, who tried to beat his wife into an abortion so that he wouldn't have those kids. Oct. 14, 2010. 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. On Sunday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, "Stacy Kuykendall's statement about the 1991 fire." Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham, offers her first detailed account of the 1991 fire that claimed the lives of her three daughters and led to Willingham's execution in 2004. It was the centerpiece of the case, as it is in other arson cases. 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. But she said in an interview that was untrue. Commissioners last month rejected Bradley's efforts to close the case and conclude that fire investigators did not commit professional misconduct. [1], Willingham had the Texas Department of Criminal Justice number 999041. 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. At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. Hes never hurt those kids, she said. Corsicana -- The Associated Press is reporting that Stacy Kuykendall, former wife of Cameron Todd Willingham, will hold a press conference today before an Austin judge is scheduled to begin a hearing on whether or not Cameron Willingham was wrongly executed for the deaths of his three daughters in a 1991 fire ruled as arson. Willingham, played . [23], In 2004, Gerald Hurst examined the arson evidence compiled by state deputy fire marshal Manuel Vasquez. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. 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 . 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. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. AUSTIN, Tex. Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No.. Willingham escaped the home with only minor burns. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. He said that he woke up to her cry of Daddy, Daddy. Willingham said he woke up and saw smoke hovering a few feet above him, then jumped up from the bed where Ambers body would later be found, put on his pants and ran to the kids room where all he could see was fire. "[6], Prosecutor John Jackson noted that Webb was considered unreliable, but he later supported an early release from prison for Webb. According to The New Yorker article, Willingham had been unfaithful, drank heavily, and would physically assaulted his partner, even while she was pregnant. Its hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didnt say., Your email address will not be published. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.investigationdiscovery.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fevil-lives-here%2Ffull-episodes%2Fwhat-if-he-was-innocent%3Ffbclid%3. His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. The neighbors said he seemed more concerned about damage to his property, such as his car than the welfare of his children. Webb later recanted his recantation. "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. [2] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record. 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 . Their daughters killed in the 1991 fire were two and one (twins), and Willingham escaped. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. In their final meeting, however, he did not confess, she told the Tribune. [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. Protestors posthumously campaigning for Cameron Willingham's innocence, photographed outside a hearing in 2010 (Image: Jay Jenner/AP) An American chemist and fire investigator named Gerald Hurst was able to rebut the evidence of arson brought against Willingham. . [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." 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. Myth: Around two weeks before the execution, Kuykendall went to see Willingham. The investigators concluded that the fire had been started deliberately. 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. stacy willingham married. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. Todd told me that it was stupid but it was like an obsession. 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. 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? According to the affidavits, Willingham's ex-wife had told Ronnie that Willingham confessed to her that he had set the fire. Yet Kuykendall continued to give the same version of events long after the fire and after she and Willingham were divorced. I was 21, just lost all my children and now everyone expected me to believe that their father did this. In the following days, Willingham returned to the house with some family and friends. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Willingham a writ of habeas corpus a month before his execution. Jackson said Willingham had abused animals and was a sociopath. "[16] Grann, however, said fire investigators who reviewed the case told him that "Willingham's first-degree and second-degree burns were consistent with being in a fire before the moment of 'flashover' that is, when everything in a room suddenly ignites. wife, Stacy. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. She said that during her visit with Willingham in prison, he maintained that the fire was accidental and that their daughter Amber had likely caused it: Willingham laid out the same theory to Kuykendall that he suggested during the Daily Sun interviewthat Amber had accidentally set the fire. 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. Hurst said in December 2004 that "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. Thank you for visiting us. 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's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get. . Cameron Todd Willingham. Our kids were spoiled rotten.. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is going to determine whether Willingham was innocent. In that article, Kuykendall made it clear that she did not believe Willinghams version of events. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. We provide you with news from the entertainment industry . Prueba de fuego est disponible en Netflix! While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. There were far too many legal errors and turning a blind eye to the truth. His testimony has been criticized as contentious for several reasons. I recently finished The Lost City of Z, David Grann's account of the British explorer Percy Fawcett's final journey in the Amazon basin, where . [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. 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. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. 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. This week on Reasonable Doubt, the team takes on the Raul and Cathy Sarinana were sentenced to death for abusing Would love your thoughts, please comment. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Rick Perry in what many viewed as a political move to bury new evidence that cast doubt on Willingham's guilt. [1] Grigson had served as an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. Within 5 miles of your location. SYNOPSIS. 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. She also previously campaigned for his release and wrote to the governor of Texas, I know him in ways that no one else does when it comes to our children. [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. 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. The case will resume Oct. 14. Daily Sun) CORSICANA . But tragically, their three young children were killed in the . Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. The 3rd Court of Appeals ordered state District Judge Charlie Baird to not rule on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. [citation needed], In addition to the arson evidence presented at the trial, a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb testified at that time. His testimony has since been deemed unreliable as he lied in court about the prosecution offering him a reduced sentence to testify. https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/10/cameron-todd-willingham-media-meltdown.html?m=1You can visit my Facebook page @stacy Willingham byGoggle #willinghamgi. Willinghams former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the . 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 . Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). The 2011 documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case also explored the case. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost . Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. When Willingham exited his bedroom, the hallway was not yet on fire; the fire was contained in the childrens bedroom. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns.
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