[1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. "[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. After the fire, the police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some form of a liquid accelerant. She said that she and Willingham had not had a disagreement for two weeks. He told me he was sorry and that he hoped that I could forgive him one day. LEFT: A photo after the 1991 fire at the Corsicana, Tex., home of Willingham and his wife, Stacy, killed . Pic credit: Texas Dept. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. Also, Stacy Kuykendall now claims that he confessed in the same conversation that he asked her to help with his clemency bid. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. Oct. 14, 2010. 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. [1] This coverage suggested that the arson evidence was misinterpreted. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Craig Beyler's report criticized investigators who ruled the . The Big Little Lies actress, 52, plays Elizabeth Gilbert in Trial by Fire, the real-life ordinary citizen who took on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham as he sat on death row. He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. Prior to his death, he was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct. [24], This left only the chemical testing for accelerant. Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. Willinghams statements about the fire were inconsistent. The Fire That Started & Ended It All. 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 . This evidence included a finding of char patterns in the floor in the shape of "puddles," a finding of multiple starting points of the fire, and a finding that the fire had burned "fast and hot," all considered to indicate a fire that had been ignited with the help of a liquid accelerant. Throughout his time on death row, he always maintained his innocence. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Evil Lives Here. We provide you with news from the entertainment industry . Cameron was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. Willingham had escaped the fire with bare feet and no burn marks. My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham lying in his cell in 1994. In his letter, Willingham insisted that he was innocent: I hope that after I am gone that some day, some how the truth will be known and my name cleared.. However, he insisted that he would not admit to a crime he claimed he didnt commit, so he was sentenced to die by lethal injection. 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 . There is credible and reliable new information that Willingham confessed to his ex-wife. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. . . On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the family home of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas. TV-14. He said the night before the fire we got in to an argument and you had said it again that you were going to divorce me. 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. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. "[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. But a few days before that meeting, Perry removed three members of the commission and appointed Bradley, a conservative ally, as its chairman. 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. David Grann: Stacy Speaks: News Desk : The New Yorker. 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. January 9, 1968 - February 16, 2004 . Hurst individually discredited each piece of arson evidence, using publicly supported experiments backed by his re-creation of the elements in question, the most notable being the Lime Street fire, which created the unique 3-point burn patterns flashover. 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 . About Willinghams ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even John Jackson (who prosecuted Willingham and steadfastly believes he was guilty) says: Shes given very different stories about what happened on this particular day right up to the date of his executionIts hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didnt say.. Willingham, played . Family's Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions. 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. 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." . The case was discussed again in a 2009 investigative report in The New Yorker. 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. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. Willingham was accused of arson . They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. October 30, 2009. Their daughters, 2-year-old Amber and her two younger identical twin sisters, 1-year-old Karmon and Kameron, all died from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation. 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. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . A later study into the causes of the fire stated that it might not have been arson. Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. Vasquez asked her if he ever abused the children. "What they are interested in is finding the poster boy for the abolition of the death penalty," Bradley said. Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Today . Bradley was appointed to the science commission post by Gov. [1][19], At trial, the fire investigator Vasquez testified there were three points of origin for the fire, which indicated that the fire was "intentionally set by human hands. 2023 Innocence Project. In the following days, Willingham returned to the house with some family and friends. 1. At a local bar, where a fundraiser was held for the Willingham family, he placed an order for a replacement set, stating that "money was not a problem now. The investigators concluded that the fire had been started deliberately. Willingham, 36, gave his ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, the middle finger with his right hand as it was strapped to the gurney that evening in February 2004. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Perhaps most notably, Hurst was able to explain the presence of lighter fluid at the scene: a charcoal grill which had been used . By John Schwartz. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered is on Facebook. 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]. Stacy Kuykendall, Self: Evil Lives Here. She told reporters that Cameron Todd Willingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while . 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. Daily Sun) CORSICANA . It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. The Dallas Morning News reports that a twin brother of Stacy Kuykendall, who is Willingham's former wife, says Willingham reminded Stacy Kuykendall, not long before his execution, of an earlier . [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. Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the murder of his three children. 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. 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. 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. 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. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. [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." Shes given very different stories about what happened on this particular day right up to the date of his execution, Jackson said. Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas - Innocence Project. March 9, 2015. State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. [1] Grigson had served as an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. In response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating, "Willingham was a monster. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost. American justice (in many cases) is flawed. A jury in Corsicana, south of Dallas, convicted Willingham of capital murder in 1992. [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. His testimony has since been deemed unreliable as he lied in court about the prosecution offering him a reduced sentence to testify. Photo: Flashlight Films/Kobal/Shutterstock. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. 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. Webb later recanted his recantation. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. 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]. . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Killed in the fire were Willingham's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall, and one-year-old twins, Karmen Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham. S9 E1: Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. [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. "[12] At trial, Willingham's conduct at the scene was described as oscillating between collected and hysterical at times screaming for assistance and at other times calmly pushing his car back from the flames that were engulfing his house. [16], Consistent with typical Navarro County death penalty practice, Willingham was offered the opportunity to eliminate himself as a suspect by polygraph examination, which Willingham rejected, according to Jackson. 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. 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. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire. She said, If I said it, then its true., In the course of reporting my story, I also spoke to John Jackson, who prosecuted Willingham. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. [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. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. 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. "[17] The testimony at trial of Johnny Webb, a jailhouse informant, suggested that Willingham had set the fire in order to cover up an injury or death of one of the children due to his wife's actions. [14] On returning to the scene of the fire with firefighter Ron Franks, in an effort to recover personal property (which was described as a very usual request at trial), Willingham was visibly dismayed at being unable to find a dart set. 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. Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. He was executed in 2004, after Perry turned down his final appeal despite evidence from a renowned fire expert that there was not enough evidence to support the arson determination. Cameron Todd Willingham. Last Sunday, in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cameron Todd Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall . The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. 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. Commissioners last month rejected Bradley's efforts to close the case and conclude that fire investigators did not commit professional misconduct. Mills told me, We accurately reported our encounter with her in 2004.. In the case, Willingham refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son, she continued to The Huffington Post in 2012. He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. According to a tape recording of the conversation, Kuykendall made it clear that she still believed that Willingham was innocent and that he had no motive to hurt their children. Within 5 miles of your location. 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. Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No.. 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. Neither one of us could live without them kids. While Kuykendall admitted to investigators that shed been hit by Willingham, she initially defended his innocence and didnt believe hed kill their children. After the fire, police and fire investigators interrogated Kuykendall. The 3rd Court of Appeals ordered state District Judge Charlie Baird to not rule on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. [1], At Willingham's trial, Webb offered an explanation for the individual, distinguishable burns found on Amber's forehead and arm. One of the most fascinating yet heartbreaking events in Americas legal system history is brought to the big screen with Trial By Fire. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. Todd told me that it was stupid but it was like an obsession. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the . Within 5 kilometers of your location. Website by MADEO. In her most recent statement explaining why she had once defended Willingham, she said. Myth: As the fire took hold, Willingham was driven out through the front door of his house, where he crouched down near the entrance. Two medical experts confirmed the theory. 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. Hes never hurt those kids, she said. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. Note to Stacy and Family: Many accounts refer to Amber as having lastname of Kuykendall and Willingham. [3] Both were sharply critical of Beyler. What If He Was Innocent? She said, No. On one fact, Willingham changed his story. [3] A 2011 documentary, Incendiary: The Willingham Case, also explored the case. 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. "[6], Prosecutor John Jackson noted that Webb was considered unreliable, but he later supported an early release from prison for Webb. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. Friends of the family testified that Willingham had beaten his wife in an . 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. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get. Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, has . Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. Nine nationally renowned, independent experts have reviewed the case in the last five years and found that the forensic analysis was wrong. . I was 21, just lost all my children and now everyone expected me to believe that their father did this. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Cameron Todd Willinghams case raises strong opinions on many different levels, but some who defend his conviction and execution are distorting aspects of the case, and some of those distortions are being repeated or reported as fact. 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. Myth: AUSTIN, Tex. This was taken as evidence that the accelerant was poured by Willingham as he left the house. Evidence of such a deal would have eliminated Webb's testimony. 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. VASQUEZ: Did he get angry at you for any reason? If he had pleaded guilty, he would most likely have been sentenced to life in prison. It was an unusual hearing . Born Today Most Popular Celebs Most Popular Celebs Celebrity News. Willingham was accused of arson . 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. 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. Prosecutors are fighting that effort, which is being led by the Innocence Project, a New York legal center. When Willingham was arrested, he vigorously professed his innocence. Her statement is curious. 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. In that article, Kuykendall made it clear that she did not believe Willinghams version of events. a husband returns home to find his wife dead on the living room floor; he tells first responders she committed suicide .



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