And to my family, I love you. 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'. To be out there and see what really did exist, now his name is written down on the Death Row list. Cameron Todd Willingham. Yes, if one defines truth in the Clintonesque way of defensible as not literally false. My life is all I can give. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. On October 28, 2011, the commission issued the report addendum. . Stacy Kuykendall, his then-wife, played a significant role in the entire matter by changing her beliefs as well. Show us with your support. Im not sure Im entirely comfortable with the way Grann structured his ending, in light of Willinghams full statement-but Im not content with Scheideggers takeaway, either. At the state prison in Huntsville that housed the execution chamber, Lyons saw the harrowing arbitration of justice as hundreds of criminals were put to death by lethal injection. All right, Warden, let's do it. The pursuit of justice has always been rooted in good will, to succeed those who have been wronged. Sicha, Michael Meticulously researched, staunchly reported and beautifully written, it covers the history of Londons Royal Geographic Society, to which Percy belonged, and the 300-year quest for the mythical golden city, El Dorado, as well as the rubber trade and its effect on indigenous tribes who shoot six-foot arrows from seven-foot bows. Final Texas Forensic Science Commission report on Willingham / Willis cases, Texas Forensic Science Commission History and Key Documents, Myths and Facts About the Willingham Case, the Chicago Tribune published an investigative report, An investigative report in the September 7, 2009, issue of the New Yorker, Read more about the TFSC and download key documents relating to the panel here, John Lentini presentation at Court of Inquiry hearing, Court of Inquiry Petition by Eugenia Willingham and Patricia Willingham Cox, Report of Craig Beyler to the Texas Forensic Science Commission, Expert Panel Report on Willingham and Willis convictions, Innocence Project Filing to Texas Forensic Science Commission, Gerald Hurst Report on Willingham Arson Investigation, Hurst report on Ernest Willis arson investigation, Documents Obtained from Texas via Open Records Act, Visit our Texas Forensic Science Commission page, Texas Forensic Science Commission Set to Discuss Willingham Case and Arson Convictions Statewide, 400 People from 120 Texas Towns Including 15 Exonerated with DNA Testing Urge State Panel to Continue Willingham Probe, New Report Shows that Cameron Todd Willingham, Executed in Texas in 2004, Was Innocent, Innocence Project Submits Two Arson Cases to Texas Commission and Requests System-Wide Review, Thanks to Willingham Inquiry, Old Cases Getting New Look, Forensic Panel Calls for Review of Past Arson Cases, Perry Squashed Texas Execution Probe, Ex-Official Says, Advocates Urge Panel to Continue Willingham Probe, Sam Bassett, the Texas Tribune Interview (Video), Forensic Science Commission Still Has Work To Do, Forensic Panel Should Be Aggressive, Despite AG Opinion, Forensic Panel Off Willingham Case, Attorney General Says, New Leader for Inquiry Into Forensic Evidence, Texas Forensic Panel Adopts Arson Recommendations, Texas Forensic Panel Delays Final Decision in Willingham Arson Case, Arson Experts Testify Investigation Violated Standards, Fire Expert Criticizes Investigation That Led to Execution, Texas Prosecutor Denies Showing Bias in Arson Case, Forensic Panel Criticized Their Leader for Calling Willingham a Guilty Monster, Familys Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions, At Willingham Hearing, Science Finally Takes Center Stage, Texas Reopens Case of Man Executed For Arson, Murder, Appellate Court Orders Halt to Willingham Inquiry, Court blocks ruling in death-penalty inquiry, Forensic Commissioners Push Back Against Bradley, Forensic Science Commission Takes Up Willingham, Bradley loses, Forensics Panel Will Call Experts, State panel declines to clear investigators in Willingham case, Texas Panel Unwilling to End inquiry in arson case, Panel Unwilling To End Arson Inquiry & Midday Roundup, Looks Like Forensics Chair Bradley Will Lose Battle, Texas Panel Goes Into Closed Session in Arson Case, State Forensic Hearing on Cameron Todd Willingham Arson Case Goes Behind Closed Doors, Texas Inquiry into Disputed Arson Case Could End, Panel Must Clear the Air in Arson Case Investigation, State Forensic Science Commission Takes up Arson Case Again, Fire Marshals Stand by Original Arson Report, Editorial: Forensics Panel Should Hear Experts, Lawmakers Criticize Panels Arson Investigation, Texas Panel Ready to End Disputed Arson Inquiry, Forensic Revolt Again Is In Order (09/12/10), Willingham Case on Science Panels Agenda, Finding Ways to Reduce Wrongful Convictions, Rick Perry Seceded from the People of Texas, Innocence Project Comments on Willingham Case, Texas state board says arson investigators used flawed science, Panel Cites Flawed Science in Arson Case, Commission: No negligence or misconduct by investigators in fatal fire, Forensic Panel Must Resist Panels Efforts at Sabotage, Forensic Panel must Resist Chairs Efforts at Sabotage, Supporting Forensic Reform to Improve the Accuracy of the Criminal Justice System, September 2009 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on improving forensic science. You know what I'm saying. A letter to the editor revealed that there was more to his last words than that,however. 1. Texas put Cameron Todd Willingham to death by lethal injection on Feb. 17, 2004, for the murder of his three children by arson in 1991. examination of the evidence persuaded her. The former journalist said: "You do have some that would just do outlandish stuff. Testimony from an informer and the fire investigators convicted him, with the prison informant saying Willingham confessed that he'd started the fire to hide the evidence that his daughters had been abused. I will be waiting for you. Sunday, September 27, 2009. (That blog is a project of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which describes itself as the only public interest law foundation in the nation working full time to strengthen law enforcements ability to assure that crime does not pay. Its advisers include Edwin Meese III, who is also associated with the Heritage Foundation.). But others she admits are very hard to forget as she recalled the horrific final words of one inmate. Cameron Todd Willingham's last words before the state of Texas executed him are amongst the ones that have stayed with Michelle Lyons . 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. Below are some final statements of convicted murderers. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. As previously revealed by The Sun, Lyons says this can sometimes be an arduous process as some refuse to die quietly. And the statement as Grann reports it is consistent with what we might expect from a person who actually was innocent. Cause He is the only one that can give you the strength that you need. Part of HuffPost Crime. Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. I, I never was right after that incident happened. He said, The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. It ends like this: Just before Willingham received the lethal injection, he was asked if he had any last words. The observations of a neighbor who was at the scene, but for . "He directed so much vitriol towards her that the warden actually started the execution as he was talking to make him stop.". 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). The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has kept a record of these statements since 1982, when the state resumed the use of the death penalty. It seems like Cameron admitted to the couples tumultuous past first, acknowledging that their relationship was affected by their troubled backgrounds. Is it the wholetruth? I have no revenge because hate wont solve anything. Its so sad that in a country like the US which we Ugandans admire and always wish that our lawmakers could benchmark in abid to create a free and unbiased judicial system such loopholes. 1763 Words8 Pages. I write for the Awl, and also a book called Public Apology, for Grand Central Publishing. Willingham was convicted of murdering his three daughters by arson in 1992 and was executed on February 17, 2004. Read more on the case below, along with news coverage and key documents. By an 11-to-1 vote, a Navarro County jury rejected claims by the State Bar of Texas that Jackson made false statements . "I hope y'all don't have a wreck and kill yourselves. ", Raymond Kinnamon Executed 12/11/94"guys like them got tied up in something like this. But by 2004, she had declared Willingham guilty. Trial by Fire: Directed by Edward Zwick. For years, Michelle Lyons witnessed state killings in her roles as a journalist, then on the other side of the divide as the advocate for the state. Though she hadn't said this to investigators or during his trial, Kuykendall said she threatened to divorce Willingham the night before the fire. Willingham's supposed confession to his ex-wife on death row (which, it seems, never happened, but more on that in a minute.) Cameron Todd Willingham who was born on the 9th of January 1968 passed away on the 17th of February 2004. Granns story establishes that, after years of supporting Willingham as he waited on death row, Stacy had lost her faith. Im sorry and my head wasnt on straight. Does knowing the full scope of his final statement change the way you feel about Willingham? "He directed so much vitriol towards her that the warden actually started the execution as he was talking to make him stop," Lyons said. Todd had minor burns but no major injury. TIL that the real last words of Cameron Todd Willingham, executed in 2004 but now widely believed to be innocent, were a stream of curses directed at his ex-wife who was watching the execution and who claimed that he had confessed to her . All Rights Reserved. I love you Gabby." I know Im missing somebody, but if theres anything I have left to say, it would be that I wish I had a Shakespearean vocabulary, but since I was raised in TDC, I missed out on some of my vocabulary.If my words can persuade you to discontinue this practice of executing people, please do so. 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. 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. The witness believed the bitch in question was Willinghams ex-wife Stacy, the mother of his daughters. Is Granns report the truth? Unaware of Hursts report, she had determined that Willingham was guilty. Gross negligence and a severe consequence they failed to act on their duties. Cameron Todd Willingham (9 gennaio 1968 - 17 febbraio 2004) stato un uomo americano condannato e giustiziato per l'omicidio dei suoi tre figli per incendio doloso nella casa di famiglia a Corsicana, in Texas , il 23 dicembre 1991. Image Credit: Stacy Kuykendall / Facebook. However, a police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some sort of liquid accelerant, and Willingham was reportedly relatively unharmed after the fire. While waiting for permission to finish the case from the Third Court of Appeals, Baird put together the document that "orders the exoneration of Cameron Todd Willingham for murdering his three daughters," because of "overwhelming, credible and reliable evidence" presented during a one-day hearing in Austin in October 2010. 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. Before prison officials administer the lethal cocktail of drugs used to carry out executions, the condemned may say their final piece. Cameron Todd Willingham's stepmother and cousin, . Well, Grann doesnt actually say those words are the very last, but that is certainly the picture the reader gets. 1. 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. I lied on him in court. The 16,000-word article by David Grann shows that all of the evidence used against Willingham was invalid, including the forensic analysis, the informants testimony, other witness testimony and additional circumstantial evidence. Yes, sir. Some may choose to apologise for their crimes, others take their own route, she also explained. Investigation Discoverys Evil Lives Here: What If He Was Innocent? examines one of the most fascinating tales in American true-crime history by putting the focus on Cameron Todd Willingham once again. I am at peace with God. The meeting adjourned without action on the draft addendum, however. From Gods dust I came and to dust I will return-so the earth shall become my throne. 1584 Words | 7 Pages. I grew up in New Jersey. What Happened To Cameron Todd Willingham? Who called the fire department? On October 29, 1992, he was sentenced to death. "Eugenia loved Todd, and I understand why she does not want to face the facts of what he did to our girls," Kuykendall said. 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.". Oh Jesus, Lord God, take me home. While Willingham . Well, Grann doesnt actually say those words are the very last, but that is certainly the picture the reader gets. In 2006, the Innocence Project formally submitted the case to the Texas Forensic Science Commission, asking the empowered state entity to launch a full investigation. Willingham, who was asleep when the fire started, survived. To my family, to my brother Gerard, I love you. Here is what they sent him: Yeah. 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. You've been the best. 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. I am really so sorry about it, I really am. I pray Lord, please forgive me. Perhaps most notably, Hurst was able to explain the presence of lighter fluid at the scene: a charcoal grill which had been used . Matthews. Excerpt follows. And piranha, and electric eels and anacondas and poisonous insects that attack your eyes and maggots that fester under your skin and toothpick-sized parasite catfish that swim up your penis through your urethra, lodge themselves there with sharp spines, and kill you. The chilling memoirs, which she recently penned in her book Death Row: The Final Minutes, has now been fully revealed, with every experience unique in its own right. The reporter also said she witnessed the last moments of Brian Keith Roberson, who stabbed his neighbors James Boots, 79, and Lillian Boots, 74, to death during a burglary in Dallas in 1986. ", 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'. For other inquiries, Contact Us. I got to go sister, I love you. At the trial, the prosecutor asserted that Willingham wanted to . 1 year old twins: Kameron, Karmon, and two year old: Amber. 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. Here are five crucial facts about the case. He survived, as did his wife, who wasn't in the house at . 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.