They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. No clear motive was found, and Willingham's wife denied that the couple had been fighting prior to the night of the fire. (Scott Honea/Corsicana (Tex.) Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. Cameron Todd Willingham. 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. . While Willingham always insisted he was innocent, later evidence suggested he was wrongly convicted and executed. 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 . Even without evidence that the fire was arson, Willingham would have been convicted because there was substantial other evidence. He said that Kuykendall, who had divorced Willingham while he was on Death Row, had recently visited him, then gathered the family to say that he had confessed. 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. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters, and just before he was executed, he told me he did it," Kuykendall said. His wrists and hands were blackened with smoke. Menu. 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. 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. Si quieres saber en qu se convierte Stacy Kuykendall hoy, Sigue leyendo! [16] Against the advice of his own counsel, Willingham declined a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. 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. 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. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. Myth: Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. Kuykendall and Willingham had a tumultuous past and both had come from troubled backgrounds. 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. Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. 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. 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 arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. He told me he was sorry and that he hoped that I could forgive him one day. [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. 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. Gary Green stabbed his wife, Lovetta Armstead, Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder. She said, firmly, that Willingham had never done so. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. The opinions of a state fire official in the case were "nothing more than a collection of personal beliefs that have nothing to do with science-based fire investigation," Beyler wrote. 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. How Did Cameron Todd Willingham Die? 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. 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. 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 . Cameron Todd Willingham, shown with his then-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, and their daughters, was executed in 2004. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Evil Lives Here. In January 2004, the forensic evidence in the case was looked at by an established fire . In the following days, Willingham returned to the house with some family and friends. "[6], Prosecutor John Jackson noted that Webb was considered unreliable, but he later supported an early release from prison for Webb. 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. A spokeswoman for Governor Perry said he had weighed the "totality of the issues that led to (Willingham's) conviction." [6], The prosecutor also said that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. [1], Eyewitnesses described Willingham as having "singed hair on his chest, eyelids, and head and had a two-inch burn injury on his right shoulder, but the prosecution highlighted the absence of any evidence of smoke inhalation. [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. [3] A 2011 documentary, Incendiary: The Willingham Case, also explored the case. Myth: I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. Dal momento che Willingham's Nell'esecuzione del 2004 , sono sorte importanti polemiche sulla legittimit del verdetto di colpevolezza e sull'interpretazione . Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Today . However, Cameron maintained his innocence to his dying breath, and later evidence also suggested that he could have been wrongly executed. Willingham'sex-wifetearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. 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. Several witnesses testified for the prosecution. SYNOPSIS. They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. We asked her, Did he confess in that conversation? She said, No. 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 . Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. 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. Any one can make a story seem real. Willingham publicly maintained he was innocent until he was put to death in 2004. Attorneys for Willingham's family are seeking his exoneration. His report was sent to authorities asking to postpone the execution. Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. Prior to his death, he was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters . 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. Recalling her visit to Willingham in prison shortly before his execution on February 17, 2004, Kuykendall told theStar-Telegram: He asked if I remembered what I had told him that I was going to do after the first of the year [in 1992]. 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. [1] Grigson had served as an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. January 9, 1968 - February 16, 2004 . 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. 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. . But a few days before that meeting, Perry removed three members of the commission and appointed Bradley, a conservative ally, as its chairman. 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. VASQUEZ: Did he get angry at you for any reason? They didnt care who. She said, I dont think he did it. Your email address will not be published. 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. That was until she spoke to . . 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. There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." Throughout his time on death row, he always maintained his innocence. According to the affidavit, he said that Stacy Kuykendall had told him and other family members that Willingham had confessed to her during her prison visit. 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. 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. Willingham was executed in 2004. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. About Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even John Jackson (who prosecuted Willingham and . On Jan. 8, the night before Willingham's 24th birthday, he was arrested by a SWAT team. Willingham was accused of arson . Bradley subsequently canceled the meeting amid accusations that Perry was interfering with the inquiry. . Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. During the penalty phase of the trial, she testified under oath. I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son, she continued to The Huffington Post in 2012. By John Schwartz. 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. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. . Willingham maintained his innocence up until his death and spent years trying to appeal his conviction. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." Mar 11, 2015 at 10:07 am. Equal parts murder mystery, forensic investigation and political drama, the film meticulously reviews the arson evidence used to convict Willingham, and immerses audiences in contemporary struggles over the case.