"[36], A four-person panel of the Texas Forensic Science Commission investigating evidence of arson presented in the case acknowledged on July 23, 2010, that state and local arson investigators used "flawed science" in determining that the blaze had been deliberately set. 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. Prosecutors are fighting that effort, which is being led by the Innocence Project, a New York legal center. It was an unusual hearing . American justice (in many cases) is flawed. Jackson stated that Willingham's comment was an indicator of guilt. Webb later recanted his recantation. [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. Evidence of such a deal would have eliminated Webb's testimony. According to Brandice Barbee, "All I could see was smoke. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . According to The New Yorker article, Willingham had been unfaithful, drank heavily, and would physically assaulted his partner, even while she was pregnant. 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 . )[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. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the blaze. February 27, 2023 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. He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. 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. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. 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. She said, firmly, that Willingham had never done so. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. 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. She told reporters thatWillingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while their tiny bodies burned.". [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. The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. 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. [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. After the fire, police and fire investigators interrogated Kuykendall. They didnt care who. She said, I dont think he did it. [35] For example, earlier in 2009, Kuykendall supported her 2004 contradiction of her brother's affidavit (saying that there had been no confession) and had previously always maintained that things had been amicable between her and Willingham before the fire. [1], At Willingham's trial, Webb offered an explanation for the individual, distinguishable burns found on Amber's forehead and arm. [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." He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get. 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. On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham gave her first public statement in years. Gary Green stabbed his wife, Lovetta Armstead, Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder. A jury in Corsicana, south of Dallas, convicted Willingham of capital murder in 1992. Menu. Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. "[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. Willingham'sex-wifetearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Today . Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." [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. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . I remember when he was executed. "[7], In June 2009, the State of Texas ordered a re-examination of the case. Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder, but while he was in custody, DNA evidence revealed that he had killed before and that he was an undiscovered serial killer. [24], This left only the chemical testing for accelerant. He's just not.". "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. . Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire . 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. 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. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. 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. . [1], In 2009, John Jackson, the prosecutor at the trial, stated that burns suffered by Willingham were "so superficial as to suggest that the same were self-inflicted in an attempt to divert suspicion from himself. 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. "[17], An August 2009 Chicago Tribune investigative article concluded, "Over the past five years, the Willingham case has been reviewed by nine of the nation's top fire scientists first for the Tribune, then for the Innocence Project, and now for the commission. AUSTIN, Tex. 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." 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. 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. 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. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Please see the three Memorials: Amber Kuykendall-Willingham Memorial# 41759101 Karmen Willingham Memorial# 41759144 Kameron Willingham Memorial# 41759163. Willingham was accused of arson . Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. Before the trial, he even refused to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. The spokeswoman added he was aware of a "claim of a reinterpretation of (the) arson testimony. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. 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, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire. It didnt take this long. How Did Cameron Todd Willingham Die? The commission was never asked to determine whether Willingham was innocent, and was never going to reach a conclusion on his innocence. 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.. [9][10] The APA said that Grigson had violated the organization's ethics code by, "arriving at a psychiatric diagnosis without first having examined the individuals in question, and for indicating, while testifying in court as an expert witness, that he could predict with 100 per cent certainty that the individuals would engage in future violent acts. The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. "What they are interested in is finding the poster boy for the abolition of the death penalty," Bradley said. Photo: Flashlight Films/Kobal/Shutterstock. "[43] A jury later heard and rejected the claim that Jackson had hid evidence, finding in favor of Jackson. Myth: 36-year-old Willingham flicked a middle finger at his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, as he was strapped down to the gurney for his execution in 2004. 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. [26] Neither responded to Willingham's appeals. Then, after he had been sentenced to death and executed, other people began to say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted and that the court put an innocent man to death. He always said he heard his daughter crying, woke up, tried to get his children but couldnt, and exited the house. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. "It didn't have [anything] to do with the fire," Fogg said. By John Schwartz. 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. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the . 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. Its hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didnt say., Your email address will not be published. wife, Stacy. 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. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. : Directed by Phoebe Kwong, Joel Pincosy. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters, and just before he was executed, he told me he did it," Kuykendall said. I was 21, just lost all my children and now everyone expected me to believe that their father did this. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Death' says license won't be affected by allegations", "Execution Report: Cameron Willingham Page 1", "Jackson: Guest Commentary Willingham guilt never in doubt", "David Grann" The Prosecution Defends Itself", "A timeline of the Cameron Todd Willingham case", "Document USA (Texas): Further Information on Death penalty, Cameron Todd Willingham", "Inmate maintains innocence as execution approaches", "Man executed for fire that killed children", "Texas man executed for setting fire that killed his 3 young children", "Gerald Hurst | Death By Fire | FRONTLINE | PBS", "Dare Devils: Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Death Panel", "Texas Gov. [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. Where Is Stacey Willingham From Trial By Fire In 2019? [5] However, there was no evidence of child abuse. Nine nationally renowned, independent experts have reviewed the case in the last five years and found that the forensic analysis was wrong.