Vasquez asked her if he ever abused the children. 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. 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. He was eventually transported to the hospital for treatment, in handcuffs."[13]. She said he would not have hurt the children. But a few days before that meeting, Perry removed three members of the commission and appointed Bradley, a conservative ally, as its chairman. But she never mentioned a confession. It didnt take this long. 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]. Daily Sun) CORSICANA . Rick Perry in what many viewed as a political move to bury new evidence that cast doubt on Willingham's guilt. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. During his trial, Willingham did not testify; the defense called only one witness, the Willinghams' babysitter, who stated that she believed that Willingham could not have killed his children. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . It is also tasked with determining what corrective action, if any, is needed to ensure that forensic analysis in cases like this is reliable. Documentary Feb 14, 2021 42 min. [41] On March 3, 2015, the Texas State Bar filed a disciplinary action, Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Jackson, against Jackson for failing to disclose information on his deal with Webb. [34] "It's hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say," Willingham's prosecutor said. [1], Willingham had the Texas Department of Criminal Justice number 999041. It was an unusual hearing . There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." Wilinghams last words reinstated his innocence, but given Kuykendalls last public words about him, it seems that wherever she is, she still doesnt believe him. "[1], Webb and Jackson consistently denied that Webb was offered a sentence reduction in return for his testimony against Willingham. (For example, she now claims the couple fought the night before the fire, but she clearly said the opposite in various official statements over the years.). She reversed herself shortly before his 2004 execution, declaring that she now considered him guilty for murdering their 2-year-old daughter and her 1-year . Hurst said in December 2004 that "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. After Todd was arrested and told his family that he didnt do this, I had to believe that he was telling us the truth. Si quieres saber en qu se convierte Stacy Kuykendall hoy, Sigue leyendo! [15] The prosecutor claimed that the fire that killed the children was the third attempt by Willingham to kill them, and that he had attempted to abort each of his wife's two pregnancies by kicking her in order to cause miscarriages. ", "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. I told him yes I did say that. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. Hurst speculated that it was likely that water sprayed by firefighters had spread the lighter fluid from the melted container. Your email address will not be published. One of the most fascinating yet heartbreaking events in Americas legal system history is brought to the big screen with Trial By Fire. 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. The investigators concluded that the fire had been started deliberately. . Kuykendall voice began quavering early in her statement, as she noted her oldest daughter would be 21 and her twins would be 19. Or try to make you believe them just because a movie made THEM look bad. 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 . On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. Cameron Todd Willingham. They didnt care who. She said, I dont think he did it. Hes just not. She also said the prosecution was motivated to find anyone to blame. Willingham's Stepmother Responds. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. According to their sworn statements, both Brandice Barbee and Diane Barbee urged Willingham to return to the house to rescue his children. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. Willingham was subsequently executed for the crime; however, some individuals have expressed serious doubt about his conviction and wonder if the state killed an innocent man. Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. 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. 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. "[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. When I recently spoke to Tina Church, a private investigator who worked on Willinghams behalf, she told me that she had spoken to Kuykendall right after their meeting in prison. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [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. They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. 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. [37], In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression. His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is going to determine whether Willingham was innocent. Webb later asked, "The statute of limitations has run out on perjury, hasn't it? "[38] Judge Charlie Baird held an inquiry in September 2010 in Austin, but Lowell Thompson, the Navarro County DA, appeared at the hearing with a motion for Baird to recuse himself due to conflict of interest Baird had once affirmed Willingham's conviction while sitting as a Criminal Appeals judge yet had also been recognized by an anti-death penalty group. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. [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. In 2009, an investigative report by Grann[1] drew upon analysis by arson investigation experts and advances in fire science since the 1992 investigation; he suggested that the evidence for arson was unconvincing. Please see the three Memorials: Amber Kuykendall-Willingham Memorial# 41759101 Karmen Willingham Memorial# 41759144 Kameron Willingham Memorial# 41759163. 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. They dont care if the person is indeed telling the truth. The commission is determining whether the forensic analysis in the Willingham case was valid and, by extension, is also considering whether similar arson cases may have been tainted by faulty forensic evidence. Cameron Todd Willingham's 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. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. Yesterday, Willinghams former wife, Stacy Kuykendall,released a statement to the Fort WorthStar-Telegram saying that he secretly confessed to killing their three daughters, who died in a fire on December 23, 1991. We asked her, Did he confess in that conversation? She said, No. Testimony from fire investigators was the primary evidence against Willingham. Willingham was executed in 2004. 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 . All Rights Reserved. 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. I said that I was going to divorce you. 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. On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the family home of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas. [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. Last Sunday, in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cameron Todd Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall . It was just a fire. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. 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. 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. On February 8, 2004the very day that Ronnie Kuykendall claimed his sister had told him that Willingham had confessedthe CorsicanaDaily Sun publishedan interview with Stacy Kuykendall. So where is Willinghams wife now? Scientific experts have conducted experiments with identical fires and Willinghams burns are normal for this type of fire. 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. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. There were far too many legal errors and turning a blind eye to the truth. 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." Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost. Gary Green stabbed his wife, Lovetta Armstead, and then drowned her daughter Jazzmen Montgomery before her two sons managed to persuade him to spare their lives in this particularly horrible case of anger and jealously. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. "[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. A later study into the causes of the fire stated that it might not have been arson. "It didn't have [anything] to do with the fire," Fogg said. Mothers love their children and always will, no matter what happens in their lives I understand why she does not want to face the facts of what he did to our girls.. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. Join Facebook to connect with Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered and others you may know. He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. [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. Ken Light. Also, Stacy Kuykendall now claims that he confessed in the same conversation that he asked her to help with his clemency bid. In February 2014, The New York Times reported that the Innocence Project investigators said that they had discovered a handwritten note in Webb's files indicating that such a deal was in play. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. 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. State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. 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. Each time, she said that she and Todd had not fought the night before the blaze, and that they had gone to Kmart to pick up photographs of the family to get ready for their Christmas celebration. 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. 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. Before the trial, he even refused to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. When the recusal motion was denied, Thompson appealed to the Third Court of Appeals and had the proceedings stayed. He wrote, "Willingham's wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children. The Fire That Started & Ended It All. After the fire, the police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some form of a liquid accelerant. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. In her most recent statement explaining why she had once defended Willingham, she said. He's just not.". I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son, she continued to The Huffington Post in 2012. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. 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. It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. Cameron Todd Willingham : biography. The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Willingham escaped the home with only minor burns. 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. On December 23, 1991, a fire enveloped the home of Todd and Stacey in Corsicana, Texas. She told reporters thatWillingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while their tiny bodies burned.". 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. While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. Willingham publicly maintained he was innocent until he was put to death in 2004. 982 Followers, 33 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered (@willinghamgirlslivesmattered) She had this exchange with a police detective and the deputy state fire marshal, Manuel Vasquez: VASQUEZ: Did you and your husband have any disagreements on the night after Kmart? He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. Facebook gives people the power to. Here are five crucial facts about the case. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. Willingham was accused of arson . Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. )[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. 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.. Write by: . At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. The commission was never asked to determine whether Willingham was innocent, and was never going to reach a conclusion on his innocence. Movies. By Maurice Possley, The Marshall Project. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. He always said he heard his daughter crying, woke up, tried to get his children but couldnt, and exited the house. While I was reporting myNew Yorker article, I tried to talk to Stacy Kuykendall, but she said that she no longer wanted to discuss the case. . In a legal brief responding to Hursts report, the prosecution argued that the execution should go ahead, and includedan affidavit from Willinghams former brother-in-law Ronnie Kuykendall. Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Willingham a writ of habeas corpus a month before his execution. Based on a 2009 investigative report by David Grann in The New Yorker, Trial by Fire concerns Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texan man who was convicted for the murder of his three children by arson . [1] This coverage suggested that the arson evidence was misinterpreted. 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. In the case, Willingham refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. On one fact, Willingham changed his story. Willinghams former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. 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? After the fire, police and fire investigators interrogated Kuykendall. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". 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. Pic credit: Texas Dept. Myth: 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. [16] Against the advice of his own counsel, Willingham declined a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. [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. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire. Cameron was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. Within 5 miles of your location. I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. Craig Beyler, hired by the Forensic Science Commission, said of one of the analysts: None of these determinations have any basis in modern fire science, and of the second analysts findings: There is no basis for this notion in modern fire science. He found that the investigators did not comport with the standard of care for fire investigation at the time, and that a finding of arson could not be sustained., In a report filed with the Forensic Science Commission in 2006, five leading experts said each and every one of the indicators relied on [to determine that the fire was arson] have since been scientifically proven to be invalid., Gerald Hurst, whose report was sent to the governor before Willinghams execution, has said, Theres nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fireIt was just a fire.. "[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). Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the murder of his three children. While Willingham . "[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. "[17], Commenting on the condition of the house, Jackson added, "any escape or rescue route from the burning house was blocked by a refrigerator, which had been pushed against the back door, requiring any person attempting an escape to run through the conflagration at the front of the house. Any one can make a story seem real. [3] Both were sharply critical of Beyler. "[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. [23], In 2004, Gerald Hurst examined the arson evidence compiled by state deputy fire marshal Manuel Vasquez. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters, and just before he was executed, he told me he did it," Kuykendall said. 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. His report was sent to authorities asking to postpone the execution. What If He Was Innocent? The 3rd Court of Appeals ordered state District Judge Charlie Baird to not rule on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. As he recalled it, their conversation with Kuykendall centered directly on the question of Willinghams alleged confession. He said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. "[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. 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. [22] He was 36 years old. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. The National Fire Protection Association had issued guidelines several months before Willinghams trial that directly contradicted the analysis the experts used (and testified about at the trial). Evidence of such a deal would have eliminated Webb's testimony. Willingham'sex-wifetearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. 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. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." 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. Evil Lives Here is examing a shocking case involving the murder of three young children through an act of arson by their father, Cameron Todd Willingham, in Corsicana, Texas, in 1991. [1] Grigson had served as an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. She noted that he had an inadequate defense, saying of one of his lawyers, "He's not a good lawyer. 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. She said, No. David Grann: Stacy Speaks: News Desk : The New Yorker. 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. Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. 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." . 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. "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. Our kids were spoiled rotten.. His wrists and hands were blackened with smoke. 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 .