UPDATE - Ex-wife: Willingham killed 3 kids in arson case Application of the Law is not perfect in the UK either, but Todd would still be alive if hed lived here, and would probably have been exonerated. Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. A Life Cut Short: Todd Willingham - ABC News Cameron was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. The prosecutor, John Jackson, and the City of Corsicana have both released formal responses to the Beyler Report on the investigation of the fire that killed Willingham's three children at the behest of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. This week on Reasonable Doubt, the team takes on the Raul and Cathy Sarinana were sentenced to death for abusing Would love your thoughts, please comment. He's just not.". 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. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. Our justice system has become who can twist a believable story, not the truth. He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . [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. [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. 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. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered - Facebook The Huntsville Unit where the executions take place . Note to Stacy and Family: Many accounts refer to Amber as having lastname of Kuykendall and Willingham. Amber Louise Willingham (1989-1991) - Find a Grave Memorial While Willingham . Attorneys for Willingham's family are seeking his exoneration. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Willingham a writ of habeas corpus a month before his execution. Webb later asked, "The statute of limitations has run out on perjury, hasn't it? "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. He wrote, "Willingham's wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children. My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. 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. At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. Photo: Flashlight Films/Kobal/Shutterstock. [34] "It's hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say," Willingham's prosecutor said. 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." The New Yorker's David Grann: Stacy Speaks - Cameron Todd Willingham Cameron Todd Willingham - Interesting stories about famous people [16] Against the advice of his own counsel, Willingham declined a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. We are evil when it comes to justice. Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire. After the fire, police and fire investigators interrogated Kuykendall. The arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. Her statement is curious. On one fact, Willingham changed his story. 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], 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. "[1], Webb and Jackson consistently denied that Webb was offered a sentence reduction in return for his testimony against Willingham. Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas - Innocence Project. In the case, Willingham refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. 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. ", "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. "It didn't have [anything] to do with the fire," Fogg said. [18] During his trial in August 1992, he was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea, which he turned down, insisting he was innocent. TV-14. He said that he woke up to her cry of Daddy, Daddy. Willingham said he woke up and saw smoke hovering a few feet above him, then jumped up from the bed where Ambers body would later be found, put on his pants and ran to the kids room where all he could see was fire. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster. 1. It was the centerpiece of the case, as it is in other arson cases. A dad was executed for deaths of his 3 girls. Now a letter casts more On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham gave her first public statement in years. 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. State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. [5] However, there was no evidence of child abuse. Hurst speculated that it was likely that water sprayed by firefighters had spread the lighter fluid from the melted container. Any one can make a story seem real. After Todd was arrested and told his family that he didnt do this, I had to believe that he was telling us the truth. When the recusal motion was denied, Thompson appealed to the Third Court of Appeals and had the proceedings stayed. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. We asked her, Did he confess in that conversation? She said, No. She said he would not have hurt the children. I remember when he was executed. All Rights Reserved. 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. Jackson stated that Willingham's comment was an indicator of guilt. "And they want to make Willingham that poster boy. 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. "[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. Willingham ex-wife featured on streaming series | News Cameron Todd Willingham - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia "[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. Your email address will not be published. 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. [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." [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. 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. Webb claimed that Willingham confessed that he set the fire to hide an injury or death of one of the girls, which was caused by his wife. As far back as 1969, scientific experts published findings that some of the very indicators of arson used in the Willingham case were unreliable and could be misinterpreted. After the fire, the police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some form of a liquid accelerant. Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham was accused of arson . "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. [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. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. [citation needed], In addition to the arson evidence presented at the trial, a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb testified at that time. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. Willingham's Stepmother Responds | The New Yorker 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. Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Today "He was polite, and he seemed to care," she said. "I think about my girls every day and I miss them," she said. 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]. I think they were after somebody, she said. He told me that he believed I was going to but he couldnt let that happen. 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. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is going to determine whether Willingham was innocent. Former in-law: Man executed for fire confessed to ex - Chron Throughout his time on death row, he always maintained his innocence. stacy willingham married "[43] A jury later heard and rejected the claim that Jackson had hid evidence, finding in favor of Jackson. 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. Uno de los eventos ms fascinantes pero desgarradores en la historia del sistema de justicia estadounidense se lleva a la pantalla grande con Prueba de fuego. October 26, 2009. Myth: Willingham's ex-wife tearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. Ordala de fuego: Qu le sucede hoy a Stacy Kuykendall? 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 . 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. He told me he was sorry and that he hoped that I could forgive him one day. Stacey Kuykendall divorced her husband not long after the deaths of her children, and she professed that Willingham had been abusive towards her, but not the children. Throughout the process, Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's former wife and the mother of the three victims, has maintained that he was guilty of the murders. [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. Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No.. He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. [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. Corsicana Daily Sun If he had pleaded guilty, he would most likely have been sentenced to life in prison. TV Schedule for Investigation Discovery USA HD - Eastern . She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . What If He Were Innocent - Evil Lives Here (Season 9, Episode 1 Menu. 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. Even without evidence that the fire was arson, Willingham would have been convicted because there was substantial other evidence. But she never mentioned a confession. According to The New Yorker article, Willingham had been unfaithful, drank heavily, and would physically assaulted his partner, even while she was pregnant. (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.). "[28], Since Willingham's execution, persistent questions have been raised as to the accuracy of the forensic evidence used in the conviction: specifically, whether it can be proven that an accelerant (such as the lighter fluid mentioned above) was used to start the fatal fire. Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. [25], Hurst's report was sent to governor Rick Perry's office, as well as the Board of Pardons and Paroles along with Willingham's appeal for clemency. 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. Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. His testimony has since been deemed unreliable as he lied in court about the prosecution offering him a reduced sentence to testify. Cameron Todd Willingham Just when it seemed Gov. Therefore, I believe that there is no way he could have possibly committed this crime. However, her letter didn't work and within a year shed filed for divorce. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Their daughters killed in the 1991 fire were two and one (twins), and Willingham escaped. Facebook Texas mom who witnessed more than 300 executions tells how she's still 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. Descubre qu pasa hoy con Stacy Kuykendall, ex esposa de Cameron Willingham! wife, Stacy. Cameron Todd Willingham - Wikipedia. "Evil Lives Here" What If He Was Innocent? (TV Episode 2021) - IMDb 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. Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . Si quieres saber en qu se convierte Stacy Kuykendall hoy, Sigue leyendo! AUSTIN, Tex. Is Cameron Todd Willingham Dead or Alive? How Did Cameron Todd It was an unusual hearing . But tragically, their three young children were killed in the blaze. According to an August 2009 investigative report by an expert hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the original claims of arson were doubtful. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. It didnt take this long. On December 23, 1991, a fire enveloped the home of Todd and Stacey in Corsicana, Texas. 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. Cameron Todd Willingham : biography. The case will resume Oct. 14. 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." . March 9, 2015. [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. 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. Kuykendall voice began quavering early in her statement, as she noted her oldest daughter would be 21 and her twins would be 19. Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). 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.. [20] While on death row, Willingham was initially incarcerated in the Ellis Unit,[1] and later in the Polunsky Unit.[21]. 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. She said, firmly, that Willingham had never done so. Before the trial, he even refused to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Kuykendall played a major role in Willinghams life and fate, but in the movie version she is quite prominent. Willingham was accused of arson . In January 2004, the forensic evidence in the case was looked at by an established fire . The 3rd Court of Appeals ordered state District Judge Charlie Baird to not rule on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. 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. "[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. Todd said he'd been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. His report was sent to authorities asking to postpone the execution. stacy willingham married.