Any one can make a story seem real. Family's Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions. Jackson said Willingham had abused animals and was a sociopath. Write by: . 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. So where is Willinghams wife now? The film, based on the 2009 New Yorker article also title Trial By Fire, chronicles events around late Texas native Cameron Todd Willingham. The science commission was set to hear testimony from Beyler last year. Pic credit: Texas Dept. [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. They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. About Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even John Jackson (who prosecuted Willingham and . The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. Website by MADEO. The order comes at the end of a day of testimony. 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. List of people executed in Texas, 20002009, List of people executed in the United States in 2004, List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Trial by Fire: Did Texas execute an innocent man? [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. Born Today Most Popular Celebs Most Popular Celebs Celebrity News. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . And they chose poorly, because Willingham is a guilty monster.". After the fire, the police investigation determined that the fire had been started using some form of a liquid accelerant. I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son, she continued to The Huffington Post in 2012. (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.). Yesterday, Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall, released a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram saying that he secretly confessed to killing their three daughters, who . He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. 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. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. 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 . Prosecutors are fighting that effort, which is being led by the Innocence Project, a New York legal center. 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. During the penalty phase of the trial, she testified under oath. 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 convict him of arson and murder. [16] In a 2009 article discussing the reasons why Willingham was found guilty, Jackson recalled witness statements establishing that Willingham was overheard whispering to his deceased older daughter at the funeral home, "You're not the one who was supposed to die." . By John Schwartz. 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." . Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No.. Also, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of convict Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. Not long after their encounter, a leading fire investigator, Dr. Gerald Hurst, completed his review of the original investigation and concluded, as other leading fire investigators would in the years to come, that there was no scientific basis to determine that Willingham had set the fire, and that the original fire investigators had based their theories on discredited methods. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered is on Facebook. 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. If Stacy will advise, I will be happy to make correction. "[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. In their final meeting, however, he did not confess, she told the Tribune. 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 . Daily Sun) CORSICANA . 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. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . "[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). 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]. [1] This coverage suggested that the arson evidence was misinterpreted. 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. "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. Willingham was accused of arson . Please see the three Memorials: Amber Kuykendall-Willingham Memorial# 41759101 Karmen Willingham Memorial# 41759144 Kameron Willingham Memorial# 41759163. 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. 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. Prior to his death, he was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct. 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. But tragically, their three young children were killed in the . Willingham was accused of arson . 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.. . Bradley was appointed to the science commission post by Gov. "I spent years not knowing, but Todd gave me that. 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. Willingham had escaped the fire with bare feet and no burn marks. 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. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. [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. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, has . 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. I said that I was going to divorce you. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". Willingham escaped the home with only minor burns. "And they want to make Willingham that poster boy. Willinghams statements about the fire were inconsistent. Our justice system has become who can twist a believable story, not the truth. 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. . In 2004, Stacy Kuykendall told the Chicago Tribune that he never confessed, and she said the same to The New Yorker in 2009. Menu. But she never mentioned a confession. There has been serious doubt expressed over the validity of Willinghams conviction. 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. Once the fire had reached flashover and the fire department arrived, Willingham became far more agitated, to the point of being restrained by emergency services. There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. 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. He said the night before the fire we got in to an argument and you had said it again that you were going to divorce me. Todd told me that it was stupid but it was like an obsession. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire . Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. Myth: [34] "It's hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say," Willingham's prosecutor said. I was 21, just lost all my children and now everyone expected me to believe that their father did this. Cameron Todd Willingham - Wikipedia. It was just a fire. [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. 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. She said he would not have hurt the children. Myth: 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. Oct. 14, 2010. Evil Lives Here airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery. He told me that he believed I was going to but he couldnt let that happen. 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 . She said that she and Willingham had not had a disagreement for two weeks. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. Rick Perry in what many viewed as a political move to bury new evidence that cast doubt on Willingham's guilt. [1], Willingham had the Texas Department of Criminal Justice number 999041. Ken Light. Last Sunday, in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cameron Todd Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall . "[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. 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]. an affidavit from Willinghams former brother-in-law, Trailer for Trial by Fire film about Todd Willingham, World Premiere of Trial by Fire about Todd Willingham at Telluride Film Festival August 31, 2018, Trial Starts to Determine if Todd Willinghams Prosecutor Hid Evidence. What are now being described as Willinghams inconsistencies dont come from Willingham at all they are recollections from hearsay witnesses, virtually none of whom testified at trial or were cross-examined. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. He was eventually transported to the hospital for treatment, in handcuffs."[13]. She also previously campaigned for his release and wrote to the governor of Texas, I know him in ways that no one else does when it comes to our children. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered and others you may know. 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. Willingham's Stepmother Responds. He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. Yet Kuykendall continued to give the same version of events long after the fire and after she and Willingham were divorced. If the judge clears Willingham, it will mark the first time an official in the nation's most active death penalty state has formally declared that someone was wrongly executed. Here are five crucial facts about the case. Around two weeks before the execution, Kuykendall went to see Willingham. Their daughters killed in the 1991 fire were two and one (twins), and Willingham escaped. He said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. 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. . Testimony from fire investigators was the primary evidence against Willingham. 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. Her statement is curious. He said if I didnt have my girls I couldnt leave him and that I could never have Amber or the twins with anyone else but him. AUSTIN, Tex. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. In response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating, "Willingham was a monster. Even without evidence that the fire was arson, Willingham would have been convicted because there was substantial other evidence. Bradley subsequently canceled the meeting amid accusations that Perry was interfering with the inquiry. Willingham's ex-wife tearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. "I think about my girls every day and I miss them," she said. The 2011 documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case also explored the case. After Todd was arrested and told his family that he didnt do this, I had to believe that he was telling us the truth. "[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. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. [22] He was 36 years old. A jury in Corsicana, south of Dallas, convicted Willingham of capital murder in 1992. [24], This left only the chemical testing for accelerant. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. 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. VASQUEZ: Did he get angry at you for any reason? "[1], Webb and Jackson consistently denied that Webb was offered a sentence reduction in return for his testimony against Willingham. Within 5 miles of your location. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. Willinghams former probation officer and a judge both directly refute any notion that he was a sociopath. While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. If he had pleaded guilty, he would most likely have been sentenced to life in prison. In fact, on the same day that her brother claimed she had told him Willingham confessed in that meeting, a local media outlet ran an interview with Stacy Kuykendall where she said Willingham maintained his innocence during the meeting (even though she thought he was guilty). Cameron Todd Willingham. October 26, 2009. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. [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. I think they were after somebody, she said. https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/10/cameron-todd-willingham-media-meltdown.html?m=1You can visit my Facebook page @stacy Willingham byGoggle #willinghamgi. "[12], The prosecution claimed that Willingham may have been motivated by a desire to rid himself of unwanted children. [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. Note to Stacy and Family: Many accounts refer to Amber as having lastname of Kuykendall and Willingham. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. 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. 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. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. Your email address will not be published. Nine nationally renowned, independent experts have reviewed the case in the last five years and found that the forensic analysis was wrong. [6], The prosecutor also said that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. AUSTIN Nine days before Cameron Todd Willingham was to be executed for setting a house fire that killed his three daughters, his ex-wife called her family together to tearfully recount a . The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Willingham a writ of habeas corpus a month before his execution. 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. In the case, Willingham refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. State district Judge Charlie Baird scheduled an unusual court of inquiry hearing Wednesday after the Innocence Project filed a petition asking him to "restore the reputation" of Willingham and declare he was wrongly convicted. [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. Willingham's attorneys were not notified. Willingham, played . I miss them so much., While Kuykendall was in Willinghams corner and also persistent about his innocence for years, she changed her stance shortly before his execution.I read that Todds stepmom and cousin are asking the governor for a pardon. He was executed on February 17, 2004, aged 36. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost. Kuykendall played a major role in Willinghams life and fate, but in the movie version she is quite prominent. [26] Neither responded to Willingham's appeals. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. But she said in an interview that was untrue. The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. In a rebuttal, Grann wrote, "If the arson investigators had concluded that there was no scientific evidence that a crime had occurred as the top fire investigators in the country have now determined Willingham's words at the funeral would surely be viewed as a sign that he was tormented by the fact that he had survived without saving his children. "[12] According to Brandice, he refused, and moved his car away from the fire before returning to sit on a nearby lawn, "not once attempting to go inside to rescue his children." He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. According to Brandice Barbee, "All I could see was smoke. 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. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the .
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