Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. Commissioners last month rejected Bradley's efforts to close the case and conclude that fire investigators did not commit professional misconduct. : Directed by Phoebe Kwong, Joel Pincosy. 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. [5] However, there was no evidence of child abuse. [44], Incendiary: The Willingham Case, a 2011 documentary film covering the case and its aftermath, won the Louis Black Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. 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.. 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. Michelle Lyons worked as a newspaper reporter and a Texas state employee at the jail and said Willingham was swearing and yelling at his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, even as . 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. [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. Webb later asked, "The statute of limitations has run out on perjury, hasn't it? Its hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didnt say., Your email address will not be published. He said that Willingham confessed to burning her twice with a piece of "wadded up" paper in an effort to make it appear as though the children were "playing with fire. Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . 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. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. cemeteries found in Simpson, Marshall County, Oklahoma, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. Descubre qu pasa hoy con Stacy Kuykendall, ex esposa de Cameron Willingham! On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham gave her first public statement in years. 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 . The Fire That Started & Ended It All. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. Evil Lives Here airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery. Before the trial, he even refused to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Willingham had escaped the fire with bare feet and no burn marks. In 1999, she spoke to Elizabeth Gilbert, a teacher and playwright from Houston who had begun to investigate Willinghams case. He told me that he believed I was going to but he couldnt let that happen. [37], In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression. The forensic analysis is what determined that a crime had been committed in the first place. On seeing neighbor Diane Barbee, Willingham began to shout at her to call 911, shouting "My babies are in there! [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. She was out shopping for Christmas presents at a thrift shop. "[12], The prosecution claimed that Willingham may have been motivated by a desire to rid himself of unwanted children. In 1992, Willingham was convicted of arson-related triple homicide and was executed 12 years later by the death penalty after his three daughters were killed in a 1991 house fire. S9 E1: Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. [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. Tessa Thompson Talks Going To Couples Therapy With Michael B. Jordan, Everything I Know About Romantic Love, I Learned From Bollywood Movies, Christina Milian Loves Making Rom-Coms & We Cant Get Enough of Them, These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire . Write by: . Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. 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. 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. Kuykendall voice began quavering early in her statement, as she noted her oldest daughter would be 21 and her twins would be 19. The arson finding that led to his 1992 conviction has been disputed by numerous fire experts. 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. . 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. "What they are interested in is finding the poster boy for the abolition of the death penalty," Bradley said. Willingham'sex-wifetearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. 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 . 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. Photo: Flashlight Films/Kobal/Shutterstock. Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. That was until she spoke to . [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. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . Family's Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions. [1], At Willingham's trial, Webb offered an explanation for the individual, distinguishable burns found on Amber's forehead and arm. Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. AUSTIN, Tex. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Evil Lives Here. He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. The 3rd Court of Appeals ordered state District Judge Charlie Baird to not rule on the case of Cameron Todd 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 . It didnt take this long. My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse . After Todd was arrested and told his family that he didnt do this, I had to believe that he was telling us the truth. "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. 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. 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. One of the most fascinating yet heartbreaking events in Americas legal system history is brought to the big screen with Trial By Fire. 982 Followers, 33 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered (@willinghamgirlslivesmattered) [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. It is also tasked with determining what corrective action, if any, is needed to ensure that forensic analysis in cases like this is reliable. 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. Oct. 14, 2010. Other than a jailhouse informant who has been solidly discredited (and who recently asked when the statute of limitations for perjury runs out), the forensic analysis was the only evidence that a crime occurred. "[7], In June 2009, the State of Texas ordered a re-examination of the case. 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." . [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. 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 . [7] Webb later told David Grann, a reporter for The New Yorker that he might have been mistaken. We provide you with news from the entertainment industry . "[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. 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. Also, Stacy Kuykendall now claims that he confessed in the same conversation that he asked her to help with his clemency bid. They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. 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. Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. Documentary Feb 14, 2021 42 min. So where is Willinghams wife now? However, Cameron maintained his innocence to his dying breath, and later evidence also suggested that he could have been wrongly 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. Movies. Menu. She noted that he had an inadequate defense, saying of one of his lawyers, "He's not a good lawyer. Willingham's statement and eyewitness accounts had detailed rescue attempts. Willingham, played . 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. "[16] There were two refrigerators in the Willingham house. 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 . There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." And they chose poorly, because Willingham is a guilty monster.". Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. Nine nationally renowned, independent experts have reviewed the case in the last five years and found that the forensic analysis was wrong. Dal momento che Willingham's Nell'esecuzione del 2004 , sono sorte importanti polemiche sulla legittimit del verdetto di colpevolezza e sull'interpretazione . October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. 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. Hes never hurt those kids, she said. 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. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. [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." Willingham was accused of arson . His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. The spokeswoman added he was aware of a "claim of a reinterpretation of (the) arson testimony. "My ex-husband murdered my daughters, and just before he was executed, he told me he did it," Kuykendall said. Mar 11, 2015 at 10:07 am. Emily Meade as Stacey in "Trial By Fire.". . [20] While on death row, Willingham was initially incarcerated in the Ellis Unit,[1] and later in the Polunsky Unit.[21]. According to Brandice Barbee, "All I could see was smoke. 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. Why is it turned into a competition between lawyers. Pic credit: Texas Dept. 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 response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating, "Willingham was a monster. 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. Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. 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.. 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. Todd said he'd been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. 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. 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. Kuykendall played a major role in Willinghams life and fate, but in the movie version she is quite prominent. [citation needed], In addition to the arson evidence presented at the trial, a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb testified at that time. [1] This coverage suggested that the arson evidence was misinterpreted. Evidence of such a deal would have eliminated Webb's testimony. )[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. [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." The case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas in 2004 and whom Iwrote about forThe New Yorker last month, has taken another strange twist. The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. 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. By David Grann. 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. 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 . Cameron Todd Willingham, shown with his then-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, and their daughters, was executed in 2004. 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. He wanted her help in his appeal for clemency and also to say goodbye. 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. 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. "[16] Grann, however, said fire investigators who reviewed the case told him that "Willingham's first-degree and second-degree burns were consistent with being in a fire before the moment of 'flashover' that is, when everything in a room suddenly ignites. Willingham's attorneys were not notified. It was an unusual hearing . He wrote, "Willingham's wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children. Myth: But a few days before that meeting, Perry removed three members of the commission and appointed Bradley, a conservative ally, as its chairman. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered is on Facebook. "[43] A jury later heard and rejected the claim that Jackson had hid evidence, finding in favor of Jackson. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. stacy willingham married. Willingham maintained his innocence up until his death and spent years trying to appeal his conviction. Kuykendall claims in the . 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." In 2004, Stacy Kuykendall told the Chicago Tribune that he never confessed, and she said the same to The New Yorker in 2009. (Thompson later received an award from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association for this motion and appeal. I remember when he was executed. 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. Myth: The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. Your email address will not be published. The case was discussed again in a 2009 investigative report in The New Yorker. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of 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. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. October 26, 2009. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. . 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. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the murder of his three children. [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. I told him yes I did say that. Where Is Stacey Willingham From Trial By Fire In 2019? He always said he heard his daughter crying, woke up, tried to get his children but couldnt, and exited the house. . His former probation officer, Polly Goodin, said he had never demonstrated bizarre or sociopathic behavior and that "He was probably one of my favorite kids. The order comes at the end of a day of testimony. March 9, 2015.