All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. Protestors posthumously campaigning for Cameron Willingham's innocence, photographed outside a hearing in 2010 (Image: Jay Jenner/AP) An American chemist and fire investigator named Gerald Hurst was able to rebut the evidence of arson brought against Willingham. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." According to the affidavits, Willingham's ex-wife had told Ronnie that Willingham confessed to her that he had set the fire. According to their sworn statements, both Brandice Barbee and Diane Barbee urged Willingham to return to the house to rescue his children. Myth: 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. Any one can make a story seem real. 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. It seems unlikely that, moments after asking for this favor, he suddenly confessed to the murder of her children. At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. The State Fire Marshal's Office continues to stand behind the arson finding. Me and Stacys been together for four years, but off and on we get into a fight and split up for a while and I think those babies is what brought us so close together, Willingham had said, per The New Yorker. Myths and Facts about the Willingham Case. Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. She told reporters that Cameron Todd Willingham set the fire that killed the girls "and watched while . Hes just not. She also said the prosecution was motivated to find anyone to blame. 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. In response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating, "Willingham was a monster. The late Texas native was arrested, tried, convicted, and executed for the murders of his three toddler daughters by arson in their family home on December 23, 1991. 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. 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. It didnt take this long. Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas - Innocence Project. 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. Descubre qu pasa hoy con Stacy Kuykendall, ex esposa de Cameron Willingham! Myth: The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. 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. Corsicana Daily Sun The front porch was the only place where an accelerant was verified by laboratory tests, and a photograph taken of the house before the fire showed that a charcoal grill was there. She never mentioned that she intended to divorce Willingham, whom she had married three months earlier. They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. Willingham publicly maintained he was innocent until he was put to death in 2004. Dallas, TX - Outside an Austin court room today, the ex-wife of convicted, executed killer Cameron Todd Willingham tearfully reiterated her former husband's guilt. Ken Light. I remember when he was executed. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. Pic credit: Texas Dept. On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the family home of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas. (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.). 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.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 . 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. Daily Sun) CORSICANA . The couple's three children died in a fire Dec. 23, 1991, at the family's Corsicana, Texas, home. 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. 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. "[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). 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. 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. Last Sunday, in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cameron Todd Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall . The film, based on the 2009 New Yorker article also title Trial By Fire, chronicles events around late Texas native Cameron Todd Willingham. "[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. Cameron Todd Willingham : biography. "[1], Webb and Jackson consistently denied that Webb was offered a sentence reduction in return for his testimony against Willingham. How Did Cameron Todd Willingham Die? He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. 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. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. 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." 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. 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. His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. January 9, 1968 - February 16, 2004 . . He was a guy who murdered his three children, who tried to beat his wife into an abortion so that he wouldn't have those kids. 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. Prior to his death, he was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct. [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. That was until she spoke to him shortly before his execution. Willingham's three children -- 2-year-old Amber Kuykendall and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron Willingham, died of smoke inhalation. But she said in an interview that was untrue. VASQUEZ: Did he get angry at you for any reason? 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. . 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. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. Cameron Todd Willingham. 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? He admitted that he exaggerated having gone inside the babies room (he said he wanted to sound brave and feared that people would think he was a coward for not going into the burning room). Why is it turned into a competition between lawyers. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. A later study into the causes of the fire stated that it might not have been arson. Thank you for visiting us. Before the trial, he even refused to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. [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. 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 . 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 . Willingham was executed in 2004. [37], In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression. 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. Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . 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. [33] In 2010, she declared, "Todd murdered Amber, Karmon, and Kameron. 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. I think they were after somebody, she said. [12] All twenty of the indications listed by Vasquez of an accelerant being used were rebutted by Hurst,[1] who concluded there was "no evidence of arson" the same conclusion reached by other fire investigators. Friends of the family testified that Willingham had beaten his wife in an . Cameron Todd Willingham, of Texas, was the husband of Stacy Willingham and the loving father of three young girls.There is a reason why I did not include the word 'loving' in front of the word 'husband'. : Directed by Phoebe Kwong, Joel Pincosy. . Note to Stacy and Family: Many accounts refer to Amber as having lastname of Kuykendall and Willingham. [22] He was 36 years old. Bradley subsequently canceled the meeting amid accusations that Perry was interfering with the inquiry. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. 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. 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. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . 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. February 27, 2023 Myth: His wife Stacey was out Christmas shopping at the time. They married a few months before the fire and were a significant part of each others lives. 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. Testimony from fire investigators was the primary evidence against Willingham. Myth: Jackson said Willingham had abused animals and was a sociopath. Also, Stacy Kuykendall now claims that he confessed in the same conversation that he asked her to help with his clemency bid. Over time, she has alternated between claiming she believes her former husband is guilty and innocent. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. 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's Stepmother Responds. When Willingham exited his bedroom, the hallway was not yet on fire; the fire was contained in the childrens bedroom. "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. 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 . Neighbors described this group as having an odd levity, which was seen to turn somber on the arrival of authorities. [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. He said he was prescribed many medications at that point while being treated for bipolar disorder. Kuykendall played a major role in Willinghams life and fate, but in the movie version she is quite prominent. In the statement, Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, was quoted as telling family members that Willingham said "that he had set the fire because he knew she was going to leave him." The account came from Kuykendall's brother, Ronnie Kuykendall, in a statement to an investigator for the district attorney's office in 2004. Self - Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Getting Started . Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson is seeking Baird's removal. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost . The police then began to suspect that Willingham was a murderer. Hurst speculated that it was likely that water sprayed by firefighters had spread the lighter fluid from the melted container. [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. [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. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get. Your email address will not be published. No clear motive was found, and Willingham's wife denied that the couple had been fighting prior to the night of the fire. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. Please see the three Memorials: Amber Kuykendall-Willingham Memorial# 41759101 Karmen Willingham Memorial# 41759144 Kameron Willingham Memorial# 41759163. By David Grann. Kuykendall told prosecutors that he had never abused the children. October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. Write by: . The neighbors said he seemed more concerned about damage to his property, such as his car than the welfare of his children. There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." She said, No. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Willingham's case gained attention in December 2004, when Maurice Possley and Steve Mills of the Chicago Tribune published on poor investigative tactics. 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]. 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. That was until she spoke to . Willingham's attorneys were not notified. 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 Huntsville Unit where the executions take place . David Grann: Stacy Speaks: News Desk : The New Yorker. Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. "[11], The prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterward was suspicious. "I think about my girls every day and I miss them," she said. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. (Scott Honea/Corsicana (Tex.) While Willingham always insisted he was innocent, later evidence suggested he was wrongly convicted and executed. 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. It was just a fire. "[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. 1. "[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. Willinghams statements to law enforcement officials were remarkably consistent, even under intense interrogation, and remained consistent over the course of a decade. The faulty forensic analysis and lack of other evidence doesnt matter because Willingham was a bad man and a sociopath, so he was guilty. 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 . Willinghams statements about the fire were inconsistent. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Si quieres saber en qu se convierte Stacy Kuykendall hoy, Sigue leyendo! She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . "[7], In June 2009, the State of Texas ordered a re-examination of the case. TV-14. Or try to make you believe them just because a movie made THEM look bad. 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. On October 25, Stacy Kuykendall told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that during a final prison meeting just weeks before he was put to death, Willingham admitted setting the fire in response to Stacy's alleged threats of divorce the night before. 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. [2] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record. According to The New Yorker article, Willingham had been unfaithful, drank heavily, and would physically assaulted his partner, even while she was pregnant. Prosecutors are fighting that effort, which is being led by the Innocence Project, a New York legal center. Bradley was appointed to the science commission post by Gov. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the . Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. Baird in the meantime will likely either recuse himself or refer the case to another judge for a decision on recusal. "[12], The prosecution claimed that Willingham may have been motivated by a desire to rid himself of unwanted children. 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. I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. 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. Willingham was not charged with spousal abuse; he was charged with murder. October 26, 2009. Our justice system has become who can twist a believable story, not the truth. [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. There has been serious doubt expressed over the validity of Willinghams conviction. Sad when people cant just tell the truth. 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.. Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham, said in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published Sunday that Willingham told her he was upset by threats to divorce him after . Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Today . He did not. Mills, who is still at theTribune, confirms Possleys account. Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse. 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. 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? [1] Grigson had served as an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. The defense did not present a fire expert because the one hired by Willingham's attorney also said the fire was caused by arson. of Criminal Justice . My girls would have been 23 and 21 years old today. While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. 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..