They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham gave her first public statement in years. Shes given very different stories about what happened on this particular day right up to the date of his execution, Jackson said. 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. 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. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Prosecutors charged that Willingham set the fire and killed the children in an attempt to cover up the abuse of the children and wife. Ken Light. October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. Cameron Todd Willingham, who went by Todd, with his wife, Stacy. Willingham explained that he moved his car because he was afraid fuel in the car would cause the fire to get much worse. Even without evidence that the fire was arson, Willingham would have been convicted because there was substantial other evidence. In his letter, Willingham insisted that he was innocent: I hope that after I am gone that some day, some how the truth will be known and my name cleared.. "[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. Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the murder of his three children. Webb later sent Jackson a "Motion to Recant Testimony," which declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." The Dallas Morning News reports that a twin brother of Stacy Kuykendall, who is Willingham's former wife, says Willingham reminded Stacy Kuykendall, not long before his execution, of an earlier . Stacy Kuykendall read a prepared statement to reporters outside the Travis County courthouse. Hes just not. She also said the prosecution was motivated to find anyone to blame. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered is on Facebook. After Todd was arrested and told his family that he didnt do this, I had to believe that he was telling us the truth. SYNOPSIS. "[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. Webb later recanted his recantation. Neighbors later told the police how they had seen Willingham crouching on the lawn outside his house as the building went up in smoke. 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. Last Sunday, in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cameron Todd Willingham's former wife, Stacy Kuykendall . Family's Effort to Clear Name Frames Debate on Executions. She said that she and Willingham had not had a disagreement for two weeks. The spokeswoman added he was aware of a "claim of a reinterpretation of (the) arson testimony. 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. Yet Kuykendall continued to give the same version of events long after the fire and after she and Willingham were divorced. [2] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. American justice (in many cases) is flawed. The National Fire Protection Association had issued guidelines several months before Willinghams trial that directly contradicted the analysis the experts used (and testified about at the trial). TV-14. 982 Followers, 33 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered (@willinghamgirlslivesmattered) His report was sent to authorities asking to postpone the execution. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth . 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. Wilinghams last words reinstated his innocence, but given Kuykendalls last public words about him, it seems that wherever she is, she still doesnt believe him. Willingham's ex-wife tearfully reiterated her contention Wednesday that he confessed his guilt to her. The forensic analysis is what determined that a crime had been committed in the first place. 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. Killed in the fire were Willingham's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall, and one-year-old twins, Karmen Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham. 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 . Your email address will not be published. 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. Neighbors described this group as having an odd levity, which was seen to turn somber on the arrival of authorities. Willingham was executed in 2004. Hurst speculated that it was likely that water sprayed by firefighters had spread the lighter fluid from the melted container. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. as Tracy Kuykendall (l.) comforts his sister Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham. Kuykendall has acknowledged that Willingham had asked to see her to help him in his bid for clemency. Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here . State District Judge Charles Baird delayed the hearing Wednesday in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham after prosecutors moved for Baird's recusal. Incendiary: The Willingham Case is a 2011 documentary film by Steve Mims and Joe Bailey, Jr. that explores the conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham for arson murder. It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. Write by: . 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. With Bob Gallagher, Amber Louise Kuykendall, Stacy Kuykendall, Kameron Marie Willingham. Church recalls, I point-blank asked Kuykendall, Did he confess his guilt? And she said, No.. We provide you with news from the entertainment industry . 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.. They said somebody had poured a combustible accelerant on the floor throughout the house. [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. [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. "[27], But Hurst said, "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. He wrote, "Willingham's wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children. But she said in an interview that was untrue. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. Please see the three Memorials: Amber Kuykendall-Willingham Memorial# 41759101 Karmen Willingham Memorial# 41759144 Kameron Willingham Memorial# 41759163. Testimony from fire investigators was the primary evidence against Willingham. He was a mean person to me, but something like that, no., Willingham had written to Kuykendall, asking her to come visit. If he had pleaded guilty, he would most likely have been sentenced to life in prison. 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. On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the Willingham family home in Corsicana, Texas. Self - Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Getting Started . Prior to his death, he was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct. Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. 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. [3] A 2011 documentary, Incendiary: The Willingham Case, also explored the case. He spoke about the contradictions between Kuykendalls public statements and her brothers affidavit. 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. His testimony has been criticized as contentious for several reasons. But the investigators' conclusions have been strongly challenged by several fire experts. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use. During the penalty phase of the trial, she testified under oath. 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 . Willingham didnt try to save his children (his wounds were superficial, he stood outside while the house burned, he moved his car, etc). of Criminal Justice . [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. The new chair, John Bradley, canceled the meeting, sparking accusations that Perry was interfering with the investigation[4] and using it for his own political advantage. Cameron Todd Willingham's Real Last Words. I dont blame Todds stepmom for fighting for her son, she continued to The Huffington Post in 2012. Evil Lives Here airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery. At the time, Todd said hed been napping but had just managed to escape the flames before he was severely injured. 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. In 2004, Stacy Kuykendall told the Chicago Tribune that he never confessed, and she said the same to The New Yorker in 2009. Cameron Todd Willingham lying in his cell in 1994. 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. 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. 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. Jackson stated that Willingham's comment was an indicator of guilt. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire . The Fire That Started & Ended It All. Myth: Within 5 miles of your location. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News "I think about my girls every day and I miss them," she said. He suggested that, had this information been available at the time of trial, it would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal. [32][33], Journalists familiar with the case noted that Stacy Kuykendall's statement explicitly contradicted previous comments, legal testimony, and numerous published interviews before and after the execution. 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." . 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. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. Todd told me that it was stupid but it was like an obsession. [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." The sole exception was when she spoke out about his ultimate fate in a 2012 interview with The Huffington Post, eight years after his execution, while his family members sought Willinghams pardon. 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. 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. Prosecutors are fighting that effort, which is being led by the Innocence Project, a New York legal center. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life. [6] But none of the girls were found at the time of death to have physical injuries that were still distinguishable after the effects of the fire. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. "[1] A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. The commission was never asked to determine whether Willingham was innocent, and was never going to reach a conclusion on his innocence. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. In the case, Willingham refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. Willingham escaped the home with only minor burns. Cameron Todd Willingham's Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn't Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost .
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