2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. (a common Forensic Files pathology see Barbara Stager and Mark Winger.). Tricia and Kevin sustained fatal chest wounds from the Glock pistol. It is for this reason that I would never sign for it, even if that were the only way to evade a return to death row. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (Murderers like to tell war stories, whether they happened or not Michael Peterson and John Boyle.). What a waste. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier/AP. I wasnt aware of Runnels until a few days ago, when I saw a news item, looking his case up. Abbott ruled that Bart Whitaker will now spend the rest of his life in jail for the "heinous crime". Want to keep reading? I think he was probably too calculating to admit that he was a lazy, work-shy neer do well who wanted the good life his parents had already been providing for him without the hard work they put in to give it to him. Tall tale. Related: When Murder Runs in the Family: Frances Schreuder and the Killing of Franklin Bradshaw, Cliffs job as a vice president of a regional insurance marketing company was quite demanding and kept him very busy. Clifton, get out of there! she shouted frantically. Your email address will not be published. got to do with justice (justice includes fair and equal treatment for all under law)? The goal was to refute a defense expert who said moving an iPhone causes its backlight to come on. Thank you for such an excellent letter with such thoughtfulness. They bought him a townhouse to live in while he was supposed to be attending college and gave him a Rolex for his faux graduation. On February 22, 2018, about 40minutes before his scheduled 6:00P.M. execution, Whitaker had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment without parole by Governor Greg Abbott, the first such commutation by Abbott and the first in the state since 2007. Forensic Files didnt mention it, but Bart had a prior arrest record for breaking into his high school and stealing computers after which his parents sent him to a private Christian academy, according to the LA Times. He is to be admired. At it again. Thanks, Monica so glad you liked the piece! This WAS the case with the Parole Board here in UK until recently, but due to controversial decisions broad reasons are now to be given. Behind the door was an intruder wielding Kevins gun, and within seconds the family was ambushed. After a tip came in from Barts high school friend claiming that Bart had plotted to kill his family a few years before, the police zeroed in on him as the mastermind behind the attack. The thought that a man with a gun might still be on the premises did not enter into his consciousness. She was moaning in pain, but still conscious. They all went to dinner at Pappadeaux's restaurant near Sugar Land, Texas to celebrate, but when they got back home from dinner, their night turned into a horror show. Divers recovered it. Stanley could tell that Tricia was very excited and happy about the impending ceremony. [41][needs update]. Maggie Murdaugh Facebook. Was that on the TV? Brandon asked his parents. Amanda H. Great follow-up story, Rebecca. The main house at the Murdaugh family's Moselle Road property in Islandton, South Carolina, on March 1, 2023. His voice was barely audible. This seems to me the only potential mitigation against execution. Dirty Deeds Texas is fortunate to have you working in their state. Sack of evidence. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Bart's brother Kevin entered the family home first and reportedly smiled when he saw the masked Brashear. They might think you are the one who shot the Whitakers.. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the horror stories you love. In February 2018, each of the seven board members separately voted to commute Barts sentence, and the governor concurred. They were also excited to have their eldest son, Brandon, home from college for the holidays. The shooter, Brashear, also was convicted and received life prison sentence. ), Helen: Thanks and yes, I saw the Backhouse one; and another comes to mind: Judge Clifton Newman ruled earlier this week that the jury would be allowed to visit the scene of the June 2021 killings after Alex's defense team requested that jurors have an opportunity to tour the Moselle Road home so they could get an understanding of spatial relationships as to where the two bodies were found. Texasll probably be the last to lose it if it does! In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. If I were a board member confident of my decisions Id be content to be answerable to the public, Helen: The Derek Severs ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7geqiz8wb7I [16] Prosecutors presented evidence that although it wasn't Whitaker who shot his family members, he was responsible for the murders because he played the leading part in the conspiracy to commit the murders[19][bettersourceneeded], The prosecution's theory of motive focused on financial gain, with evidence variously described as pointing to Whitaker standing to inherit "about $1.5million" after the death of his parents and brother,[4] or that he had wanted to capitalize on a million-dollar life insurance payout. [12][third-party source needed] Upon returning home, but before entering the house, Bart said that he needed to collect his cell phone from his parked Yukon[clarification needed], knowing that Brashear was armed and waiting inside to kill his family. Can it be fair and reasonable that one persons execution is applied because he happens not to have family/friends to lobby for him, a victim not ideologically opposed to execution and/or forgiving, etc but another is spared because he does have such representation and a victim differently-minded? Im bleeding, Kent Whitaker pitifully mewled. Its a very interesting case. He and his wife, Darlene, had moved into the home just six months earlier. [44], In 2007, Whitaker founded an inmate blog, originally created with the assistance of his father, now maintained by volunteers, entitled Minutes Before Six; it has published his work and trial records, and articles, poetry, and art from inmates held in prisons in the United States. commutes death sentence for man convicted of masterminding murder of mother, brother", "Driver in SugarLand murder plot gets 15years", "Testimony ends in Whitaker's murder trial", "Reprieve for man who plotted own family's murder", "Father forgives son who had mom, brother killed", "Man condemned in family murder plot loses high court appeal", "Judge sets execution date for SugarLand man who had family killed for $1million inheritance", "Texas Prison System stalls release of public information on executions", "Before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles / Request for Commutation of Death Sentence to a Lesser Penalty", "A father's plea: Spare my son [Friday letters]", "Members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles David G. Gutirrez, Chair", "Texas Parole Board Recommends Killer Be Spared From Death", "Texas Governor Weighs Parole Board's Advice on Inmate's Fate", "Governor Abbott commutes death sentence of Thomas Bartlett Whitaker", "[Commutation of death sentence of Thomas Bartlett Whitaker]", "Bart Whitaker talks about eventual execution", "Convicted killer accused of writing, selling book while in prison", "Voices from Solitary: The war of all against all", "Writing for Justice Fellowship 2018-2019", "Death row bloggers get help from victims", "Letters from death row: Faith behind bars", "Works of justice: An interview with Writing for Justice fellow Thomas Bartlett Whitaker", "Buried alive: Stories from inside solitary confinement", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Bartlett_Whitaker&oldid=1138499579, Recipients of American gubernatorial clemency, California State University, Dominguez Hills alumni, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from January 2022, Articles with incomplete citations from January 2022, Articles lacking reliable references from January 2022, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing expert attention from January 2022, Articles needing cleanup from January 2022, Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from January 2022, Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from January 2022, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from January 2022, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2022, Articles to be expanded from January 2022, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from January 2022, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from January 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2022, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Instead, he returned back to the Whitakers front porch and attempted to comfort Kent. Okay, buddy. Your article highlights just what a piece of work Whitaker is. Chris Brashear pleaded guilty in 2007 and received life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Mr Whitaker premeditatedly arranged the murder of three family members, including his own injury to throw suspicion from him. Thomas Bartlett Whitaker was born on Dec. 31, 1979, to Kent Whitaker, a comptroller for a family-owned construction business, and Patricia, known as Tricia, who gave up a career as an elementary school teacher to stay at home with Bart and his younger brother, Kevin. Kenneth Kinsey said a defense expert who measured the angles of the shots and concluded they were fired closer to the ground or by someone well shorter than the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Murdaugh didn't take into account the shooter and Maggie Murdaugh were both moving and the gun could have been fired from different positions. During cross-examination, Harpootlian asked Crosby, who often represents accident victims, if going through trauma can cause people to forget details or get times wrong. He helped himself to $7,000 to $10,000 of his dads cash and fled to Mexico with the help of his friend Rudy Rios. "I don't always take X-rays of every organ.". The state reduced his sentence to life. The bullet hit Kent nearly six inches from his heart.. After receiving the news he has been spared execution, Bart Whitaker told prison officials: "I'm thankful not for me but for my dad," reports the Associated Press. You can watch the entire 48 Hours episode about the case online on a CBS news site. He then heard the front door to his house open and saw his wife, Darlene, stick her head outside. How horribly absurd and why the death penalty must go, PS Relative homicide rate, UK v US: 1 to 4.7 per 100,000 (with southern states generally higher). According to evidence presented at trial, the mother and son were fatally shot at the dog kennels on the property, and a Snapchat video Paul recorded at the kennels placed Alex at the scene shortly before the killings. McManigal said he tested a similar iPhone in his office last week and determined the backlight comes on with a gentle movement, but not as often with a violet movement. Thomas Bartlett Whitaker (born December 31, 1979) is an American man convicted under the Texas Law of Parties of murdering two family members as a 24-year-old. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. [16] Randy McDonald, attorney for the defense, rested their case on the same day, without calling witnesses, and the judge[who?] [citation needed], Brashear then exited through the Whitakers' back door and jumped over the fence into the rear neighbor's yard. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube. Another case of perverse justice we could name many is Rae Carruth, whom youve covered. I dont care how much perps have changed, repent, or are model prisoners: the worst crimes, like his, should mean whole-life because theyve earned the punishment they got (inc Whitaker). Police initially thought they had a suspect in an armed robber who struck a different house soon after the Whitaker attack, but bloodhounds didnt pick up his scent at the Whitakers. Ive been troubled for many years by the death penalty, in a country (US) in which justice (equality before the law) sometimes appears to be bought, or which otherwise privileges the white middle-class. Serious needling. Then, things took a horrifying turn for Kent. Brashear and Champagne were arrested almost two years after murders. Bart had a troubled high school experience, which was why his family was so thrilled that he made it to college graduation. After the shootings, Bart did a good job of pretending that he was happy that EMTs saved his dads life, but at some point, he told Champagne he wanted to finish off the job and really kill his dad the next time, according to 20/20. After the dinner ended, the family returned to their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue the celebration. Convenient scapegoat. And you are quite right Whitaker had at least two (that we know of) tries; so how doing well in prison makes people seem better is unbelievable. Cliff was very fond of his new neighbors. It also held a glove that matched one left at the murder scene and a water bottle with Chris Brashears DNA sealed on the inside of the cap. Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/KillerInstinctYTDont forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: http://bit.ly/KillerInstinctPodcastIf you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! There appears little or no question, then, that this was not a fully-considered crime, and, moreover, one that seems to require a peculiar callousness given his relation to the victims. In December 2003, Whitaker's mother Tricia Whitaker, brother Kevin Whitaker, and father Kent Whitaker were ambushed by a masked gunman as they walked in the front door of their Sugar Land home after a night out. Box 13401 True Crime Creepers The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final I think you are spot on; especially with the letter you wrote that you posted above. One of the problems with clemency is that the decision/reasoning is never in the public domain. I think his father was partly responsible for the death of his wife and son by buying Barts story the first time and not protecting them from him. In a statement, Abbott said that this is the first time he has granted commutation of a death sentence in the three years since he took up the role, allowing 30 executions to occur during the same period. He attempted to murder them several times before. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew on flight to space station, Prosecution wraps case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, FDA authorizes first at-home test for both COVID and flu, Couple accuses fertility clinic of implanting embryo with cancer genes, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Arguments conclude in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial, Evidence shown in Alex Murdaugh's trial for murder shows the Colleton County property where the Murdaughs lived, at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C. on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. It will keep the blood from rushing out too fast, he ordered. He simply understood that his friend was in trouble and needed his help. Marcus I always enjoy reading your reflection on Rebeccas updates and each episode. Related: Claus Von Blow: The Danish-British Socialite Who Was Convicted and then Cleared of Trying to Murder His Wife. Re my letter reproduced, at the time of the clemency hearing I was moved to write cos its so unfair that because an offender did well in prison and his (living) victim (father) forgave him and lobbied for him, he gets to live when many others whose instant crime in my book was less evil die. Now, Thomas Bartlett Whitaker, 38, convicted in this case, is facing death by lethal injection on Thursday, Feb. 22. Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. At least citizens should expect and demand consistency within the same state (cf Jeffrey Dillingham in my below post). On March 8, 2007, after deliberating for two hours, a jury found Bart Whitaker guilty of murder. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final The Whitakers had the cool house to be at and Kent and Tricia were the second parents to so many people, according to Kevins friend Brittany Barnhill, who appeared on the 48 Hours episode The Sugar Land Conspiracy.. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final exam at Sam Houston State University, he'd soon be walking the stage, and his parents, Tricia and Kent, and brother, Kevin, were so excited for him. Kent, Cliff called out to his friend. [18][non-primary source needed], In other early testimony, Steve Champagne described Whitaker recruiting him to be the getaway driver for Whitaker's eventual 2003 plan to murder his immediate family,[11] and his testimony included the detail that Whitaker's gunshot wound was a ploy to make it look like he was a victim, too. Abbott also said he took into account that Bart Whitaker voluntarily waived all claims for parole in exchange for a commutation. [23], Whitaker's defense team lodged an appeal focused on the purity of drugs used in Texas executions in 20172018. Hes probably hoping this is his ticket to salvation, a la Jack Henry Abbott, another eloquent killer. Bring me something so we can bandage Kent up! He waited as long as he could, but his son never came out with anything to staunch the flow of blood. I feel for him, as I am sure very many do. And thanks Rebecca. The dog kennels and hangar at the Murdaugh family property on March 1, 2023, The entrance to the kennels at the Murdaugh family property on March 1, 2023, A bullet hole in the glass of a window at the Murdaugh family property in Islandton on March 1, 2023, The entrance to the house at the Murdaugh family's property in Islandton, March 1, 2023. / CBS/AP. He argues that he is to be re-made a victim if his son is executed. Bart had also said he always felt he couldnt live up to his parents expectations (a halfway decent explanation for lying about college, but way short of mitigating murder). Cliff bent his head and said a silent prayer for Kevin. [citation needed][clarification needed], Kent Whitaker had already forgiven his son and his co-conspirators for their parts in the murders (reported on as early as 2007),[20] and had tried at the time of his son's trial, years earlier, to persuade the jury not to deliver a death sentence. [3], Alongside the legal submission from the Whitaker legal team an 18-page document from Whitaker lawyers Keith S. Hampton and James Rytting (the latter at Hilder & Associates),[25][non-primary source needed] Whitaker's father, Kent, also appealed, cooperating with the legal team's submission and writing a letter in the public forum of the Houston Chronicle on January 18, 2018, asking that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles "spare my son". Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices. [14], Whitaker was refused a plea bargain by the District Attorney[who?] Office of the Governor Bart Whitaker was found guilty of capital murder that occurred on Dec. 10, 2003, when an assailant entered the Whitaker home in the Sugar Lakes subdivision and killed Barts mother, Trisha, 56 years old, and his brother, Kevin, 19. Their oldest son, Bart, whom he had never met, since Bart lived up north in Willis, Texas, was about to graduate on Saturday. He has pleaded not guilty. If I were Governor I know I would be seeking reasons to offer clemency but I do not think I could find them in this case As an opposer of execution I would have to come to terms with that. When he walked out of his home, Cliff first looked over in the direction of the Whitakers house. You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: http://bit.ly/KillerInstinctPodcastFollow Savannah on IG: @savannahbrymer
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