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. We asked her, Did he confess in that conversation? She said, No. Killed in the fire were Willingham's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall and one-year-old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham. 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. I did ask her if she stood by her statements to theTribune and to theDaily Sun. It was the centerpiece of the case, as it is in other arson cases. [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. It was an unusual hearing . It was a heartbreaking, heartless death sentence. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News The State Fire Marshal's Office continues to stand behind the arson finding. Here are five crucial facts about the case. Or try to make you believe them just because a movie made THEM look bad. He was eventually transported to the hospital for treatment, in handcuffs."[13]. 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. SYNOPSIS. Friends of the family testified that Willingham had beaten his wife in an . "[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. Baird has twice sat on courts considering Willingham's appeal and once won an award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Cameron Todd Willingham (9 gennaio 1968 - 17 febbraio 2004) stato un uomo americano condannato e giustiziato per l'omicidio dei suoi tre figli per incendio doloso nella casa di famiglia a Corsicana, in Texas , il 23 dicembre 1991. 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. That was until she spoke to . Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. "He admitted he did it and told me why," she said. 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. Myth: Willingham's Stepmother Responds. 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 . Corsicana Daily Sun The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. The science commission is still looking into whether investigators were negligent in ruling the fire was caused by arson. I was 21, just lost all my children and now everyone expected me to believe that their father did this. 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). "[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. A disputed arson finding made by a pair of fire investigators following the 1991 deaths of Willingham's daughters is at the heart of the case. 36-year-old Willingham flicked a middle finger at his wife, Stacy Kuykendall, as he was strapped down to the gurney for his execution in 2004. 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. Any one can make a story seem real. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Cameron Todd Willinghams 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. . While its now clear that the forensic analysis was wrong, we couldnt have known that with the science at the time. Cameron Todd Willingham during a 2004 death-row interview just before his execution. 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. Hes never hurt those kids, she said. Webb later recanted his recantation. 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. Her statement directly contradicts numerous previous statements she has made: in interviews with police and fire investigators; in testimony during the trial; in letters to public officials and Willinghams lawyers; and in her comments to the press. She said that she and Willingham had not had a disagreement for two weeks. [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. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Craig Beyler's report criticized investigators who ruled the . 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. (Thompson later received an award from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association for this motion and appeal. 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. She noted that he had an inadequate defense, saying of one of his lawyers, "He's not a good lawyer. Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered is on Facebook. 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.. 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. S9 E1: Some say Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted, and the court put an innocent man to death. According to the affidavits, Willingham's ex-wife had told Ronnie that Willingham confessed to her that he had set the fire. Willingham later said that he removed the car out of concern that it could explode and worsen the house fire. Unfortunately, by then, Kuykendall had been swayed by the other court documents and findings. In their final meeting, however, he did not confess, she told the Tribune. There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." Rick Perry in what many viewed as a political move to bury new evidence that cast doubt on Willingham's guilt. 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. a husband returns home to find his wife dead on the living room floor; he tells first responders she committed suicide . October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM, CDT. [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. stacy willingham married. 982 Followers, 33 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stacy Kuykendall Willinghamgirlslivesmattered (@willinghamgirlslivesmattered) [1], Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. [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. They urged him to go inside and rescue his children, but he refused. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. 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? On February 8, 2004the very day that Ronnie Kuykendall claimed his sister had told him that Willingham had confessedthe CorsicanaDaily Sun publishedan interview with Stacy Kuykendall. On 23 December 1991, the Corsicana home of Cameron Willingham burned. [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. 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 . Bradley subsequently canceled the meeting amid accusations that Perry was interfering with the inquiry. 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. Evil Lives Here airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery. [16] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. Rick Perry had done all he could to justify the 2004 execution of inmate Cameron Todd Willingham . Around two weeks before the execution, Kuykendall went to see Willingham. Willingham's case and the investigative techniques were criticized by a 2004 Chicago Tribune article. 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. That statement was false. We are evil when it comes to justice. It is also tasked with determining what corrective action, if any, is needed to ensure that forensic analysis in cases like this is reliable. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Evil Lives Here. 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. Gary Green stabbed his wife, Lovetta Armstead, Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder. 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. Perhaps most notably, Hurst was able to explain the presence of lighter fluid at the scene: a charcoal grill which had been used . A spokeswoman for Governor Perry said he had weighed the "totality of the issues that led to (Willingham's) conviction." But she said in an interview that was untrue. . 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. . 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. 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]. The investigators concluded that the fire had been started deliberately. Your email address will not be published. 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.