Bart told first responders that he thought the gunman was black, in order to divert suspicion away from Brashear. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? Steven testified, and the prosecution stated that Bart tried to put such a plan in motion several times in the past. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Do the undoubted many prisoners facing execution who have personality disorders in some cases substance-induced; in others endogenous, so no fault of their own deserve less because they are (inevitably) non-compliant with prison life? (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect. scheduled closing arguments for the morning of March 5. He ripped off his T-shirt and placed it on Kents left shoulder. [41][needs update]. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. So he hired a hitman to kill his parents and brother, and to non-fatally injure him. 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. What he did to so many people," Crosby said, bristling. Serious needling. 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). The person who fired the gun that killed the victims did not receive the death penalty, but Mr. Whitaker, who did not fire the gun, did get the death penalty. A neighbor named Cliff Stanley raced onto the scene and used his own T-shirt to stanch Kents bleeding bullet wound. When they arrived, Bart remained outside to call his girlfriend while his mother, Trish, his father, Kent, and his brother, Kevin, all went to the front door. WebThe main house at the Murdaugh family's Moselle Road property in Islandton, South Carolina, on March 1, 2023 Jurors on Wednesday visited the family hunting lodge where Alex You can help by adding to it. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP Randolph Murdaugh III, 81, died just three days after the family tragedy, the law firm said. Finally, a year and a half after the shootings, Champagne admitted that Bart hired him to help kill his family. He told the police that he would forgive the man who shot his family, not realizing that the man behind it all was his own son. The Whitakers cash, jewelry, and computer equipment remained untouched. But instead of fleeing, Cliff decided he needed some protection of his own. 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. Next up, they focused on two of Barts co-workers from the Bentwater Yacht & Country Club near Lake Conroe. Miraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. [39] These are reported to have been earned while he was on death row. Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. Brd. [2][3] Abbott cited the fact that Whitaker did not fire the gun and that his father, Kent, "insists that he would be victimized again if the state put to death his last remaining immediate family member", as the reasons for the commutation. [42] He also contributed[clarification needed] to Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The This post is sponsored by Open Road Media. The defense also used their experts to suggest there were two shooters, based in part on common sense that the victims stopped using their cellphones within seconds of each other. The unfairness of the situation is, ironically, an argument against the penalty, illustrating unjustness in US criminal practice. Thank you for such an excellent letter with such thoughtfulness. [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. 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). It irrevocably denies any possibility of rehabilitation; it eviscerates hope entirely. Thank God Bart is behind bars now, where he can be as lazy as the Texas prison system will allow and the rest of us are safe from him. I sent this regarding his clemency plea: Gov. Now! Brandon took off back to the house to make the call. Directly next door to the Whitakers home on the east side, their relatively new neighbor, Clifton Cliff Stanley, sat in his recliner in his familys living room. [citation needed], On Friday, March 2, 2007, the State of Texas[who?] No, it wasnt on this TV, Cliff replied. His lawyer Keith Hampton urged the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to remember the Old Testament story of Cain, who killed his brother but was himself spared by God. Behind the door was an intruder wielding Kevins gun, and within seconds the family was ambushed. As Rebecca describes, heres a privileged man who plotted a number of times to murder at least his parents, eventually achieving death for some of his apparently loving family, for money. P. O. Part of the problem is parole boards dont justify their reasoning/decisions to the public (knowing theyd be controversial) but its the public they are answerable to, just as justice in general is, as all such agencies operate with the permission of the public, ultimately (who pay for it all). It seemed as if there was nothing he could do for his friends. When Cliff witnessed the carnage before him, he yelled back at his son, Go back inside and call 911! "So, you're alone in your office, throwing the phone around, taking no measurements, recording nothing over the weekend, and you come in here and testify as an expert as to what the phone would do?" I see theres some pressure in South Africa for its return; thankfully there has never been here since Britain abolished it in the 60s. And in another twist, mere minutes before Bart was set to executed, he got a call from the governor commuting his sentence instead to life in prison. (I live nr-ish Rutland ). 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. I understand that Mr Whitakers father is requesting your clemency. He banned drones from flying over. It is about to here in UK, as theres been public outcry as some parole decisions* releasing vicious murderers. 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. Marcus I always enjoy reading your reflection on Rebeccas updates and each episode. While I am torn over the question whether one fewer execution is better than no fewer, I find that if execution is to remain the ultimate punishment it must be applied strictly impartially unless as a principle it is to collapse in disrepute. "You're trying to take me somewhere you probably don't want to," Crosby said, starting a tense exchange between the attorneys. Thomas Whitaker and Christopher Wilkins, et al. [16] Randy McDonald, attorney for the defense, rested their case on the same day, without calling witnesses, and the judge[who?] Read on for an excerpt of Savage Son and then download the book. [35], Thomas Whitaker and other inmates initiated an unsuccessful class action against the State of Texas, addressing the conditions on its death row,[36][non-primary source needed] where inmates are kept in solitary confinement for 23hours a day. Was he a born a sociopath or did some kind of abuse taint and mold him? [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. Thanking you for your kind attention and with all good wishes for your work and the difficult and sometimes painful decisions you have to make, The Chairman Thanks, Rebecca. Both victims appeared to be surprised with their hands down. Sugar Land had a practically nonexistent murder rate and Kent would later recall that, when he saw the armed intruder, he figured it was one of his kids friends playing a prank with a paintball gun. 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. Finally, as to the question of what turned Bart into such a callous and motivated killer, no mention of any type of abuse or trauma came up. I agree with every sentiment, especially family members having the deciding vote as to the Death Penalty or not. [11], Whitaker appealed his death sentence, suggesting nine points of error. 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. 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. [16] After closing arguments, the case went to the jury. rested the case for the prosecution in the capital murder trial for Thomas Bartlett Whitaker's role in the deaths of his brother and mother. He could tell by the looks of Tricia that she needed his help much more than Kent. In his haste to exit the scene, Brashear gathered up Barts cellphone instead of the gun. One of the problems with clemency is that the decision/reasoning is never in the public domain. Of course, someone rich enough to post $3m bail can afford good representation, buying relative lenience. Police first checked out Adam Hipp himself as a suspect, but he had an alibi for the night of the shooting. As if, for me, the death penalty isnt capricious enough, cases like this make an utter tragic farce of it. 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. and a Fort Bend County jury. His mother and brother were murdered, and his father was seriously hurt. WebThe Mysterious Saga of the Whitaker Family Murders Family Shot in the Chest. "You're angry at him for stealing your money," Harpootlian said. You are a good candidate for governor of Texas. But he arrived to find a real firearm, not a paintball gun, on the scene and four people with one bullet wound each. Little did Kent, Patricia, and Kevin Whitaker know that their life together was just a house of cards. Abbott added that Bart Whitaker's father, who "passionately opposes" the execution of his son, would be "victimized again" if the state sentenced his last surviving immediate family member to death. [40][non-primary source needed] The masters thesis has been subject of some controversy, as someone appears to have offered it as a book for sale (see also below). Definitely, the guy needs to stay where he is. Cliff met Tricia the day he and his wife had moved in. K: How kind but Im a Brit, so havent a cat in hells chance of being Governator (wasnt that Arnie of California?) He went inside, determined to find his weapon, which he did. Its a start. Convenient scapegoat. But Bart also couldnt have the blood of his family on his own hands. Texas Governor Gregg Abbott ruled that Thomas "Bart" Whitaker should instead spend the rest of life in jail for masterminding the murders of his mother Tricia, 51, and brother Kevin, 19, at the the family's suburban home in Houston, Texas, in 2003. [23], Whitaker's defense team lodged an appeal focused on the purity of drugs used in Texas executions in 20172018. of Criminal Justice, John Whitmire, David J. Callender, M.D., Governor Rick Perry, et al. But the fact remains that this has been the case for the loved ones of very many executees: they have been hurt by the offenders actions and will be hurt again by his death. [citation needed] They drove to the nearby Pappadeaux restaurant in Stafford for a celebratory dinner. He had a good start better than most prisoners. The field trip came as prosecutors made their closing arguments in the weekslong trial where Alex Murdaugh stands accused of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. But Kent didnt die. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. E: bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov. So the couple believed Barts explanation that it was all a joke or misunderstanding when a college friend tipped off police about a murder plot. (Photo: Inside Story) On December 10, 2003 the entire Whitaker family Kent, his wife Tricia, and sons Bart and Kevin were gunned down inside their home in Sugarland, Texas, by a masked man who had been waiting inside for them. / CBS/AP. Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. In 2009, the state appeals court found in favor of the appellant on none of these points of law. And finally, I checked into where Barts young accomplices are today.