Now! Brandon took off back to the house to make the call. WebBart Whitaker was convicted of hiring a hit man to target his own family. The crime deserves severe punishment for the criminals who killed them. She was in a kneeling position with her head on the front porch, near the slight step leading into the house. Web(Mark Sims for Fox News Digital) Prosecutors have argued that Alex Murdaugh used a shotgun to kill his son, Paul, 22, and a rifle to execute his wife, Maggie, 52, near the property's dog Corrections officers pet. Her legs and lower body were pointed outward toward the street. [42] He also contributed[clarification needed] to Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement. 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. 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. I dont oppose it absolutely (ie, I cant claim it to be unquestionably wrong in cases where there is no question of guilt); but because (i) its unequally applied even between cases of certainty in the same state; (ii) it costs a fortune to execute someone due to necessary legal safeguards money that could be better spent; (iii) it typically takes at least 15 yrs to do it often much longer making it something of a farce; (iv) it harshly punishes the innocent loved ones of the perp, victimising them just as the perps victims loved ones were, it makes little sense. You can watch the entire 48 Hours episode about the case online on a CBS news site. [8]:Ch.53[pageneeded] Whitaker denied prosecution claims regarding the insurance profit motive, arguing that the only life insurance policy the family had was for $50,000 on his father's life. [verification needed] The State of Texas executes by overdosing the condemned with pentobarbital from a compounding pharmacy, and Whitaker's defense lawyers had claimed the state's first two executions of 2018 were botched because of old lethal injection drugs. Patricia was then also shot in the chest, also falling to the floor. A defense expert said Riemer failed to shave hair from Paul Murdaugh's wound or X-ray his brain after it was blown from his body to confirm her findings. [12][13][pageneeded][third-party source needed] Bart's father Kent survived the shooting in which his wife and son were killed. 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. [citation needed] For the latter, he appears to have presented a thesis in partial fulfillment of the degree, entitled "Who Fears Hell Runs Toward It", in summer2018. She was very hopeful, very upbeat and optimistic for [Barts] future.. WebAlex Murdaughs son Buster describes family relationship at fathers double-murder trial February 21, 2023 12:51 PM Day 21: Murdaughs defense revives two-shooter theory as It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. 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. Cops secretly tapped Brashears and Champagnes phones, but they never picked up any incriminating conversations. [11], Whitaker appealed his death sentence, suggesting nine points of error. I am South African. I do not support the death penalty but given that it exists in the State, that due process appears to have been followed, and that the offence is in my view and that of the jury egregious, it seems to me gravely important that this punishment execution is applied consistently if it must be applied at all. 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. [8]:Ch.10[pageneeded], The early testimony from Hipp[when?] A grand jury indicted Bart, then 25, and Steve Champagne and Chris Brashear, both 23, in October 2005. Would a poor unknown with a public defender have fared so well? Yes! On Dec. 10, 2003, after the Whitakers returned from a dinner to celebrate what Bart said was the completion of his final exams, an unknown gunman shot all four of them as they entered their house in Sugar Land, a wealthy suburb of Houston. Kent was also hit in the upper body but survived, and Bart escaped with a wound to his upper arm. Your email address will not be published. The system worked for him today. WebA Father's Life 10 Years After An Unspeakable Tragedy. 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. The recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and my action on it, ensures Mr. Whitaker will never be released from prison. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? In September2005, Whitaker was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border town of Laredo, Texas, where he was arrested for capital murder. Whitaker was Nor am I moved by a persons progress in prison. Champagne led police to the spot where he and Brashear threw a bag with the murder evidence into Lake Conroe. Cliff would later describe it as a death rattle. It was marked by very ragged moaning. Cliff knew that the boy, whom he could finally make out as Kevin, was breathing his final breaths. Your objectivity impartiality nor fear no favour is applausable. [4] He lived there under the false name for over a year. His voice was barely audible. Rebecca I love your updates, thank you so much for keeping these updates and these cases alive. I agree: killing a wife and mother-to-be two deaths is child-murder in my book (or near to) and should be treated as such. Jurors on Wednesday visited the family hunting lodge where Alex Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul were killed as prosecutors made their closing arguments in the weekslong murder trial against the South Carolina lawyer.. Judge Clifton Newman ruled earlier this week that the jury would be allowed to visit the scene of the June 2021 killings after Cliff was very fond of his new neighbors. What the hell has his being a model prisoner/remorseful/forgiven by the surviving victim (would those who didnt?) Cliff turned his attention back to the bleeding Whitaker parents. After deliberation the Fort Bend County jury convicted Whitaker of capital murder,[11] under the Texas law of parties. In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. 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. We know little about the family due to the Whitakers secretive nature Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. Texas halted Barts execution within hours of his date with a gurney and syringe. What he did to so many people," Crosby said, bristling. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. [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. Harpootlian then asked Crosby if he thought Murdaugh killed his wife and son. 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. That factor alone may not warrant commutation for someone like Mr. Whitaker who recruited others to commit murder. Cliff spotted Kent Whitaker sprawled out on the concrete front porch next door. Police believe that while the Whitakers were out celebrating, Brashear entered the house, pried open the safe, and made an attempt at giving the master bedroom a ransacked look. He had a good start better than most prisoners. The laudable desire to hear the victim must not become a means of outcome determination of the magnitude of life and death. K: How kind but Im a Brit, so havent a cat in hells chance of being Governator (wasnt that Arnie of California?) Cliff was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. Box 13401 Cliff could sense that she was going downhill rapidly. to "help convicted criminals become writers", an aim which raises questions about the nature and residence of the power inmates are given, and about its impact on prisoners and on society. A six-day trial ended He also paid someone to drive the getaway car for the assailant, while Bart would stay on the scene and pretend as though he had fought the intruder off himself. Once the jury leaves, one reporter, photographer and videographer will be able to see the property. I respectfully submit that in terms of what is public knowledge, at least, Mr Whitakers crime should merit execution to respect fairness that those who plead for clemency have nothing substantive to claim. Want to keep reading? Mailer regretted the whole affair. Incredibly, Kent has since forgiven his son for orchestrating the killing of his son Kevin Whitaker and wife Patricia Whitaker, and has even visited him regularly while he was on death row. :https://killerinstinct.supercast.tech/Get 10% Off by visitingBetterHelp.com/instinct!Go stamps.com, click the microphone at the top of the page, and enter code KILLER for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale. [citation needed] In addition, they purchased a lakeside townhouse in Willis, Texas, for his use, and a $4,000 Rolex watch was given to him as a college graduation present hours before the murders. Bart opening up his graduation gift from his parents on the night of the murders. Marcus I totally agree. Im bleeding, Kent Whitaker pitifully mewled. Cliff snapped to and realized that both his wife and Kent were right. WebThe tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. Past posts on this blog have briefly touched on the Whitaker murders and their aftermath, but a deeper dive seems in order. The unfairness of the situation is, ironically, an argument against the penalty, illustrating unjustness in US criminal practice. (Sorry if you already have! WebBartlett Whitakers trial began in March 2007. Fred Felcman, the original prosecutor in the case, said the board made its decision purely because of the fathers forgiveness, and disregarded the large number of others affected by the murders. Their son had been upstairs in his room when he peeked in on his parents in the living room. WebThomas Bartlett "Bart" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. Abbott ruled that Bart Whitaker will now spend the rest of his life in jail for the "heinous crime". The nineteen-year-old son of Tricia and Kent Whitaker stopped breathing. Although opposed to the death penalty, I thought him a proper candidate for it on the ground of consistency with those whose lives were taken for crimes no worse. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. Episode about the case online on a CBS news site as Kevin, was breathing final! Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door with a gurney and.. On his parents in the upper body but survived, and Bart he thought Murdaugh killed his and... Cases alive, and giveaways a model prisoner/remorseful/forgiven by the surviving victim ( would those who didnt )! Cbs news site and these cases alive upper arm one reporter, photographer and videographer will able! Jury convicted Whitaker of capital murder, [ 11 ] under the false name for over a.. 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