Texasll probably be the last to lose it if it does! The unfurling of this sons web of lies led him to hatch a devious murder plot. Rudy ratted him out, and the law hauled Bart back to the U.S. Trio of convicts. Although Texas very rarely commutes to life-imprisonment for capital sentences there are surely more meritorious than his case. remaining immediate family member. Jekyll and Hyde. 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. You need to go. WebUpdated on: February 28, 2023 / 7:05 PM / CBS/AP. [7] In that same time frame,[when?] 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. He went inside, determined to find his weapon, which he did. Im no race or class warrior just concerned. He and Bart enjoyed biking long distances together. Related: Guilt or Innocence: The Shocking Twists of the Sam Sheppard Case. [4][11], Chris Brashear received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years for his role in the murders, in a plea bargain worked out with prosecutors; Steven Champagne received 15 years after serving as the main witness for the prosecution. Bart had admitted his guilt and expressed remorse for the murders and for roping his friends into the plans, they stressed. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube. Examples of the prison writing of the title subject, with dates of their first publication, include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Im curious to find how the community in and around the familys home in Sugar Land, Texas, reacted when the justice system bared the id of the respectable-seeming young man in their midst. 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. 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). I hope so. Although no one knows whether Barts remorse was genuine, his polite, cooperative behavior behind razor wire impressed the guards so much that several of them wrote letters asking for clemency for Bart, according to the LA Times. I knew about death row on TV whilst watching the mind of a murderer by Dr Michelle Ward. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at [email protected]. A series of school robberies got him kicked out of high school, and after that a psychiatrist diagnosed him with delusional paranoid disorder. P.O. Hes probably hoping this is his ticket to salvation, a la Jack Henry Abbott, another eloquent killer. [11] Early evidence was presented that Whitaker had previously recruited others in abortive plots to murder his family, plots involving a co-conspirator named Adam Hipp, who had attended Clements High School with Whitaker. 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. He took over holding the bloody T-shirt used as a bandage and held it firmly in place. He told the police that he would forgive the man who shot his This seems to me the only potential mitigation against execution. If it is to make a difference there must be distinct characteristics of this case, which I cannot discern. Instead of thanking his lucky stars that his parents bought his story, Bart decided to push his luck again. Prosecutors brought Crosby back to the stand to talk more aboutMurdaugh stealing millions of dollarsfrom his clients and the firm the Murdaugh family founded more than a century ago. He has pleaded not guilty. And thanks Rebecca. First published on February 28, 2023 / 5:23 PM. 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. Defense attorneys asked that the jury be able to visit the scene of the killings to help them understand how small the storage room is where Paul Murdaugh was killed and the distance between the two bodies. [citation needed] Whitaker had enlisted an individual named Chris Brashear to carry out the shootings, and a Steven Champagne to be the getaway driver for Brashear. Cliff was very fond of his new neighbors. WebBart Whitaker was convicted of capital murder for the shooting deaths of his mother, Tricia Whitaker, and his younger brother, Kevin Whitaker, in an attack he devised at the family's Cliff made his way toward Kent. Are you okay?, Im bleeding, Cliff, Kent cried out much louder. I don't have the benefit of the materials you have," Crosby said. Unfortunately, everything was far from fine at the Whitaker household. WebBart Whitaker, arranged the murder of his family. 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. On December 10, 2003, the Whitaker family was celebrating the college graduation of their eldest son, Thomas Bartlettknown as Bart, with dinner at a local seafood restaurant. [46] Scholarly attention has been directed toward this PEN program, noting that while PEN was an esteemed human rights organization known for the defense of free speech rights, in particular of persecuted writers, the Prison Writing Program presented a distinct agenda, namely in a "[belief] in the restorative and rehabilitative power of writing." (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. Your objectivity impartiality nor fear no favour is applausable. Jail records indicate that Buzzard was arrested on Aug. 25, 2021. Box 13401 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. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Greg Abbott He fled to Mexico after learning that he was a suspect, assumed a new identity, and lived under the radar for over a year before he was caught and was extradited back to the United States. Mr. [2][3] As of September 2021, Whitaker resided in the McConnell Unit in Beeville, Texas. He went to get his shotgun. This post is sponsored by Open Road Media. But how could parents believe such a thing? 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. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In this book, Kent Whitaker describes the true story of the murder of his wife and younger son, a trail of events which had been arranged by his older son. Unsolved murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Until. ), Helen: Thanks and yes, I saw the Backhouse one; and another comes to mind: Police attempted to arrest her wife, Naria Jenna Whitaker, 33, later that the same day at the couple's home in Marion, Indiana, but Whitaker died by suicide, shooting herself shortly after police arrived, the Outlook reported. Rebecca I love your updates, thank you so much for keeping these updates and these cases alive. Whitaker is an eloquent, erudite writer, as his essay Hells Kitchen demonstrates, spiced up with smart literary references and quotes. Help!. Friend starts singing. Cliff snapped to and realized that both his wife and Kent were right. Dirty Deeds In September2005, Whitaker was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border town of Laredo, Texas, where he was arrested for capital murder. Maggie Murdaugh Facebook. Bart Whitaker is currently on death row in the Polunsky Unit, a notorious prison in Texas for the murders. Newman cautioned jurors that the property, which no one has lived at in over a year, would look different today than it did at the time of the killings. Two years before a masked assailant shot them in their own house, Kent and Patricia Whitaker found out that their son had formulated a plan to kill them. Would a poor unknown with a public defender have fared so well? Brashear and Champagne were arrested almost two years after murders. I dont know how much MORE evil you can get (except by torturing them first, maybe?) [9][4] He had lied to his parents about his continued status in college; varying reports had him dropping out of SHSU months before,[10] or being present there as a freshman on academic probation. Chris Brashear pleaded guilty in 2007 and received life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Whitaker, 38, planned the murders of his family with his roommate, Chris Brashear, who shot the murder victims and Whitakers father, Kent, as they all came home from dinner one evening. Whitaker was He argues that he is to be re-made a victim if his son is executed. WebMurder in the Family: 'I Wanted Them Dead' Investigators Question Burglary Theory. In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. Box 12428 E: [email protected], Pending Execution of Offender Thomas Whitaker, TDJC Number: 999522, date of birth: 12/31/1979. 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. [16] Hipp, who admitted on cross-examination that his participation in Whitaker's schemes had been "motivated by money" police testified that Whitaker stood to inherit the family estate, valued at $1million further testified that in December2000, prior to the murders of which he stood accused, Whitaker had made another preempted plan, this time to "ambush his parents and brother as they entered their home after a dinner outing", a plan noted by the Houston Chronicle to be "virtually identical to the one [Champagne would soon testify] was actually carried out three years later. He banned drones from flying over. Clifton, get out of there! she shouted frantically. It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. Whitakers father, Kent, also was shot in the 2003 plot at the familys suburban Houston home but survived and led the effort to save his son from execution. I argue, therefore, for an objective determination as to punishment that disregards the view of family, friends and even victim(s). Miraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier/AP. 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. Related: 46 Gripping True Crime Books from the Last 54 Years. 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. Bart Whitaker was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death. Bart didnt specifically refer to any plot, but a phone call recording caught him trying to bribe Adam to keep quiet in return for $20,000. On December 10, 2003, the Whitaker family was celebrating the college graduation of their eldest son, Thomas Bartlettknown as Bart, with dinner at a local seafood restaurant. (Sorry if you already have! Thanks, Monica so glad you liked the piece! Cliff Stanley worked out of his home, so he became closer to Tricia, who was a stay-at-home mother at the time. 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. 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. 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? Whitaker was convicted for the December 10, 2003, murders of his mother and 19-year-old brother; he was sentenced to death in March2007. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cliff spotted Kent Whitaker sprawled out on the concrete front porch next door. Want to keep reading? [16] Randy McDonald, attorney for the defense, rested their case on the same day, without calling witnesses, and the judge[who?] 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. Greg Abbott has chosen to commute the execution of the Sugar Land man convicted in the 2003 murders of his mother and brother. This section needs expansion with: a relatively complete list, in chronological order, of all important works by the title subject, especially those referenced herein, for each giving their complete publication details, including date and publisher of its first appearance. Murdaugh is charged with killing 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh near kennels on the property on June 7, 2021. As an NBC account later quoted a Whitaker lawyer: He watched his son Kevin walk into the house, heard the first and fatal shot, and saw his sons fallen body in their darkened home. 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. Kents head was pointing back toward the Stanley house in an awkward position. With that penalty at stake, we must be concerned that justice really is so as much as reasonably possible. The shooter, Brashear, also was convicted and received life prison sentence. And finally, I checked into where Barts young accomplices are today. Tricia Whitaker looked up at him, pale and bedraggled, and said, Someone shot us. [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. Little did Kent, Patricia, and Kevin Whitaker know that their life together was just a house of cards. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. The dad, Kent, survived as did their son, Bart. It was conducted before a judge[who?] 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 Bart's brother Kevin entered the family home first and reportedly smiled when he saw the masked Brashear. The authorities also directed Adam Tripp to try to get Bart to admit he planned his familys murder. of Texas but thanks all the same! Serious needling. He had a good start better than most prisoners. Cliff and Darlene looked at one another quizzically. [22][non-primary source needed][21] The appeal was certiorari denied. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Alex Murdaughs Ego Pushed Him To Kill His Family Rather Than Lose His Good Reputation, Prosecutors Said During Closing Arguments, I Knew Something Bad Was Going On: Alex Murdaughs Brother Described The Phone Call He Got On The Night Of The Murders, Alex Murdaugh Was Days Away From Unraveling Because Of A Boat Crash Lawsuit, But The Killings Of His Wife And Son Changed Everything, Alex Murdaugh Sobbed As Jurors Saw A Snapchat Video From His Son Allegedly Placing Him At The Scene Of The Murders. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, reliable, independent, third-party sources, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement, "Triggerman in SugarLand slayings pleads guilty", "Clemency rare for death row convicts in Texas", "In rare move, Texas Parole Board recommends clemency for death row inmate Thomas Whitaker", "Is Bartlett Whitaker dead or alive? The crime deserves severe punishment for the criminals who killed them. He ripped off his T-shirt and placed it on Kents left shoulder. 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. Texas is fortunate to have you working in their state. The couple relaxed and watched television. [18][non-primary source needed] [18], After losing a separate appeal in the federal courts early in 2017,[21] Whitaker's legal team appealed his claims to the U.S. Supreme Court. The recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and my action on it, ensures Mr. Whitaker will never be released from prison. [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. Decisions, as in US, were private, but limited information about decisions will be made public. I am writing as a member of the public with no connection to the above, his relatives, or his crime. He had dropped out of Sam Houston State University as a freshman, and had been lying to his family about being a student there for three years. Additional factors make the decision more complex.". 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. (a common Forensic Files pathology see Barbara Stager and Mark Winger.). https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/severs-roger.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7geqiz8wb7I, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didnt Exactly Aim High. 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. Bart is definitely a bad seed. Then, Brashear entered a getaway car driven by Champagne, and they dumped the bag with the murder items in the water. [44] Ira Wells, in particular, points to Whitaker's participation in the program to exemplify the questions, declaring Whitaker's prison writing powerful in its ability to "shock readers into a sensory appreciation of the radical strangeness of [his] life lived". Bart, then a wholesome-looking 22-year-old with a Princess Diana complexion, came up with a new plot to wipe out his mother, father, and brother, and get his hands on all of the familys assets, worth $1 million to $1.5 million. House of horror. 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! Compare his with another Texas case that ended in death one in which the perp was encouraged by another to kill her parents (no excuse, but not under his OWN initiative, unlike Whitaker), in which there was no significant, repeated premeditation, unlike of Whitaker, where the initiator the daughter didnt get the death penalty, and where this offender is widely considered to have exhibited genuine remorse: https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d1/dillingham-jeffrey.htm, One lives; one dies. 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. A bullet hole is seen from inside of the feed room at the Moselle Road property on March 1, 2023. "[16] The trial judge's[who?] At least citizens should expect and demand consistency within the same state (cf Jeffrey Dillingham in my below post). and a Fort Bend County jury. WebTricia Whitaker, a retired teacher, and her 19-year-old son, Kevin, died from their injuries. Homicide detective Marshall Slot, who appeared on both Forensic Files and the 20/20 episode about the murders, recalled that he thought the operator was joking when she said a shooting of four people had taken place in Sugar Land. [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. He and his wife, Darlene, had moved into the home just six months earlier. 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. I think this needs to change because in matters of life and death the public has a right to know why, when X has been adjudged by a jury as deserving of death, a panel not unanswerable to the public makes a private decision to overturn. From how the plan was hatched to Barts trial, sentence, and the stunning new development in the case, this book provides all the details. Marcus I totally agree. [42] He also contributed[clarification needed] to Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement. "The reason you did not take X-rays of the brain was you already reached you conclusion," Harpootlian said. As the family started filing into their home, a masked intruder inside began shooting them one by one.This podcast is sponsored by BETTER HELP! He was having a relaxing evening watching television. His mother Tricia and brother Kevin died in the shootings on 10 During Wednesday's visit, at least one juror was spotted by a pool reporter closely examining the door frame of the storage closet or feed room where Paul was standing when he was killed, the Associated Press reported. Their son had been upstairs in his room when he peeked in on his parents in the living room. Now! Brandon took off back to the house to make the call. 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. Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Write all you want, Bart, but youre a true sociopath just playing all the angles, and youre never, ever getting out. I cannot comment upon the quantitative status in evaluating his crime that his not being the actual perpetrator should have. 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