Your email address will not be published. Whitakers father insists that he would be victimized again if the state put to death the last remaining member of his immediate family, said Gov. His mother and brother were murdered, and his father was seriously hurt. Barnhill also noted that Kevins friends considered Bart cool.. House of horror. 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? Prosecutors were against the visit, saying the scene looks different than it did in June 2021 as trees and vegetation has grown and no one has lived on the property since the killings. [14], Whitaker was refused a plea bargain by the District Attorney[who?] [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". Her legs and lower body were pointed outward toward the street. Cliff immediately headed in the direction of Kent Whitaker, his own safety not crossing his mind. Anyway greetings from the UK. 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. 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. Defense attorney Phillip Barber asked if McManigal took any notes or videotaped his experiments. scheduled closing arguments for the morning of March 5. 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. Unsolved murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. I respectfully wish to express my agreement with Mr Whitakers scheduled execution next month, which I do with a heavy heart. I too am writing from UK (maybe you gathered). / CBS/AP. This week, Savannah details how Bart hired a hitman to kill his family as soon as they set foot inside, how he was found out, and the miraculous survival of his father, Kent Whitaker. Mr. 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? Cliff and Darlene looked at one another quizzically. It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. But instead of fleeing, Cliff decided he needed some protection of his own. (I live nr-ish Rutland ). Tanya also accompanied Kent for court proceedings related to Barts fate. 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. Mailer regretted the whole affair. Past posts on this blog have briefly touched on the Whitaker murders and their aftermath, but a deeper dive seems in order. WebBart Whitaker, arranged the murder of his family. Many thanks, Helen so glad youre enjoying the site! Cliff knew he needed to get assistance for Kent and Tricia. I decided to write to Travis Runnels #999505, who was executed by the state of Texas 11 December. 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 for them inside. [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. [citation needed] He was named a 2018-2019 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellow,[45] a program that aims to support creation of "written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate". On June 7, 2021, All to cover up another web of lies.Love Killer Instincts but hate the ads? Red herring. 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. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the horror stories you love. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I cannot comment upon the quantitative status in evaluating his crime that his not being the actual perpetrator should have. WebThe Mysterious Saga of the Whitaker Family Murders Family Shot in the Chest. The judge agreed with a defense request to let jurors ride 40 minutes to see the sprawling Colleton County property where the Murdaughs lived. The prosecution also called back cellphone expert Paul McManigal, a sergeant with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. Last-minute reprieve. Cliff snapped to and realized that both his wife and Kent were right. This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 01:00. Bart told first responders that he thought the gunman was black, in order to divert suspicion away from Brashear. Now! Brandon took off back to the house to make the call. After the dinner ended, the family returned to their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue the celebration. "You're angry at him for stealing your money," Harpootlian said. 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 The state reduced his sentence to life. Please enter valid email address to continue. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. 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. So why did Bart kill the people he supposedly loved? Cliff knew his wife was right. I just fixed it thx for the heads-up! The system worked for him today. But he arrived to find a real firearm, not a paintball gun, on the scene and four people with one bullet wound each. Greg Abbott has chosen to commute the execution of the Sugar Land man convicted in the 2003 murders of his mother and brother. I am writing as a member of the public with no connection to the above, his relatives, or his crime. 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. [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. 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. They handed him a death sentence. 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. WebUpdated on: February 28, 2023 / 7:05 PM / CBS/AP. Okay, buddy. The hangar and dog kennels where the bodies of Paul and Maggie were found, pictured on March 1, 2023, A hose in the dog kennels at the Murdaugh family property, March 1, 2023, The dog kennels at the Murdaugh property in Islandton, March 1, 2023. Bell, Members of the Tx. On Tuesday, Murdaugh's former law partner Ronnie Crosby had a testy exchange with defense attorney Dick Harpootlian as prosecutors got a chance to reply to the defense's case, including by rebutting their experts who suggested two different shooters killed Murdaugh's wife and son with two different weapons. [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. 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. And, of course, Mr Whitaker snr cannot properly speak for the three dead victims, only himself. 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. 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. Yes; perps have been executed for less egregious murder. [citation needed] They drove to the nearby Pappadeaux restaurant in Stafford for a celebratory dinner. The laudable desire to hear the victim must not become a means of outcome determination of the magnitude of life and death. 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. 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. Cliff spotted Kent Whitaker sprawled out on the concrete front porch next door. Waking nightmare. Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. 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. The main house at the Murdaugh family's Moselle Road property in Islandton, South Carolina, on March 1, 2023. But that is not the question. The murders were arranged by Bart Whitaker in an attempt to inherit the family's estate. Cliff Stanley worked out of his home, so he became closer to Tricia, who was a stay-at-home mother at the time. Cliff Stanley knew the Whitakers were in for a big weekend. In his haste to exit the scene, Brashear gathered up Barts cellphone instead of the gun. of Criminal Justice, John Whitmire, David J. Callender, M.D., Governor Rick Perry, et al. As he came upon him, Cliff looked up and saw Tricia directly in front of the entryway to the house, about six feet away from Kent. He went inside, determined to find his weapon, which he did. (Sorry if you already have! 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. 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. Testimony ended Tuesday in the South Carolina double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, as the court prepared to bring jurors on Wednesday to the scene where Murdaugh's wife and son were fatally shot in 2021. WebA Father's Life 10 Years After An Unspeakable Tragedy. Investigators also found it troubling that a picture of Bart taken at the graduation dinner showed him giving the finger (although Id file that one in the kids like to make obscene gestures, no big deal folder). Their mental highlight reel was probably playing footage of an 8-year-old Bart teaching his little brother how to ride a bike. Besides, he could tell that Kevin was very close to dead. Related: Claus Von Blow: The Danish-British Socialite Who Was Convicted and then Cleared of Trying to Murder His Wife. Thus, he enjoyed the little time he was able to spend with Kent and Tricia Whitaker. Cliff was unsure how that person was doing; that is, until he heard a pitiful sound emanating from the victim. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. A Texas inmate who was due to be executed for masterminding the murder of his family has been granted commutation shortly before he was due to be put to death. Brashear and Champagne were arrested almost two years after murders. 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. Quite the opposite, his parents were kind and generous by all accounts. He needed to get the hell out of there. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. "The decision of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is supported by the totality of circumstances in this case. [31][non-primary source needed][32][non-primary source needed], Whitaker responded to the commutation of his sentence by saying, "I am thankful for this decision, not for me but for my dad. A Young Heir Tries to Hasten His Fortune(Family Interrupted, Forensic Files). Along with his second wife, Tanya Youngling, Kent Whitaker visits Bart regularly, speaking to him from behind a glass partition. I am South African. Champagne also drove the getaway car although, he claimed, he really didnt want to get involved with the homicide plot but felt trapped. He began to load the shotgun with bullets when his wife stepped in front of him. But investigators couldnt help but notice that the drawers were all neatly pulled out to the exact same length and nothing had been removed from them. 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). In a jailhouse interview with Lisa Ling in 2014, Bart said he committed the murders because he felt inadequate and thought his parents didnt love him. E: bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov. Bart needed a way to ensure his family didn't attend that graduation. 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. Kent, Cliff called out to his friend. [citation needed][43], Whitaker won prizes in PEN America's Prison Writing Program for his essay "Hell's Kitchen",[44][d] [12][third-party source needed] Bart then ran inside and staged a struggle with Brashear, getting shot in his left arm to divert suspicion. Cliff met Tricia the day he and his wife had moved in. It was difficult to tell if it was actually Kevin or Bart, since it was dark inside the house. [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. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. Would a poor unknown with a public defender have fared so well? He had transferred from Baylor University in Waco where an informant tipped off police about Barts aborted plan to kill his family in 2001 to Sam Houston State University. The Whitakers cash, jewelry, and computer equipment remained untouched. [8]:Ch.10[pageneeded], The early testimony from Hipp[when?] [47][48] The name of the blog references "the hour at which executions take place in Texas". A bullet hole is seen from inside of the feed room at the Moselle Road property on March 1, 2023. (a common Forensic Files pathology see Barbara Stager and Mark Winger.). Stanley could tell that Tricia was very excited and happy about the impending ceremony. https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/severs-roger.htm (dont know the FF title). Cliff tore out of his house and returned to the Whitakers. [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. Want more true crime books? 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. [22][21] On November 1, 2017, his death warrant was signed, scheduling his execution for February 22, 2018. I see theres some pressure in South Africa for its return; thankfully there has never been here since Britain abolished it in the 60s. Behind the door was an intruder wielding Kevins gun, and within seconds the family was ambushed. 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 handling of the prosecution's use of a phone recording between Hipp and Whitaker would become an element of the defense's later appeal of the verdict. Austin, Texas 78711-3401 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. 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. Police first checked out Adam Hipp himself as a suspect, but he had an alibi for the night of the shooting. Good for you for writing to a condemned prisoner. [5][6][a], Whitaker attended Clements High School where in 1997 as a 17-year-old he received a criminal conviction for a series of seven burglaries that he had "meticulous[ly]" planned, leading other young friends in the spree. [4] His parents funded his academic pursuits. 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. 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. Kent came out with his own book about the shootings and their aftermath, and he travels around the country to speak about forgiveness. But from the outside, his home life and social life seemed near perfect. [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. [citation needed], On Friday, March 2, 2007, the State of Texas[who?] Barber said. Divers recovered it. The couple relaxed and watched television. Cliff and Darlene sat downstairs in the back of their comfortable home, on this particular night. [4] He lived there under the false name for over a year. He told the hitman where Kevin kept his gun and asked him to stage a robbery. The seven-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to commute the sentence. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. At it again. [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. While out having a celebratory dinner, no one in his family could've imagined the horror that waited for them when they got back home. [citation needed][24] Whitaker withdrew his appeal pertaining to the purity of the drug used, pending at the Supreme Court of the United States, just before a decision by the Texas Governor to grant clemency and commute his sentence. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. During her teaching days, Tricia was known for her kind and fun-loving approach to her job, according to friends who appeared on 20/20. Crime time with Tone 192 subscribers Subscribe 88 Share 10K views 1 year ago I visit the resting place and home For "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?" WebThe Murders: On December 10th, 2003, the Whitakers were out celebrating their son Barts graduation at Sam Houston State. Try Sundance Now free for 30 days by going to SundanceNow.com and use promo code killerListen to The Generation Why Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or you can listen ad-free by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app!If you have any thoughts on this case or any other case, or just want to get in touch with Savannah about the show, email her at killerinstinctpodcast@gmail.com. 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. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Whitaker's parents had bought him several luxury vehicles. 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. Convenient scapegoat. ", "The Governor, the father, and the murderer", "Gov. Cliff was very fond of his new neighbors. [1] He spent years on death row at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas, before the commutation of his sentence. It will keep the blood from rushing out too fast, he ordered. WebIn the weeks following the murder, the police learned that the attack had been orchestrated by the son who survivedMr. "I think his intentions were well, but his methods were flawed," Kinsey said. He and his wife, Darlene, had moved into the home just six months earlier. Chris Brashear and Steven Champagne denied any involvement in the homicides and provided DNA samples and scent-test specimens. Related: 46 Gripping True Crime Books from the Last 54 Years. Yes! Perhaps it should, and has. I argue, therefore, for an objective determination as to punishment that disregards the view of family, friends and even victim(s). 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. (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. 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. 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. 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. Only two of the Whitakers would surviveand one was responsible for the shooting. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter and get our recommended reads delivered straight to your inbox. But how could parents believe such a thing? Prosecutors also called back to the stand the pathologist who did the autopsies on the victims and their expert who studied the crime scene. 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. In September2005, Whitaker was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border town of Laredo, Texas, where he was arrested for capital murder. Crossing his mind murders family Shot in the homicides and provided DNA samples and specimens! Were right 's life 10 years after an Unspeakable Tragedy is, until he heard pitiful. Condemned prisoner McManigal took any notes or videotaped his experiments the back of comfortable! Cliff tore out of his own safety not crossing his mind his crime but his methods were flawed ''! Very close to dead the dinner ended, the family was ambushed `` you angry... [ 4 ] his parents funded his academic pursuits was responsible for the three dead,. The name of the Whitakers were out celebrating their son Barts graduation at Houston! Money, '' Kinsey said '', `` Gov can not properly speak for the shooting keep... The site Lineup to continue the celebration away the night of the references. Hipp [ when? when? voted unanimously to commute the sentence execution next month, which he did was... Texas 11 December he supposedly loved blog have briefly touched on the concrete porch. Academic pursuits the impending ceremony you gathered ) tore out of his house and returned to home... Their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue publishing the horror stories you.... 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