Trial testimony showed he expressed no grief over the loss of the children. In fact, Willingham openly admitted to a fellow inmate that he purposely started this fire to conceal evidence that the children had been abused. "Either that or someone came in with the intent to kill me and the children," he said from prison. Corsicana Daily Sun "Dude's a liar," Willingham said in a recent interview on death row. He expressed love to someone named Gabby and then addressed his ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, who was watching about 8 feet away through a window. Cameron Willingham, 36, was sentenced to die for the deaths of his three daughters. "Any man who can look at me in the eye and say the justice system is not a farce is a liar. Willingham, 23, the children's father, and the only adult home at the time of the fire, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death on . When firefighters arrived at the burning five-bedroom house on Corsicana's south side, Willingham was outside. He tried to get to the twins' room, but couldn't get past the flames. CRIMINAL HISTORY/PUNISHMENT PHASE EVIDENCE. Monday's setting of an execution date for Willingham was the first such proceeding in the district court since October 2001 when Gary Sterling, convicted for the May 1988 capital murder of a 72-year-old Navarro County man, was given a death date in early December 2001. Date of Offense: 12/23/91 7th murderer executed in Texas in 2004 In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sons, Andrew Lee . Mr Willingham is innocent of all charges". Defendant was convicted of capital murder by murdering more than one person during same criminal transaction after jury trial in the 13th Judicial District Court, Navarro County, Kenneth A. Douglas, J. After making an independent review of the pleadings; files and records in this case; the Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation of the United States Magistrate Judge, filed July 25, 2000; and Petitioner's Objections to Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation of the United States Magistrate Judge ("Petitioner's Objections"), filed August 4, 2000; the court concludes that the findings and conclusions of the United States Magistrate Judge are correct, and they are therefore accepted as those of the court. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Cameron Willingham, TX - Feb. 17, 6 PM CST The fire occurred on Dec. 23, 1991, just before Christmas. The three girls died in a fire on December 23, 1991. Jackson was the lead prosecutor for the district attorney's office in the Willingham case 12 years ago, securing the death penalty. Punishment: two years probation and 60 days in the county jail Amber Louise Kuykendall (1989 - 1991) How do we create a person's profile? Witnesses testified that appellant was verbally and physically abusive toward his family, and that at one time he beat his pregnant wife in an effort to cause a miscarriage. Being locked up in that little cell makes you kind of crazy. "Cameron Todd Willingham case: Expert says fire for which father was executed was not arson; Texas panel reviewing execution of father for setting deadly blaze," by Steve Mills. "The appeals have run their course and the conviction and sentence have been upheld," Keathley said. His former wife showed no reaction to the outburst. Death because of his tenacious and authoritative belief that seldom can murderers be rehabilitated. Neighbors of appellant testified that as the house began smouldering, appellant was "crouched down" in the front yard, and despite the neighbors' pleas, refused to go into the house in any attempt to rescue the children. Fire occurred on December 23, 1991 in Corsicana, Texas Cameron Todd Willingham was arrested and charged in the death on January 8, 1992. View A Kuykendall results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Please reset your password. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. His house had no phone. A fire fighter also testified that appellant was upset that his dart board was burned. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in October 1995. Neighbors testified that Willingham came outdoors as the house began smoldering, before flames were visible from the outside. His house had no phone. * * * When firefighters arrived at the burning five-bedroom house on Corsicana's south side, Willingham was outside. Willingham suggested a lantern lamp dumped fluid when a shelf collapsed inside the house and caught fire or his oldest daughter, who was "fascinated with everything," accidentally set off the blaze. When firefighters arrived at the burning five-bedroom house on Corsicana's south side, Willingham was outside. They just didn't want to pursue what really happened." An investigation showed that a flammable liquid had been poured throughout the house. "However, I'd predict that this sentence would be carried out unless some unforeseen constitutionality issue comes up. He called his conviction "a farce." Contacted Monday, one of Willingham's cousins said she was pleased with the report but was skeptical that state officials would acknowledge Willingham's innocence. "I wouldn't do that." The courts refused the defenses request for a change in venue after the district attorney stated on television that the children were interfering with [Mr. Willingtons] beer drinking and dart throwing. He took my kids away from me." Denied). We got involved with the Willingham case at first because of the faulty forensic science. Mr. Willingham, 36, said, "From God's dust I came and to dust I will return, so the Earth shall become my throne. This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can only be viewed by Ancestry members to whom they have granted permission to see their tree. He remains on death row. (February 17, 2004). Cameron Todd Willingham, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 17 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his three children. He took my kids away from me." We will affirm. The re-examination of the Willingham case comes as many forensic disciplines face scrutiny for playing a role in wrongful convictions that have been exposed by DNA and other scientific advances. His house had no phone. "It was hard for me to sit in front of him," she said. Affirmed. Killed were Amber Louis Kuykendall, 2, Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham, one-year-old twins. TDCJ#: 999041 Every Memorial Website celebrates the legacy of a life. Two Girls N Broom LLC. Mr. Willingham stated that the fire started while they were asleep, but the investigation indicated flammable liquid had been ignited. That document was dated Nov. 3 of this year. She declined to speak to reporters. 2229 (1998) (Cert. He suggested that a lantern spilled fluid when a shelf collapsed, and then 2-year-old Amber, who was "fascinated with everything," accidentally started the fire. "I was a sorry husband, a piece of crap as husbands go," he acknowledged from death row. The objections regarding whether Petitioner's appellate counsel was ineffective when he did not appeal the trial court's disqualification of the venirewomen, the limitations placed on Petitioner's voir dire questions, and the admission of hearsay testimony appear, at first blush, to have possible merit; however, a more detailed analysis reveals that they also lack merit. 4) November 1988: Driving Under the Influence of Liquor and/or Drugs (substance was paint) Willingham previously acknowledged he was a lousy husband but insisted he wasn't responsible for the blaze in Corsicana that killed his daughters -- 2-year-old Amber and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron. Cameron Todd Willingham was executed on 17th February 2004 after he was convicted of murdering his three young children in their family home in Corsicana, Texas. 37.071 2(b)(1) and 2(e) and following the jury's verdict of guilty, the trial court sentenced appellant to death. Perry and urge him to impose a moratorium on executions, endorse legislation to offer Texas defendants the option of life without parole, and commute the death sentence of Cameron Willingham. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. He expressed love to someone named Gabby and then addressed his ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, who was watching about 8 feet away through a window. "They were great kids," he said. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41759101/amber-louise-willingham. The 1991 trial was carried out under similar conditions, although for that event law enforcement officials searched spectators before entrance and limited access to only one of the two sets of double-doors leading into the courtroom. Sterling was granted a stay of execution in November 2001. But before he received the lethal injection, he looked toward his ex-wife and mother of the three children he had killed and said, "I hope you rot in Hell, bitch." He expressed his opinion that an individual demonstrating this type of behavior can not be rehabilitated in any manner, and that such a person certainly poses a continuing threat to society. The resulting trial was "a joke," he said. Austin Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information about 35-year-old Cameron Todd Willingham, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. February 17, 2004. The state of Texas is scheduled to execute Cameron Willingham, a white man, Feb. 17 for the 1991 murders of his three children Amber, 2, and twins Kameron and Karmon, 1, in Navarro county. Willingham then filed a state writ of habeas corpus on which the trial court recommended denying relief. Try again. Willingham v. Texas, 116 S.Ct. I was so full of myself and dumb." * * * The witness further testified that this igniting of the floors and thresholds is typically employed to impede firemen in their rescue attempts. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. "He had a lifestyle that really didn't include care and nurturing of children. In November, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Referring to Willingham's execution day being set, Palos said, "It's been due a long time." An expert witness for the State testified that the floors, front threshold, and front concrete porch were burned, which only occurs when an accelerant has been used to purposely burn these areas. stacy kuykendall cameron todd willingham wife today. The Birmingham News. The state filed an answer and motion for summary judgment on July 1, 1998, and filed a supplemental answer on October 15, 1998. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. Funeral and Cemetery images, Deceased stock photos, Photos of dead people. Perry responded by saying his critics are politically motivated. For example, 10 years ago Georgia introduced life without parole. The fire marshal "seems to be wholly without any realistic understanding of fires and how fire injuries are created," he wrote. Indeed, the report concludes there was no evidence to determine that the December 1991 fire was even set, and it leaves open the possibility the blaze that killed three children was an accident and there was no crime at all -- the same findings found in a Chicago Tribune investigation of the case published in December 2004. The proceeds of an insurance policy on the girls were later used to buy a pickup truck. "Guys that normally joke around, take things in stride well, that day was real solemn," Palos said.