[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. 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. After the dinner ended, the family returned to their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue th Cliff met Tricia the day he and his wife had moved in. Apparently he skipped a lot of classes, then stopped going entirely, and blew his tuition funds on some form or recreation; its not clear what kind. Cliff darted up from his wounded neighbor and bolted back toward his home. In February 2018, each of the seven board members separately voted to commute Barts sentence, and the governor concurred. Tricia and Kevin sustained fatal chest wounds from the Glock pistol. Cliff turned his attention back to the bleeding Whitaker parents. He and Brandon headed for the front door to see if something was going on. Brandon Stanley followed directly behind his father. She was very hopeful, very upbeat and optimistic for [Barts] future.. Bart Whitaker, it seems, was born rather than made a sociopath. This episode does not seem to be shown that often, so I really appreciated the reminder of this case and the update. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final 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. Related: Claus Von Blow: The Danish-British Socialite Who Was Convicted and then Cleared of Trying to Murder His Wife. When Cliff witnessed the carnage before him, he yelled back at his son, Go back inside and call 911! WebThe Whitaker family from Odd, West Virginia, is arguably the most famous inbred family in the United States. Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sack of evidence. After the dinner ended, the family returned to their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue the celebration. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. Barnhill also noted that Kevins friends considered Bart cool.. Would a poor unknown with a public defender have fared so well? Quite the opposite, his parents were kind and generous by all accounts. Bart. [1] He spent years on death row at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas, before the commutation of his sentence. Kent has since spearheaded the campaign to save his son from execution. Cliff was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. We know little about the family due to the Whitakers secretive nature Miraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. Kent and his surviving son were both wounded in the attack. The thought that a man with a gun might still be on the premises did not enter into his consciousness. 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. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter and get our recommended reads delivered straight to your inbox. He could still be here. She began to moan againonly this time, it seemed more drawn out and painful than before. Mr Whitaker premeditatedly arranged the murder of three family members, including his own injury to throw suspicion from him. Maggie Murdaugh's iPhone was found on the side of the road outside of the property, and the backlight came on nearly two minutes before GPS data showed Alex Murdaugh's SUV pass by. 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. Until. (I live nr-ish Rutland ). The story takes you through the sequence of events from the moment the family return home from a celebratory meal, through the shooting and the eventual trial of his one remaining son. Thomas Whitaker and Christopher Wilkins, et al. Judge Clifton Newman is allowing only the jury, attorneys from both sides, security and police, and a court reporter to come. 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. I decided to write to Travis Runnels #999505, who was executed by the state of Texas 11 December. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier/AP. It will keep the blood from rushing out too fast, he ordered. The goal was to refute a defense expert who said moving an iPhone causes its backlight to come on. You missed something. Steve Champagne got out and stayed out. First published on February 28, 2023 / 5:23 PM. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Regardless, he continued holding the temporary bandage on Kents gushing wound. On March 8, 2007, after deliberating for two hours, a jury found Bart Whitaker guilty of murder. 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. 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. But from the outside, his home life and social life seemed near perfect. [8]:ch.50[pageneeded], On December 10, 2003, Thomas Bartlett "Bart" Whitaker falsely told his family that he had just taken his final university exams and would soon be graduating from SHSU. Your article highlights just what a piece of work Whitaker is. [citation needed], Brashear then exited through the Whitakers' back door and jumped over the fence into the rear neighbor's yard. This must change. I consider it profoundly wrong that the victim may determine the difference between life (imprisonment) and death, as if the law is not a public entity, answerable to the many, as consistent, proportionate and impartial, not an indirect instrument for the vagaries of passions: anger, revenge, mercy, forgiveness, etc. Cliff hustled back to his house, stormed inside, and began yelling to Brandon, I need something to stop the bleeding! I understand that Mr Whitakers father is requesting your clemency. 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). Thanks, Rebecca. 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). Behind the door was an intruder wielding Kevins gun, and within seconds the family was ambushed. 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 bent his head and said a silent prayer for Kevin. Cliff then heard the screech of police sirens. He should have gotten the death penalty and let it fold out as planned. He heard Tricias last, wet coughs as Kent himself lay dying from his own gunshot wound. Yes! Abbott accepted the state parole boards rare clemency recommendation. Let me see what I can do, Cliff attempted to calm his neighbor. I am writing as a member of the public with no connection to the above, his relatives, or his crime. In the meantime, a newspaper reporter discovered that Bart never finished college. [citation needed], On Friday, March 2, 2007, the State of Texas[who?] ), Helen: Thanks and yes, I saw the Backhouse one; and another comes to mind: 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. 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. 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. v. Oliver J. Murdaugh is awaiting trial on about 100 other charges including financial crimes. He had been the last one to walk into the house; he lagged behind while checking his phone messages. He said testimony from psychiatrists and the familys investigators who [had stated that] Bart was manipulative was disregarded. 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. But his state, California,has an unofficial moratorium on execution which is absurd when the State still sentences to death. He always thought a lot of the youngest son who had returned from his first semester in college at Texas A&M University. 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. [38][c] I just fixed it thx for the heads-up! But that is not the question. 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. Steven testified, and the prosecution stated that Bart tried to put such a plan in motion several times in the past. [16] Randy McDonald, attorney for the defense, rested their case on the same day, without calling witnesses, and the judge[who?] Required fields are marked *. According to a Houston Chronicle account, after an emotional, contentious 12 hours during which some jurors at first disagreed about whether Bart constituted a continuing threat to society, Bart got a sentence of death by lethal injection. [4] He lived there under the false name for over a year. Write all you want, Bart, but youre a true sociopath just playing all the angles, and youre never, ever getting out. Reminder of this case and the prosecution stated that Bart tried to put such a plan motion. A year Virginia, is arguably the most famous inbred family in the San Francisco Area... 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