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. Once the jury leaves, one reporter, photographer and videographer will be able to see the property. You can watch the entire 48 Hours episode about the case online on a CBS news site. You are a good candidate for governor of Texas. "But you can't walk around with anger.". Box 12428 When asked about the race of the assailant he said, Maybe black I dont know.. WebThe Whitaker family from Odd, West Virginia, is arguably the most famous inbred family in the United States. in return for his admission of guilt, and was instead tried for capital murder. As Rebecca describes, heres a privileged man who plotted a number of times to murder at least his parents, eventually achieving death for some of his apparently loving family, for money. Murdaugh is awaiting trial on about 100 other charges including financial crimes. It was difficult to tell if it was actually Kevin or Bart, since it was dark inside the house. Prosecutors have argued that Alex killed his wife and son to deflect attention and engender sympathy as a series of legal and financial troubles were about to explode. Thomas Bartlett Whitaker was born on Dec. 31, 1979, to Kent Whitaker, a comptroller for a family-owned construction business, and Patricia, known as Tricia, who gave up a career as an elementary school teacher to stay at home with Bart and his younger brother, Kevin. He is to be admired. Jekyll and Hyde. Required fields are marked *. Subscribe to the ad-free version here! And you are quite right Whitaker had at least two (that we know of) tries; so how doing well in prison makes people seem better is unbelievable. He succeeded in annihilating two-thirds of the other Whitakers but, instead of an office visit with an estate attorney, Bart got himself a trial with a judge and jury. He told the police that he would forgive the man who shot his But how could parents believe such a thing? Divers recovered it. On June 7, 2021, Theres also the question of what turned Bart Whitaker into a homicidal fiend. 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. Unfortunately, everything was far from fine at the Whitaker household. The exact date and time of the jury trip has not been scheduled because it is dependent on how many witnesses the prosecution calls in its reply case. [18][non-primary source needed], In other early testimony, Steve Champagne described Whitaker recruiting him to be the getaway driver for Whitaker's eventual 2003 plan to murder his immediate family,[11] and his testimony included the detail that Whitaker's gunshot wound was a ploy to make it look like he was a victim, too. [7] In that same time frame,[when?] "I don't always take X-rays of every organ.". Defense attorney Phillip Barber asked if McManigal took any notes or videotaped his experiments. Was that on the TV? Brandon asked his parents. Whitaker was convicted for the December 10, 2003, murders of his mother and 19-year-old brother; he was sentenced to death in March2007. 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. "Manufacturing Anomie"[citation needed] and the essay "A Nothing Would Do as Well". E: bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov. Cops secretly tapped Brashears and Champagnes phones, but they never picked up any incriminating conversations. Additional factors make the decision more complex.". But from the outside, his home life and social life seemed near perfect. He looked up from Tricia into the house, where he spotted someone who he thought was Kevin Whitaker. [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. True Crime Creepers The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final Testimony ended Tuesday in the South Carolina double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, as the court prepared to bring jurors on [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". Bart opening up his graduation gift from his parents on the night of the murders. The state reduced his sentence to life. Marcus, I have never seen such objective view wow. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? He began to load the shotgun with bullets when his wife stepped in front of him. I think you are spot on; especially with the letter you wrote that you posted above. 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. 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. The laudable desire to hear the victim must not become a means of outcome determination of the magnitude of life and death. The crime deserves severe punishment for the criminals who killed them. I agree with every sentiment, especially family members having the deciding vote as to the Death Penalty or not. I cannot comment upon the quantitative status in evaluating his crime that his not being the actual perpetrator should have. Was he a born a sociopath or did some kind of abuse taint and mold him? Whitaker was Until next time, cheers. P.O. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. WebHey there freaky fam! Unfortunately, he was afraid to move her body in case her blood had already started to clot up; he didnt want to break up the clots and cause her to bleed even more. 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. Of course, someone rich enough to post $3m bail can afford good representation, buying relative lenience. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. But what the Whitakers didnt know was that Bart wasnt going to graduate at all. Im bleeding, Kent Whitaker pitifully mewled. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube. For Bart is still one very lucky man. He needed to get the hell out of there. 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. They handed him a death sentence. ", Kent Whitaker said he still loves his son despite what occurred, describing him as a changed person. Their oldest son, Bart, whom he had never met, since Bart lived up north in Willis, Texas, was about to graduate on Saturday. Miraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. At it again. The couple had two sons, Brandon and Dane, who had gone off to college. The Stanleys were watching a family show. *This particularly an awful crime. Brashear shot Kent, Patricia, and Kevin as they entered the house and then gave Bart his courtesy wound in the arm. Does a low-achieving prisoner deserve less consideration over a matter he has no control over (intellectual capacity)? WebTricia Whitaker, a retired teacher, and her 19-year-old son, Kevin, died from their injuries. The main house at the Murdaugh family's Moselle Road property in Islandton, South Carolina, on March 1, 2023. Tricia Whitaker continued to moan in agony. 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. And in another twist, mere minutes before Bart was set to executed, he got a call from the governor commuting his sentence instead to life in prison. of Texas but thanks all the same! I am South African. E: governor@state.tx.us, Pending Execution of Offender Thomas Whitaker, TDJC Number: 999522, date of birth: 12/31/1979. It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. They were also excited to have their eldest son, Brandon, home from college for the holidays. I knew about death row on TV whilst watching the mind of a murderer by Dr Michelle Ward. WebMurder in the Family: 'I Wanted Them Dead' Investigators Question Burglary Theory. [47][48] The name of the blog references "the hour at which executions take place in Texas". While out having a celebratory dinner, no one in his family Tricia and Kevin died from their gunshot wounds, but Kent survived. Thats privileged white Justice. (I live nr-ish Rutland ). Chris Brashear and Steven Champagne denied any involvement in the homicides and provided DNA samples and scent-test specimens. 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. Bart's brother Kevin entered the family home first and reportedly smiled when he saw the masked Brashear. [citation needed] At trial, it was noted that Whitaker had access to an $80,000trust fund from his grandparents, although he testified that he did not know he could access it. 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. "I have had anger with him, extreme anger, Mr. Harpootlian, because what he did with my law firm, my partners, his clients, our clients what he did to his family. Corey Mitchells true crime book, Savage Son, tells the tragic story of the Whitaker family murders. Thanks, Rebecca. [12][third-party source needed] Bart then ran inside and staged a struggle with Brashear, getting shot in his left arm to divert suspicion. Want to keep reading? WebIn the weeks following the murder, the police learned that the attack had been orchestrated by the son who survivedMr. He banned drones from flying over. Friend starts singing. Your objectivity impartiality nor fear no favour is applausable. "[16] The trial judge's[who?] All to cover up another web of lies.Love Killer Instincts but hate the ads? Faithful father. Champagne explained that he staked out the Whitakers at the graduation dinner at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen where Bart enjoyed bread pudding with Congratulations spelled out in chocolate sauce and called Brashear to let him know when the group left the restaurant. Judge Clifton Newman is allowing only the jury, attorneys from both sides, security and police, and a court reporter to come. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. The overwhelming forgiveness offered by one victim is not of the order of distinctness necessary. I respectfully wish to express my agreement with Mr Whitakers scheduled execution next month, which I do with a heavy heart. 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 was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. [4] He lived there under the false name for over a year. Hello Helen: Thanks so for your kind remarks and I wholly agree re Rebeccas posts! Thanks, Monica so glad you liked the piece! Bart also reportedly told them his mother was a prostitute and he was essentially an orphan. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. 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