WebA Father's Life 10 Years After An Unspeakable Tragedy. Bart opening up his graduation gift from his parents on the night of the murders. 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. He looked up from Tricia into the house, where he spotted someone who he thought was Kevin Whitaker. [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. Instead, he returned back to the Whitakers front porch and attempted to comfort Kent. Was that on the TV? Brandon asked his parents. Thats all for this post. Whatever awful things weve done, kindness and mercy in the form of showing this man that he isnt forgotten while he contemplates that most terrible of punishments, is always right. remaining immediate family member. The bag contained a chisel with paint matching that on Kevins gun safe. [23], Whitaker's defense team lodged an appeal focused on the purity of drugs used in Texas executions in 20172018. 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! Bart's brother Kevin died within minutes of being shot; his mother Patricia died shortly after the start of her airlift by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Somethings going on outside. 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. Partners in crime. 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. 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. Rebecca I love your updates, thank you so much for keeping these updates and these cases alive. The nineteen-year-old son of Tricia and Kent Whitaker stopped breathing. Just hang in there. A bullet hole is seen from inside of the feed room at the Moselle Road property on March 1, 2023. Texas Gov. Download Savage Son now. Both victims appeared to be surprised with their hands down. The person who fired the gun that killed the victims did not receive the death penalty, but Mr. Whitaker, who did not fire the gun, did get the death penalty. "But you can't walk around with anger.". 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. WebTexas 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, 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. Testimony ended Tuesday in the South Carolina double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, as the court prepared to bring jurors on Serious needling. Abbott also said he took into account that Bart Whitaker voluntarily waived all claims for parole in exchange for a commutation. 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. And finally, I checked into where Barts young accomplices are today. 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. 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. The Whitakers cash, jewelry, and computer equipment remained untouched. Many thanks, Helen so glad youre enjoying the site! WebBart Whitaker was convicted of hiring a hit man to target his own family. The whole scenario took less than ten minutes. Rudy ratted him out, and the law hauled Bart back to the U.S. Trio of convicts. The Whitakers had the cool house to be at and Kent and Tricia were the second parents to so many people, according to Kevins friend Brittany Barnhill, who appeared on the 48 Hours episode The Sugar Land Conspiracy.. "Any punishment that I would have or will receive is just, but my dad did nothing wrong. 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. WebGetty. *This particularly an awful crime. Bart told first responders that he thought the gunman was black, in order to divert suspicion away from Brashear. Dirty Deeds 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. WebThe tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. Patricia was then also shot in the chest, also falling to the floor. But Rudy Rios couldnt resist a $10,000 reward offered for information on Barts whereabouts. Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. After all, Bart was graduating from Sam Houston State University with honors. 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. 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. [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. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier/AP. That is, if it is a scandal that anyone is judicially executed, it is so if some are and some are not merely given the contingency of special pleading. [4][5], Thomas Bartlett Whitaker was born on December31, 1979, to father Kent, the comptroller of a construction company, and mother Patricia (Trish), an elementary school teacher. Their mental highlight reel was probably playing footage of an 8-year-old Bart teaching his little brother how to ride a bike. Thanks, Rebecca. Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The dad, Kent, survived as did their son, Bart. This was the first commutation of such a sentence from Abbott, and the first from a Texas Governor since 2007. Perhaps it should, and has. to "help convicted criminals become writers", an aim which raises questions about the nature and residence of the power inmates are given, and about its impact on prisoners and on society. Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. 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. 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. [37][verification needed][bettersourceneeded], Kent Whitaker, his father and a surviving victim of the crime, wrote the book, Murder by Family: The incredible true story of a son's treachery and a father's forgiveness, which as described by Barry Leibowitz for CBS News is about his "heart-wrenching journey to forgive the nameless stranger" responsible for his wounding, and the "brutal murder of his wife and son", a journey that included his realizing that the murder "had been orchestrated by [his] oldest son Bart". He blatantly planned out his parents murder then he ran away in hiding. But what the Whitakers didnt know was that Bart wasnt going to graduate at all. Kent came out with his own book about the shootings and their aftermath, and he travels around the country to speak about forgiveness. [1] He spent years on death row at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas, before the commutation of his sentence. [12][verification needed][third-party source needed] The trial had lasted six days in total; the "jury deliberat[ed] for 2hours, and sentenced Whitaker to death". 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. But he arrived to find a real firearm, not a paintball gun, on the scene and four people with one bullet wound each. [citation needed] They drove to the nearby Pappadeaux restaurant in Stafford for a celebratory dinner. Cliff darted up from his wounded neighbor and bolted back toward his home. Last-minute reprieve. "I think his intentions were well, but his methods were flawed," Kinsey said. Kent had expressed how excited he and Trish were to attend Barts graduation that next Saturday, and how proud they were of their son. After receiving the news he has been spared execution, Bart Whitaker told prison officials: "I'm thankful not for me but for my dad," reports the Associated Press. 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. He was having a relaxing evening watching television. [11], Whitaker appealed his death sentence, suggesting nine points of error. Please enter valid email address to continue. Cliff was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. I wasnt aware of Runnels until a few days ago, when I saw a news item, looking his case up. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final 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. I do not support the death penalty but given that it exists in the State, that due process appears to have been followed, and that the offence is in my view and that of the jury egregious, it seems to me gravely important that this punishment execution is applied consistently if it must be applied at all. All to cover up another web of lies.Love Killer Instincts but hate the ads? Brd. If they pull up, she said in reference to police officers, and they see you with that shotgun, theyll probably shoot you, too. [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. Brashear shot Kent, Patricia, and Kevin as they entered the house and then gave Bart his courtesy wound in the arm. Steve Champagne got 15 years in exchange for testifying against Brashear and Bart. WebBart Whitaker: Relative Tragedy A Young Heir Tries to Hasten His Fortune (Family Interrupted, Forensic Files) Two years before a masked assailant shot them in their own He also paid someone to drive the getaway car for the assailant, while Bart would stay on the scene and pretend as though he had fought the intruder off himself. and a Fort Bend County jury. "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. We know little about the family due to the Whitakers secretive nature Visit BetterHelp.com/CREEPERS today to get 10% off your first month.Sources:ArticlesTexas District & County Attorney's Association | A Most Unusual Suspect (Jeff Strange) CBS News | Texas Man Targeted by a Hitman Fights for the Life of the Person Who Ordered the Murder His Son (Peter Van Sant)ABC News | Murder in the Family: 'I Wanted Them Dead' (Harry Phillips & Elissa Stohler)Forensic Files Now | Bart Whitaker: Relative TragedyABC News | 'Murder by Family': Read Shocking ExcerptThe Houston Chronicle | Whitaker Lawyer Attacks Credibility of Witness (Eric Hansen)ABC News | 'Sugar Land' Culprit Made New Life in Mexico (Denise Martinez-Ramundo & Harry Phillips)Wikipedia | Thomas Bartlett WhitakerMedium | The Whitaker Family Murders of Sugar Land, TexasVideoYouTube | 911: The Sugar Land ConspiracyLearn more about your ad choices. I understand theres a steady drift away from the DP in the US. Maggie Murdaugh Facebook. Instead, Cliff began to pray. In the meantime, a newspaper reporter discovered that Bart never finished college. According to his statements and the evidence gathered, Bart Whitaker intended to murder his parents and younger brother in order to keep the family estate. [41][needs update]. [38][13], Whitaker earned an undergraduate degree from Adams State University,[39] and a Master's degree in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Crime time with Tone 192 subscribers Subscribe 88 Share 10K views 1 year ago I visit the resting place and home Brandon walked down the steps and insisted, Then its outside. 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. Box 13401 Brandon Stanley followed directly behind his father. It irrevocably denies any possibility of rehabilitation; it eviscerates hope entirely. 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