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. Cliff knew he needed to get assistance for Kent and Tricia. You can watch the entire 48 Hours episode about the case online on a CBS news site. It is for this reason that I would never sign for it, even if that were the only way to evade a return to death row. 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. 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. Little did Kent, Patricia, and Kevin Whitaker know that their life together was just a house of cards. You are a good candidate for governor of Texas. ", "The Governor, the father, and the murderer", "Gov. 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. I think he was probably too calculating to admit that he was a lazy, work-shy neer do well who wanted the good life his parents had already been providing for him without the hard work they put in to give it to him. Then, Brashear entered a getaway car driven by Champagne, and they dumped the bag with the murder items in the water. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. I decided to write to Travis Runnels #999505, who was executed by the state of Texas 11 December. Rebecca I couldnt find it, but it would be great if you reviewed it! Millions of Americans nearing retirement age with no savings, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, South Carolina double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, 100 other charges including financial crimes. Thus, he enjoyed the little time he was able to spend with Kent and Tricia Whitaker. You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: http://bit.ly/KillerInstinctPodcastFollow Savannah on IG: @savannahbrymer 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. [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. [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. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. WebIn 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. All of New York loved it redemption by literature! 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. 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. Although Texas very rarely commutes to life-imprisonment for capital sentences there are surely more meritorious than his case. 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. In return, Bart agreed to give up any rights to parole. Murdaugh, who has been disbarred, admitted to the thefts, which could carry decades in prison,on the stand last week. Just hold on tight.. I see theres some pressure in South Africa for its return; thankfully there has never been here since Britain abolished it in the 60s. Money tangled. Texas is fortunate to have you working in their state. He told the hitman where Kevin kept his gun and asked him to stage a robbery. Texas Gov. His mother and brother were murdered, and his father was seriously hurt. [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". Someone had pried open his gun safe. In February 2018, each of the seven board members separately voted to commute Barts sentence, and the governor concurred. Mailer regretted the whole affair. Finally, as to the question of what turned Bart into such a callous and motivated killer, no mention of any type of abuse or trauma came up. Although no one knows whether Barts remorse was genuine, his polite, cooperative behavior behind razor wire impressed the guards so much that several of them wrote letters asking for clemency for Bart, according to the LA Times. He looked up from Tricia into the house, where he spotted someone who he thought was Kevin Whitaker. [47][48] The name of the blog references "the hour at which executions take place in Texas". Somethings going on outside. Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The lack of consistency in sentencing is puzzling. 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. Chris Brashear and Steven Champagne denied any involvement in the homicides and provided DNA samples and scent-test specimens. He went inside, determined to find his weapon, which he did. Champagne led police to the spot where he and Brashear threw a bag with the murder evidence into Lake Conroe. 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, One of the problems with clemency is that the decision/reasoning is never in the public domain. Marcus, I have never seen such objective view wow. Over here in the UK, CBS Reality shows these episodes as Medical Detectives, and seem to show the same ones quite regularly. [verification needed] The State of Texas executes by overdosing the condemned with pentobarbital from a compounding pharmacy, and Whitaker's defense lawyers had claimed the state's first two executions of 2018 were botched because of old lethal injection drugs. That Mr Whitaker snr was himself an intended victim makes no material difference in my view: he is simply expressing what many parents in his situation would do, albeit that he has had to overcome the greatest of losses and provocation. Dirty Deeds And, of course, Mr Whitaker snr cannot properly speak for the three dead victims, only himself. At least citizens should expect and demand consistency within the same state (cf Jeffrey Dillingham in my below post). got to do with justice (justice includes fair and equal treatment for all under law)? Adam had replicated a diagram of the houses layout and where the triggerman was to lie in wait. 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. Past posts on this blog have briefly touched on the Whitaker murders and their aftermath, but a deeper dive seems in order. Thanking you for your kind attention and with all good wishes for your work and the difficult and sometimes painful decisions you have to make, The Chairman Cops secretly tapped Brashears and Champagnes phones, but they never picked up any incriminating conversations. This must change. *This particularly an awful crime. She had previously taught at nearby Lakeview Elementary School and was acting as a volunteer there on occasion. 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.. Tall tale. [16] Prosecutors presented evidence that although it wasn't Whitaker who shot his family members, he was responsible for the murders because he played the leading part in the conspiracy to commit the murders[19][bettersourceneeded], The prosecution's theory of motive focused on financial gain, with evidence variously described as pointing to Whitaker standing to inherit "about $1.5million" after the death of his parents and brother,[4] or that he had wanted to capitalize on a million-dollar life insurance payout. He banned drones from flying over. 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.. Judge Clifton Newman ruled earlier this week that the jury would be allowed to visit the scene of the June 2021 killings after They handed him a death sentence. Regardless, he continued holding the temporary bandage on Kents gushing wound. Corrections officers pet. This episode does not seem to be shown that often, so I really appreciated the reminder of this case and the update. [16] Evidence was presented that Whitaker had recruited two individuals, Steve Champagne and Chris Brashear, ages24 and 25 at the time of the 2007 trial, respectively,[16][11] Champagne to be the getaway car driver and Brashear to carry out the shootings in Whitaker's plan to murder his immediate family. It turned out the gun was registered to Kevin Whitaker. Nor am I moved by a persons progress in prison. [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. She was moaning in pain, but still conscious. 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