But he arrived to find a real firearm, not a paintball gun, on the scene and four people with one bullet wound each. 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. Adam had replicated a diagram of the houses layout and where the triggerman was to lie in wait. Abbott ruled that Bart Whitaker will now spend the rest of his life in jail for the "heinous crime". Then, Brashear entered a getaway car driven by Champagne, and they dumped the bag with the murder items in the water. Web(Mark Sims for Fox News Digital) Prosecutors have argued that Alex Murdaugh used a shotgun to kill his son, Paul, 22, and a rifle to execute his wife, Maggie, 52, near the property's dog Homicide detective Marshall Slot, who appeared on both Forensic Files and the 20/20 episode about the murders, recalled that he thought the operator was joking when she said a shooting of four people had taken place in Sugar Land. Thank God Bart is behind bars now, where he can be as lazy as the Texas prison system will allow and the rest of us are safe from him. ), Helen: Thanks and yes, I saw the Backhouse one; and another comes to mind: Last-minute reprieve. 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. Bart had admitted his guilt and expressed remorse for the murders and for roping his friends into the plans, they stressed. commutes death sentence for man convicted of masterminding murder of mother, brother", "Driver in SugarLand murder plot gets 15years", "Testimony ends in Whitaker's murder trial", "Reprieve for man who plotted own family's murder", "Father forgives son who had mom, brother killed", "Man condemned in family murder plot loses high court appeal", "Judge sets execution date for SugarLand man who had family killed for $1million inheritance", "Texas Prison System stalls release of public information on executions", "Before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles / Request for Commutation of Death Sentence to a Lesser Penalty", "A father's plea: Spare my son [Friday letters]", "Members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles David G. Gutirrez, Chair", "Texas Parole Board Recommends Killer Be Spared From Death", "Texas Governor Weighs Parole Board's Advice on Inmate's Fate", "Governor Abbott commutes death sentence of Thomas Bartlett Whitaker", "[Commutation of death sentence of Thomas Bartlett Whitaker]", "Bart Whitaker talks about eventual execution", "Convicted killer accused of writing, selling book while in prison", "Voices from Solitary: The war of all against all", "Writing for Justice Fellowship 2018-2019", "Death row bloggers get help from victims", "Letters from death row: Faith behind bars", "Works of justice: An interview with Writing for Justice fellow Thomas Bartlett Whitaker", "Buried alive: Stories from inside solitary confinement", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Bartlett_Whitaker&oldid=1138499579, Recipients of American gubernatorial clemency, California State University, Dominguez Hills alumni, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from January 2022, Articles with incomplete citations from January 2022, Articles lacking reliable references from January 2022, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing expert attention from January 2022, Articles needing cleanup from January 2022, Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from January 2022, Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from January 2022, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from January 2022, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2022, Articles to be expanded from January 2022, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from January 2022, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from January 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2022, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. But from the outside, his home life and social life seemed near perfect. If it is so considered, my question would be: insofar as there are similar crimes, has this fact materially distinguished execution from life imprisonment in some of those cases? Thus, he enjoyed the little time he was able to spend with Kent and Tricia Whitaker. Clifton, get out of there! she shouted frantically. Trial The trial against Bart Whitaker began in March 2007 and was held in Fort Bend County. A neighbor named Cliff Stanley raced onto the scene and used his own T-shirt to stanch Kents bleeding bullet wound. I dont know how much MORE evil you can get (except by torturing them first, maybe?) [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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, reliable, independent, third-party sources, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement, "Triggerman in SugarLand slayings pleads guilty", "Clemency rare for death row convicts in Texas", "In rare move, Texas Parole Board recommends clemency for death row inmate Thomas Whitaker", "Is Bartlett Whitaker dead or alive? In 2007, he admitted he was "100 percent guilty" and that he hated his parents and brother at the time. Convenient scapegoat. He needed to get the hell out of there. It also held a glove that matched one left at the murder scene and a water bottle with Chris Brashears DNA sealed on the inside of the cap. WebHey there freaky fam! Mr. Popular. The state reduced his sentence to life. This post is sponsored by Open Road Media. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Featured image of Kevin, Tricia, and Bart enjoy food and laughs at Pappadeaux Seafood Restaurant to celebrate Barts impending college graduation: Kent Whitaker. Especially when it has been said that capital punishment is punishment for them that dont have the capital. Subscribe to the ad-free version here! The Stanleys were watching a family show. [44], In 2007, Whitaker founded an inmate blog, originally created with the assistance of his father, now maintained by volunteers, entitled Minutes Before Six; it has published his work and trial records, and articles, poetry, and art from inmates held in prisons in the United States. But Bart also couldnt have the blood of his family on his own hands. 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. Cliff was very fond of his new neighbors. Kent and his surviving son were both wounded in the attack. 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. A Texas inmate who was due to be executed for masterminding the murder of his family has been granted commutation shortly before he was due to be put to death. Box 13401 The unfairness of the situation is, ironically, an argument against the penalty, illustrating unjustness in US criminal practice. Now! Brandon took off back to the house to make the call. Bart had also said he always felt he couldnt live up to his parents expectations (a halfway decent explanation for lying about college, but way short of mitigating murder). The couple had two sons, Brandon and Dane, who had gone off to college. In 2007, Whitaker founded an inmate blog, originally created with the assistance of his father, now maintained by volunteers, entitled Minutes Before Six; it has published his work and trial records, and articles, poetry, and art from inmates held in prisons in the United States. He heard Tricias last, wet coughs as Kent himself lay dying from his own gunshot wound. Whitaker is an eloquent, erudite writer, as his essay Hells Kitchen demonstrates, spiced up with smart literary references and quotes. WebThomas Bartlett Whitaker (born December 31, 1979) is an American man convicted under the Texas Law of Parties of murdering two family members as a 24-year-old. Cliff Stanley knew the Whitakers were in for a big weekend. Apparently, Barts bloodlust had been brewing for even longer than originally thought. "[16] The trial judge's[who?] 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. He described her as just a very, very sweet person.. I understand theres a steady drift away from the DP in the US. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final Serious needling. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? 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. Want to keep reading? The system worked for him today. The unfurling of this sons web of lies led him to hatch a devious murder plot. WebThe Whitaker Family Murders True Crime Creepers. Marcus I totally agree. She was very hopeful, very upbeat and optimistic for [Barts] future.. Abbott also said he took into account that Bart Whitaker voluntarily waived all claims for parole in exchange for a commutation. [12][third-party source needed] Upon returning home, but before entering the house, Bart said that he needed to collect his cell phone from his parked Yukon[clarification needed], knowing that Brashear was armed and waiting inside to kill his family. and a Fort Bend County jury. 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). Champagne also drove the getaway car although, he claimed, he really didnt want to get involved with the homicide plot but felt trapped. Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. But Rudy Rios couldnt resist a $10,000 reward offered for information on Barts whereabouts. P.O. Bart's brother Kevin entered the family home first and reportedly smiled when he saw the masked Brashear. [citation needed], Brashear then exited through the Whitakers' back door and jumped over the fence into the rear neighbor's yard. Barber said. Patricia was then also shot in the chest, also falling to the floor. The couple relaxed and watched television. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I dont care how much perps have changed, repent, or are model prisoners: the worst crimes, like his, should mean whole-life because theyve earned the punishment they got (inc Whitaker). Next up, they focused on two of Barts co-workers from the Bentwater Yacht & Country Club near Lake Conroe. They went out to lunch together, had dinner a few times, and even made it out to the theater once on a double date. Decisions, as in US, were private, but limited information about decisions will be made public. Related: Guilt or Innocence: The Shocking Twists of the Sam Sheppard Case. [1] He spent years on death row at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas, before the commutation of his sentence. Kent had expressed how excited he and Trish were to attend Barts graduation that next Saturday, and how proud they were of their son. For "Any punishment that I would have or will receive is just, but my dad did nothing wrong. 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. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. 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. WebBart Whitaker, arranged the murder of his family. 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. The Whitakers cash, jewelry, and computer equipment remained untouched. He couldnt tell whether he was dead or alive. [41][needs update]. Want more true crime books? [47][48] The name of the blog references "the hour at which executions take place in Texas". Steve Champagne got out and stayed out. Partners in crime. He had a good start better than most prisoners. Theres also the question of what turned Bart Whitaker into a homicidal fiend. I am South African. He felt so frustrated. In a jailhouse interview with Lisa Ling in 2014, Bart said he committed the murders because he felt inadequate and thought his parents didnt love him. Dirty Deeds Harpootlian then asked Crosby if he thought Murdaugh killed his wife and son. Cliff thought Kevin was a special kid.. I knew about death row on TV whilst watching the mind of a murderer by Dr Michelle Ward. Gunman Brashear pleaded guilty to murder in 2007 to murder and is currently serving life in prison. He ripped off his T-shirt and placed it on Kents left shoulder. On February 22, 2018, about 40minutes before his scheduled 6:00P.M. execution, Whitaker had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment without parole by Governor Greg Abbott, the first such commutation by Abbott and the first in the state since 2007. Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. Chris Brashear pleaded guilty in 2007 and received life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Cliff and Darlene looked at one another quizzically. His mother Tricia and brother Kevin died in the shootings on 10 The seven-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to commute the sentence. Whitaker was convicted for the December 10, 2003, murders of his mother and 19-year-old brother; he was sentenced to death in March2007. Cliff was unsure how that person was doing; that is, until he heard a pitiful sound emanating from the victim. At night, when Kent would return home from his job at the Bartlett Construction Company, the couples would congregate out in the front yard and catch up on the days events. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the horror stories you love. They handed him a death sentence. Bart Whitaker, it seems, was born rather than made a sociopath. What the hell has his being a model prisoner/remorseful/forgiven by the surviving victim (would those who didnt?) [46] Scholarly attention has been directed toward this PEN program, noting that while PEN was an esteemed human rights organization known for the defense of free speech rights, in particular of persecuted writers, the Prison Writing Program presented a distinct agenda, namely in a "[belief] in the restorative and rehabilitative power of writing." Sack of evidence. scheduled closing arguments for the morning of March 5. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Its telling that Bart offered no real excuse for arranging the murder of his family. But how could parents believe such a thing? 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. [16] Hipp, who admitted on cross-examination that his participation in Whitaker's schemes had been "motivated by money" police testified that Whitaker stood to inherit the family estate, valued at $1million further testified that in December2000, prior to the murders of which he stood accused, Whitaker had made another preempted plan, this time to "ambush his parents and brother as they entered their home after a dinner outing", a plan noted by the Houston Chronicle to be "virtually identical to the one [Champagne would soon testify] was actually carried out three years later. Tricia Whitaker looked up at him, pale and bedraggled, and said, Someone shot us. WebThe Murders: On December 10th, 2003, the Whitakers were out celebrating their son Barts graduation at Sam Houston State. He told the police that he would forgive the man who shot his [4] His parents funded his academic pursuits. 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. While out having a celebratory dinner, no one in his family could've imagined the horror that waited for them when they got back home. 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. [14][15][verification needed] The acquaintance who had assisted Whitaker to flee became aware of reward money that had been offered for his arrest,[clarification needed] and communicated Whitaker's whereabouts to the police. [citation needed], On Friday, March 2, 2007, the State of Texas[who?] Thanks, Monica so glad you liked the piece! Prosecutors have pounded Murdaugh for various inconsistencies and lies, including not saying he was at the kennels the night of the killing when he could be heard heard on video recorded by his son. Brother at the time they stressed he enjoyed the little time he was able to spend Kent... Will receive is just, but my dad did nothing wrong who didnt )! To murder and is currently serving life in prison Last-minute reprieve his academic pursuits the DP in the.! Literary references and quotes will be made public on Kents left shoulder 13401 the unfairness of the layout. 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