1991 - The Texan house was burning down. Todd Willingham, a young father of 3, stood outside, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. He was screaming in despair: My babies are burning up!!! All three children, Karmon and Kameron - 1 yo twin girls and Amber - 2 at the time, were trapped inside the burning house. A neighbor called 911 as fast as she could. Todd was devastated and tried to rush back inside, but the flames were too hot and the smoke was too thick. The firemen were at the scene real fast, but the fire was too fierce. Amber was the first child to be brought outside by a fireman. She didn't survive. Both the firemen and the police had to restrain Todd from racing back in to help find his other children. At a certain point, they even had to hold him down and handcuff him. Kameron and Karmon were severely burned and they too, died from smoke inhalation.
Todd's wife had left early to go pay electric and water bills, and then headed to the Salvation Army, to get some christmas presents for the children.
The family of 5 was young and they virtually had no money. Stacy worked in a bar and Todd was an unemployed stay-at-home father of three. The couple didn't get along real well. Todd liked his beers and played darts. He left the house numerous times, leaving Stacy and the children behind. They didn't have a stove. They cooked their meals in a microwave that often "popped" while preparing food in it, Todd would later explain. They also owned a countertop deep-fat fryer and a two-burner hot plate.
The community took up a collection to help pay for funeral arrangements.
Fire investigators tried to determine the cause of the blaze. The fire tells the story, the investigators are the interpreters. Neighbors told the police they were not convinced Todd tried hard enough to rescue his children. They saw him move his car away from the house, while his children were still inside. Todd said he managed to reach the babies room, but he couldn't find the twins, due to the thick smoke and the burning heat. He rushed to Amber's room, but he couldn't find her either. His own hair was set on fire and he rushed out, crying for help.
The investigators couldn't find any proof of a spontaneous fire. They concluded that the house was set on fire intentionally and Todd Willingham was convicted of arson murder and sentenced to death row. Journalists spread the news that Willingham was so fond of darts and drinking beer and felt his children were in his way to do what he liked to do most.
He was executed in 2004. He kept claiming he was innocent until the day he got his lethal injection. There was no reason why he would have set the house on fire, sentencing his precious little girls to die a most painful death.
2009 - A new investigative report shows that Todd Willingham was innocent. There can no longer be any doubt that an innocent person has been executed. The question now turns to how we can stop it from happening again..
This article really struck me. I have read about death row and I do believe that sometimes, people have done the most horrific deeds. Is death penalty the solution? Will it bring the victims back? Will it teach other criminals a lesson? Will our own minds be soothed, knowing that the prisoner has suffered as well? It is controversial and I have my own opinion on it. In this case, it has been proven that justice made a huge mistake. So after all, there hasn't been any justice in this story...
Todd's parents reunited Todd with the children, spreading his ashes over the graves of the three little girls. May they rest in peace now..
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