Tricia Whitaker continued to moan in agony. Instead of thanking his lucky stars that his parents bought his story, Bart decided to push his luck again. Texas is fortunate to have you working in their state. Kenneth Kinsey said a defense expert who measured the angles of the shots and concluded they were fired closer to the ground or by someone well shorter than the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Murdaugh didn't take into account the shooter and Maggie Murdaugh were both moving and the gun could have been fired from different positions. I am South African. [1] He spent years on death row at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas, before the commutation of his sentence. I too am writing from UK (maybe you gathered). 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. Texas Gov. The defense also used their experts to suggest there were two shooters, based in part on common sense that the victims stopped using their cellphones within seconds of each other. Regardless, he continued holding the temporary bandage on Kents gushing wound. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker pleased guilty to plotting the 2003 murders of his family, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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. E: bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. This episode does not seem to be shown that often, so I really appreciated the reminder of this case and the update. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Divers recovered it. What he did to so many people," Crosby said, bristling. But the fact remains that this has been the case for the loved ones of very many executees: they have been hurt by the offenders actions and will be hurt again by his death. [18][non-primary source needed] [18], After losing a separate appeal in the federal courts early in 2017,[21] Whitaker's legal team appealed his claims to the U.S. Supreme Court. 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. [16][17][b] Do the undoubted many prisoners facing execution who have personality disorders in some cases substance-induced; in others endogenous, so no fault of their own deserve less because they are (inevitably) non-compliant with prison life? Rebecca I love your updates, thank you so much for keeping these updates and these cases alive. The authorities also directed Adam Tripp to try to get Bart to admit he planned his familys murder. Yes; perps have been executed for less egregious murder. Thomas 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. All to cover up another web of lies.Love Killer Instincts but hate the ads? Sugar Land had a practically nonexistent murder rate and Kent would later recall that, when he saw the armed intruder, he figured it was one of his kids friends playing a prank with a paintball gun. [41][needs update]. Thanks, Monica so glad you liked the piece! 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. Additional factors make the decision more complex.". As an NBC account later quoted a Whitaker lawyer: He watched his son Kevin walk into the house, heard the first and fatal shot, and saw his sons fallen body in their darkened home. handling of the prosecution's use of a phone recording between Hipp and Whitaker would become an element of the defense's later appeal of the verdict. The thought that a man with a gun might still be on the premises did not enter into his consciousness. [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. The dad, Kent, survived as did their son, Bart. The recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and my action on it, ensures Mr. Whitaker will never be released from prison. True Crime. [16][18] At the trial, Hipp stated that he had contacted the SugarLand Police Department with information about previous plots after he heard about the Whitaker family murders 2003; he was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying for the prosecution against Whitaker. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the horror stories you love. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier/AP. / CBS/AP. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? On Dec. 10, 2003, after the Whitakers returned from a dinner to celebrate what Bart said was the completion of his final exams, an unknown gunman shot all four of them as they entered their house in Sugar Land, a wealthy suburb of Houston. 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. You can watch the entire 48 Hours episode about the case online on a CBS news site. [citation needed], Brashear then exited through the Whitakers' back door and jumped over the fence into the rear neighbor's yard. WebGetty. Kent Whitaker survived his gunshot to the arm. Bart would later tell ABCs 20/20 that he never felt as though he fit in. He should have gotten the death penalty and let it fold out as planned. Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. Corrections officers pet. It was natural instinct. In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. Still, in an effort to unnerve the young men, police continually made it clear that they were watching them. Bart's brother Kevin entered the family home first and reportedly smiled when he saw the masked Brashear. described a first Whitaker plan to set a lake house owned by his grandmother on fire "to kill his parents, brother and other relatives", a plan that never went beyond discussions, but one that included a ruse as an element the defendant's "com[ing] out of the blaze with burns so that it would appear he had narrowly escaped". I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. WebBart Whitaker was convicted of capital murder for the shooting deaths of his mother, Tricia Whitaker, and his younger brother, Kevin Whitaker, in an attack he devised at the family's 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. He and Bart enjoyed biking long distances together. Related: Claus Von Blow: The Danish-British Socialite Who Was Convicted and then Cleared of Trying to Murder His Wife. Mr Whitaker premeditatedly arranged the murder of three family members, including his own injury to throw suspicion from him. A neighbor named Cliff Stanley raced onto the scene and used his own T-shirt to stanch Kents bleeding bullet wound. Prosecutors brought Crosby back to the stand to talk more aboutMurdaugh stealing millions of dollarsfrom his clients and the firm the Murdaugh family founded more than a century ago. At it again. (I live nr-ish Rutland ). WebHey there freaky fam! Kents head was pointing back toward the Stanley house in an awkward position. Crime time with Tone 192 subscribers Subscribe 88 Share 10K views 1 year ago I visit the resting place and home [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. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices. 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. Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, on June 7 near the dog kennels at their sprawling, 1,700-acre home. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Alex Murdaughs Ego Pushed Him To Kill His Family Rather Than Lose His Good Reputation, Prosecutors Said During Closing Arguments, I Knew Something Bad Was Going On: Alex Murdaughs Brother Described The Phone Call He Got On The Night Of The Murders, Alex Murdaugh Was Days Away From Unraveling Because Of A Boat Crash Lawsuit, But The Killings Of His Wife And Son Changed Everything, Alex Murdaugh Sobbed As Jurors Saw A Snapchat Video From His Son Allegedly Placing Him At The Scene Of The Murders. 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). On Tuesday, Murdaugh's former law partner Ronnie Crosby had a testy exchange with defense attorney Dick Harpootlian as prosecutors got a chance to reply to the defense's case, including by rebutting their experts who suggested two different shooters killed Murdaugh's wife and son with two different weapons. 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. and a Fort Bend County jury. His mother and brother were murdered, and his father was seriously hurt. When asked about the race of the assailant he said, Maybe black I dont know.. Unfortunately, everything was far from fine at the Whitaker household. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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] He lived there under the false name for over a year. 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