On September 15, 2005, a capital murder warrant was issued against Whitaker. This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 01:00. 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. Whitaker provides an account from his perspective as father, "behind-the-scenes", focusing on the time frame from the crime through his son's sentencing, addressing motive, and including portions of his correspondence with his son. [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". Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. Rios got Bart settled in the town of Cerralvo, where he soon found a girlfriend and got a job at a furniture store owned by her family, according to 48 Hours. Miraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. His mother Tricia and brother Kevin both died. If the answer is wholly or mainly in the negative, that potential mitigation is removed. 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. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. [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. You can help by adding to it. Divers recovered it. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Champagne led police to the spot where he and Brashear threw a bag with the murder evidence into Lake Conroe. [11], Whitaker left for Mexico in June2004, using $3000 to persuade an acquaintance to assist him; he assumed the name "Rudy Rios", found work in a furniture shop in Cerralvo, Mexico, developed a relationship with a woman, and concocted a story of service in Afghanistan to explain his gunshot wound. [citation needed] They drove to the nearby Pappadeaux restaurant in Stafford for a celebratory dinner. His mother and brother were murdered, and his father was seriously hurt. Texasll probably be the last to lose it if it does! So why did Bart kill the people he supposedly loved? 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. Cliff knew he needed to get assistance for Kent and Tricia. The popular new guy in town explained to his south of the border friends that he sustained the bullet wound to his arm while fighting in Afghanistan. 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 Yes! 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 in return for his admission of guilt, and was instead tried for capital murder. Cliff Stanley had not cared about the possibility of a shooter or shooters still hiding out inside the Whitaker home. [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. First published on February 28, 2023 / 5:23 PM. Bart. I cannot comment upon the quantitative status in evaluating his crime that his not being the actual perpetrator should have. [11] Brashear, dressed in black (including a ski mask), entered the Whitaker family home, took Kevin's gun and ammunition from a locked box in his room, staged a burglary, and then waited near the front door for the Whitaker family to return home. On December 10, 2003 the entire Whitaker family Kent, his wife Tricia, and sons Bart and Kevin were gunned down inside their home in Sugarland, Texas, by a masked man who had been waiting for them inside. 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. The state reduced his sentence to life. Cliff darted up from his wounded neighbor and bolted back toward his home. 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? RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube. Along with his second wife, Tanya Youngling, Kent Whitaker visits Bart regularly, speaking to him from behind a glass partition. 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.. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Please enter valid email address to continue. During her teaching days, Tricia was known for her kind and fun-loving approach to her job, according to friends who appeared on 20/20. Related: The Case of Michael Petersona Perfect Husband, or the Staircase Murderer? Maggie Murdaugh's iPhone was found on the side of the road outside of the property, and the backlight came on nearly two minutes before GPS data showed Alex Murdaugh's SUV pass by. WebHey there freaky fam! "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. Bart called 911, explaining that he was shot in the arm and had just chased the shooter out the back door. ", "The Governor, the father, and the murderer", "Gov. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McGreavy. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Kent Whitaker survived his gunshot to the arm. Theres also the question of what turned Bart Whitaker into a homicidal fiend. WebA Father's Life 10 Years After An Unspeakable Tragedy. I dont know how much MORE evil you can get (except by torturing them first, maybe?) 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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". He was convicted and eventually committed suicide in prison. Whitaker was He and Bart enjoyed biking long distances together. 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. Hes probably hoping this is his ticket to salvation, a la Jack Henry Abbott, another eloquent killer. Would-be Waco whackers. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. Newman cautioned jurors that the property, which no one has lived at in over a year, would look different today than it did at the time of the killings. WebThe gunfire killed Kevin, 19, at the scene; Kents wife of 28 years, Tricia, 51, died during transport to the hospital. Brashear shot Kent, Patricia, and Kevin as they entered the house and then gave Bart his courtesy wound in the arm. Jekyll and Hyde. Still, in an effort to unnerve the young men, police continually made it clear that they were watching them. The lack of consistency in sentencing is puzzling. True Crime Creepers The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. Another case of perverse justice we could name many is Rae Carruth, whom youve covered. Tricia Whitaker looked up at him, pale and bedraggled, and said, Someone shot us. WebMiraculously, after being shot in the shoulder, Kent Whitaker survived his attacksomething that Bart hadnt anticipated. Their oldest son, Bart, whom he had never met, since Bart lived up north in Willis, Texas, was about to graduate on Saturday. I decided to write to Travis Runnels #999505, who was executed by the state of Texas 11 December. The nineteen-year-old son of Tricia and Kent Whitaker stopped breathing. Want more true crime books? From how the plan was hatched to Barts trial, sentence, and the stunning new development in the case, this book provides all the details. The judge agreed with a defense request to let jurors ride 40 minutes to see the sprawling Colleton County property where the Murdaughs lived. [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. So, lets get going on the recap of Family Interrupted along with extra information drawn from internet research: Gathering place. Cliff was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. In 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. Thanks, Rebecca. 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. Definitely, the guy needs to stay where he is. In 2009, the state appeals court found in favor of the appellant on none of these points of law. Greg Abbott. 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. [8]:Ch.50[pageneeded] Whitaker began attending Baylor University in 2001, transferring from there to Sam Houston State University (SHSU), where he was thought by his parents to be in attendance in late 2003, and from which he was expected to graduate. What he did to so many people," Crosby said, bristling. The prosecution also called back cellphone expert Paul McManigal, a sergeant with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. It sounds like his parents were wonderful and he had all the trappings of a nice life. He needed to get the hell out of there. Yes! Whitaker was convicted for the December 10, 2003, murders of his mother and 19-year-old brother; he was sentenced to death in March2007. 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). Bart Whitaker was found guilty of capital murder that occurred on Dec. 10, 2003, when an assailant entered the Whitaker home in the Sugar Lakes subdivision and killed Barts mother, Trisha, 56 years old, and his brother, Kevin, 19. 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. "The reason you did not take X-rays of the brain was you already reached you conclusion," Harpootlian said. Cliff edged forward, closer to Tricia. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And finally, I checked into where Barts young accomplices are today. I argue, therefore, for an objective determination as to punishment that disregards the view of family, friends and even victim(s). (Kent also said he forgave shooter Chris Brashear.). got to do with justice (justice includes fair and equal treatment for all under law)? Investigators also found it troubling that a picture of Bart taken at the graduation dinner showed him giving the finger (although Id file that one in the kids like to make obscene gestures, no big deal folder). He had also just finished his last exam, or so he said. Related: 32 Most Horrifying Serial Killer Books. Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles Although Texas very rarely commutes to life-imprisonment for capital sentences there are surely more meritorious than his case. [23], Whitaker's defense team lodged an appeal focused on the purity of drugs used in Texas executions in 20172018. Especially when it has been said that capital punishment is punishment for them that dont have the capital. "The decision of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is supported by the totality of circumstances in this case. remaining immediate family member. Would a poor unknown with a public defender have fared so well? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It was difficult to tell if it was actually Kevin or Bart, since it was dark inside the house. 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. [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. Help!. After the dinner ended, the family returned to their home in a wealthy Houston suburb to continue the celebration. "I think his intentions were well, but his methods were flawed," Kinsey said. Mailer regretted the whole affair. He hired two men to shoot and kill his mother, Tricia, younger brother, Kevin, and father, Kent. Abbott ruled that Bart Whitaker will now spend the rest of his life in jail for the "heinous crime". In September2005, Whitaker was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border town of Laredo, Texas, where he was arrested for capital murder. E: bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov. Tricia and Kevin sustained fatal chest wounds from the Glock pistol. Thats all for this post. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. 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