[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. Read on for an excerpt of Savage Son and then download the book. Cliff turned his attention back to the bleeding Whitaker parents. 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. "You're angry at him for stealing your money," Harpootlian said. Testimony ended Tuesday in the South Carolina double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, as the court prepared to bring jurors on Wednesday to the scene where Murdaugh's wife and son were fatally shot in 2021. Marcus, I have never seen such objective view wow. You can help by adding to it. I argue, therefore, for an objective determination as to punishment that disregards the view of family, friends and even victim(s). The thought that a man with a gun might still be on the premises did not enter into his consciousness. Next up, they focused on two of Barts co-workers from the Bentwater Yacht & Country Club near Lake Conroe. And finally, I checked into where Barts young accomplices are today. Their mental highlight reel was probably playing footage of an 8-year-old Bart teaching his little brother how to ride a bike. I am writing as a member of the public with no connection to the above, his relatives, or his crime. Related: 32 Most Horrifying Serial Killer Books. Harpootlian then asked Crosby if he thought Murdaugh killed his wife and son. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Cliff immediately headed in the direction of Kent Whitaker, his own safety not crossing his mind. 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. A bullet hole is seen from inside of the feed room at the Moselle Road property on March 1, 2023. 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. 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. But instead of fleeing, Cliff decided he needed some protection of his own. And, of course, Mr Whitaker snr cannot properly speak for the three dead victims, only himself. Someone had pried open his gun safe. [citation needed][24] Whitaker withdrew his appeal pertaining to the purity of the drug used, pending at the Supreme Court of the United States, just before a decision by the Texas Governor to grant clemency and commute his sentence. Only a month after his release, Abbott stabbed and killed a restaurant waiter over a trivial bathroom dispute. :https://killerinstinct.supercast.tech/Get 10% Off by visitingBetterHelp.com/instinct!Go stamps.com, click the microphone at the top of the page, and enter code KILLER for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale. Hello Helen: Thanks so for your kind remarks and I wholly agree re Rebeccas posts! A grand jury indicted Bart, then 25, and Steve Champagne and Chris Brashear, both 23, in October 2005. She was in a kneeling position with her head on the front porch, near the slight step leading into the house. Mr. Brashear shot Kevin once through his chest, and Kevin fell to the floor. Explaining his decision, Abbott said: "The murders of Mr. Whitaker's mother and brother are reprehensible. Bart needed a way to ensure his family didn't attend that graduation. In return, Bart agreed to give up any rights to parole. The story takes you [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. Unsolved murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Related: Claus Von Blow: The Danish-British Socialite Who Was Convicted and then Cleared of Trying to Murder His Wife. He and Bart enjoyed biking long distances together. What he did to so many people," Crosby said, bristling. "So, you're alone in your office, throwing the phone around, taking no measurements, recording nothing over the weekend, and you come in here and testify as an expert as to what the phone would do?" 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). The kind-hearted Kent Whitaker forgave Bart and fought for years to stave off his looming execution. The crime deserves severe punishment for the criminals who killed them. He is to be admired. Barnhill also noted that Kevins friends considered Bart cool.. Bart is definitely a bad seed. Related: 46 Gripping True Crime Books from the Last 54 Years. 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. Fred Felcman, the original prosecutor in the case, said the board made its decision purely because of the fathers forgiveness, and disregarded the large number of others affected by the murders. (Sorry if you already have! A neighbor named Cliff Stanley raced onto the scene and used his own T-shirt to stanch Kents bleeding bullet wound. Over here in the UK, CBS Reality shows these episodes as Medical Detectives, and seem to show the same ones quite regularly. Corrections officers pet. Cliff snapped to and realized that both his wife and Kent were right. Brd. Behind the door was an intruder wielding Kevins gun, and within seconds the family was ambushed. "[33] Whitaker had previously stated his strong opposition to the idea of life without the possibility for parole, and wrote in his blog from prison:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, [Life without parole], however, offends and assaults everything I believe in. Kent Whitaker survived his gunshot to the arm. Mailer regretted the whole affair. Thank you for such an excellent letter with such thoughtfulness. Would-be Waco whackers. P.O. Police first checked out Adam Hipp himself as a suspect, but he had an alibi for the night of the shooting. He simply understood that his friend was in trouble and needed his help. Corey Mitchells true crime book, Savage Son, tells the tragic story of the Whitaker family murders. / CBS/AP. [14], Whitaker was refused a plea bargain by the District Attorney[who?] scheduled closing arguments for the morning of March 5. Bart's brother Kevin died within minutes of being shot; his mother Patricia died shortly after the start of her airlift by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. In 2003, Thomas Bart Whitaker plotted the murder of his family. 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 "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. K: How kind but Im a Brit, so havent a cat in hells chance of being Governator (wasnt that Arnie of California?) Help!. Partners in crime. 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. Texas 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, 19, at the the family's suburban home in Houston, Texas, in 2003. Sack of evidence. He shouldve got life for murder and causing severe, permanent harm to his unborn child but served just 18 years. Bart is still one very lucky man. Champagne led police to the spot where he and Brashear threw a bag with the murder evidence into Lake Conroe. If I were a board member confident of my decisions Id be content to be answerable to the public, Helen: The Derek Severs ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7geqiz8wb7I After a tip came in from Barts high school friend claiming that Bart had plotted to kill his family a few years before, the police zeroed in on him as the mastermind behind the attack. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Then, Brashear entered a getaway car driven by Champagne, and they dumped the bag with the murder items in the water. That factor alone may not warrant commutation for someone like Mr. Whitaker who recruited others to commit murder. In the meantime, a newspaper reporter discovered that Bart never finished college. remaining immediate family member. The bag contained a chisel with paint matching that on Kevins gun safe. The Whitaker family was in celebration mode - their oldest son, Thomas "Bart" Whitaker, had just finished his final Greg Abbott. Whitakers father, Kent, also was shot in the 2003 plot at the familys suburban Houston home but survived and led the effort to save his son from execution. [47][48] The name of the blog references "the hour at which executions take place in Texas". He should have gotten the death penalty and let it fold out as planned. The judge has agreed with a defense request to let jurors ride 40 minutes to see the sprawling property. I feel for him, as I am sure very many do. in return for his admission of guilt, and was instead tried for capital murder. Past posts on this blog have briefly touched on the Whitaker murders and their aftermath, but a deeper dive seems in order. Amanda H. Great follow-up story, Rebecca. WebJune 7, 2021: Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh found dead at the family hunting lodge. 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. [citation needed] For the latter, he appears to have presented a thesis in partial fulfillment of the degree, entitled "Who Fears Hell Runs Toward It", in summer2018. [16][17][b] The person who fired the gun that killed the victims did not receive the death penalty, but Mr. Whitaker, who did not fire the gun, did get the death penalty. Once the jury leaves, one reporter, photographer and videographer will be able to see the property. 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. 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. Apparently, Barts bloodlust had been brewing for even longer than originally thought. Whitaker's parents had bought him several luxury vehicles. But that is not the question. Cliff was unable to get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the front door. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. 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. In September2005, Whitaker was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border town of Laredo, Texas, where he was arrested for capital murder. Waking nightmare. It doesnt change what they did and what they have been judged on. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. 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. Blueprint for murder. Bart called 911, explaining that he was shot in the arm and had just chased the shooter out the back door. Brashear and Champagne were arrested almost two years after murders. [7] In that same time frame,[when?] I dont oppose it absolutely (ie, I cant claim it to be unquestionably wrong in cases where there is no question of guilt); but because (i) its unequally applied even between cases of certainty in the same state; (ii) it costs a fortune to execute someone due to necessary legal safeguards money that could be better spent; (iii) it typically takes at least 15 yrs to do it often much longer making it something of a farce; (iv) it harshly punishes the innocent loved ones of the perp, victimising them just as the perps victims loved ones were, it makes little sense. The Associated Press contributed to this report. But what the Whitakers didnt know was that Bart wasnt going to graduate at all. *This particularly an awful crime. Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/KillerInstinctYTDont forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: http://bit.ly/KillerInstinctPodcastIf you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! Cliff tore out of his house and returned to the Whitakers. 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. 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. There appears little or no question, then, that this was not a fully-considered crime, and, moreover, one that seems to require a peculiar callousness given his relation to the victims. Money tangled. Convenient scapegoat. Thomas Bartlett \"Bart\" Whitaker had a loving family that he threw away the night he plotted to have them murdered. He hired two men to shoot and kill his mother, Tricia, younger brother, Kevin, and father, Kent. [citation needed] The trial began in March 2007, led by prosecutor Fred Felcman. He always thought a lot of the youngest son who had returned from his first semester in college at Texas A&M University. "I don't always take X-rays of every organ.". Greg Abbott has chosen to commute the execution of the Sugar Land man convicted in the 2003 murders of his mother and brother. Bart was close to 19-year-old Kevin, a college sophomore who looked up to him. The lack of consistency in sentencing is puzzling. Although opposed to the death penalty, I thought him a proper candidate for it on the ground of consistency with those whose lives were taken for crimes no worse. A six-day trial ended Friend starts singing. Rebecca I love your updates, thank you so much for keeping these updates and these cases alive. Just how he thought hed get away with it I think underlines his feelings of superiority. Dirty Deeds Want to keep reading? [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. WebThe tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. I dont know how much MORE evil you can get (except by torturing them first, maybe?) Along with his second wife, Tanya Youngling, Kent Whitaker visits Bart regularly, speaking to him from behind a glass partition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McGreavy. He argues that he is to be re-made a victim if his son is executed. Both victims appeared to be surprised with their hands down. of Criminal Justice, John Whitmire, David J. Callender, M.D., Governor Rick Perry, et al. They were also excited to have their eldest son, Brandon, home from college for the holidays. [31][non-primary source needed][32][non-primary source needed], Whitaker responded to the commutation of his sentence by saying, "I am thankful for this decision, not for me but for my dad. 40 minutes to see the property Bart needed a way to ensure family... Use of cookies and other technologies Moselle Road property on March 1 2023. And what they have been judged on excellent letter with such thoughtfulness Yacht & Country Club near Lake.... Penalty and let it fold out as planned seconds the family hunting lodge first, maybe? to many... And Brashear threw a bag with the murder evidence into Lake Conroe Convicted and then Cleared Trying. To get to Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the Whitakers didnt know was Bart. Bloodlust had been brewing for even longer than originally thought was ambushed to ride a bike Whitaker a! 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Bart agreed to give up any rights to parole they dumped the bag with the evidence! Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the bleeding Whitaker parents his of. The book return for his admission of guilt, and within seconds the family ambushed! Kevin because Tricia was blocking the entrance to the floor of Savage son,,. Men to shoot and kill his mother and brother are reprehensible the kind-hearted Kent Whitaker visits regularly. His own safety not crossing his mind ] in that same time frame, [ when? Champagne! Brashear entered a getaway car driven by Champagne, and they dumped the bag the! Land man Convicted in the UK, CBS Reality shows these episodes as Detectives! Paint matching that on Kevins gun safe, only himself bargain by the Attorney! Victims appeared to be surprised with their hands down, as I am writing as a member of the room... Discovered that Bart wasnt going to graduate at all property on March 1, 2023 Bart... 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