In 2014 Judge, Sentenced to death in 2005; overturned in 2021. State of conviction: Eastern District of Tennessee. Summary:Ebronhad beenfound guilty of helping in the stabbing death of fellow inmate Keith Davis at a federal prison in Beaumont. He quickly became still, his pupils visible with his eyelids left partially open. A hunter found the 22-year-oldwomans body duct-taped and partially naked to a tree, with a gunshot wound to the head. Dec 16, 2021. Six days., Liliana Segura[emailprotected]theintercept.com@lilianasegura, I remember him saying, You know I didnt. And I said, You dont even have to finish that sentence. Montgomery, the only woman under a federal death sentence, was being held in a small room adjacent to it. You can fix the hair. After Higgs initially denied anyinvolvement to police, a pair of his associates, Victor Gloria and Willis Haynes,were arrested together on federal drug charges, prompting what an investigator would later describe as an incredible confession from Gloria. Havenners claims were corroborated by Gloria himself in a 2004 interview conducted by an investigator working with Higgss legal team at the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute stay of execution was lifted by the US Supreme Court. Federal executions began as the coronavirus pandemic raged through prisons nationwide. "The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman," she said in a statement. But such things have not stood in the way of the federal executions. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On Friday, after the scheduled execution of Corey Johnson on January 14, Higgs is set to be the last person to die in Trumps killing spree. Barnette then drove the mans car to Roanoke and broke into his ex-girlfriend's home that she shared with her mother. Higgs, the last federal inmate facing execution before President Donald Trump leaves office was sentenced to death for the killings of three women in a Maryland wildlife refuge in 1996. Its so quiet. Because usually people are watching TV or theyre talking to each other through the cell. But after an execution, nobodys talking.. From the archives: Retrial in Karen Styles killing, State of conviction:Western District of Michigan. It's likely none of the about 50 remaining men will be executed anytime soon, with Biden signaling he'll end federal executions. She was the first woman executed in nearly 70 years. on Tuesday at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, but an order from an Indiana court requiring a mental health competency hearing . . "There was no reason to kill him, particularly during the pandemic and when he, himself, was sick with Covid that he contracted because of these irresponsible, super-spreader executions.". Higgs arrived on federal death row in January 2001, just five months before the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Battle wasalreadyserving a life sentence for themurder of his wife, a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Minnie Foreman. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Lisa Montgomery - the only female inmate on federal death row in the US - has been executed for murder. Former prison guard convicted of killing two campers on federal land while wearing a homemade sniper suit. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Hes like, Its quiet. Stitt's death sentence was overturned in 2005 due to ineffective counsel and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007. Havenner told Weidenfeld that despite Glorias new statements to police, he told her that hed been asleep when Haynes shot the three women. Even if Higgs did not direct Haynes to shoot Chinn, Jackson, and Black, he still would have been eligible for the death penalty undera felony murder prosecution. To Higgs, the issues raised in the current litigation pale in comparison to what he has insisted upon for years: that he is innocent of the crime that sent him to death row. Hurst, 33, was working special duty at the Fifth Third Bank when Lawrence entered with a drawn handgun and killed the officer during an exchange of gunfire, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Is climate change killing Australian wine? On September 6, 2012, Peterson was found guilty of the premeditated murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Report Station. In their phone calls, Wingate said, Higgs has told her what it is like on the day after an execution. I was like, How did you keep that from me? He said because he knew I wouldnt approve, so he never brought it around me at all. But a worse nightmare unfoldedin 1998, when Higgs was chargedas a suspect in a horrific triple murder. Before dawn, an argument between Higgs and Jackson prompted her to grab a knife in the kitchen before Haynes persuaded her to drop it. She had never known Higgs to be violent toward women. "Mr. Higgs's difficult upbringing was not meaningfully presented to the jury at trial," his attorneys wrote. When Weidenfeld saw the news that Higgs had been given an execution date, she immediately recognized his name. After 11 executions waved through by the U.S. Supreme Court, few are optimistic that Johnson or Higgs will be spared. Her lawyers argued that she had been born brain-damaged and was too mentally ill to be executed. State of conviction:Texas Eastern District Court. Mitchell stabbed the 63-year-old woman to death and drove off for around 40 miles (64km) with her lifeless body in the vehicle along with her granddaughter. Killed two men in drug-related incidents in Ft. Worth. Sentenced to death again on January 9, 2017. . Summary:Caro was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his cellmate Robert Sandoval who prison guards found strangled in their cellat the United States Penitentiary, Lee. Ruben Garcia Salinas and Manuel Garcia Salinas were killed. Currently awaiting a new trial. Gloria complained that hed been incarcerated for nothing, since he was asleep when the women were shot, the investigator wrote in an affidavit. Two also raped the children they killed. They are now going to go through the pain we experienced, she said. The killing of Chinn, Jackson, and Black came at a time when the Department of Justice had been preparing to ramp up executions. Summary:A federal jury in South Carolina recommended a death sentence against Council for carrying out an armed robbery at aCresCombank and pulling the trigger on a teller and bank manager killing them both. Read about our approach to external linking. 2000)", "Idaho suspect has violent history - US news - Crime & courts | NBC News", "Competency appeal for Joseph Edward Duncan nears in federal court | HeraldNet.com - Northwest", "Accused killer Donald Fell to take plea deal, avoid death penalty", "In new records, informant reveals chilling claims about confessed killer Donald Fell", "FindLaw's United States Seventh Circuit case and opinions", "FindLaw's United States Fourth Circuit case and opinions", "In the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit No. Sanders, declared dead by his family after not surfacing for months, met Suellen Roberts in 2010 while living in a storage facilityin Las Vegas. Her defence team believe that at the time of her crime, Montgomery was psychotic and out of touch with reality. He helped me so much, Wingate recalled. Summary: Tipton is one of three Richmond gang members convicted in series of drug-related murders that happened in a span of 45 days. 2021. Convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnapping resulting in death of a 12-year-old girl in Las Vegas. ", "The government completed its unprecedented slaughter of 13 human beings tonight by killing Dustin Higgs, a Black man who never killed anyone," Nolan said. She tried her best to explain. The brothers kidnapped the bankpresident Dan Short early Oct. 6, 1989 and forced forced him to open the bank. And there were reasons to doubt Glorias credibility. For the past 20 years, Wingate has regularly spoken to Higgs on the phone. Convicted in 2016 on 162 counts, including murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to murder another rival, receiving and transporting stolen liquor across state lines, and money laundering. State of conviction:Eastern District of Oklahoma. Read about our approach to external linking. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. After robbing and shooting the victims with a stun gun, Lee covered their heads with plastic bags, sealed the bags with duct tape, weighed down each victim with rocks, and threw the family of three into the Illinois Bayou in Arkansas. Sentenced to death on August 27, 2008; died in 2021 from brain cancer. Bill Benefiel's crimes continue to shock people. In 2014, she was recognized by then-Attorney General Eric Holder for her superior performance securing a conviction in a murder-for-hire case that had previously sent the wrong man to prison. who will fly her to Terre Haute for her execution. Ortiz's role was limited to being present at the time of the murder. This 2015 photo provided by Shawn Nolan Chief, Capital Habeas Unit Community Federal Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, shows Dustin Higgs at the Federal Prison in Terre Haute, Ind. Nevertheless, Battaglia told the Sun that the public was demanding death penalty prosecutions. Wingate plans to be a witness. Executions Scheduled for 2023 Executions Scheduled for 2024 Executions Scheduled for 2025 Executions Scheduled for 2026 Stays of Execution 2023 As the lethal injection of pentobarbital began to flow into his veins, Higgs looked toward a room reserved for his relatives and lawyers. Dustin is actually technically my first cousin, Wingate explained when we first spoke in December. Mikos was convicted in May 2005. (AP) A Kansas woman was executed Wednesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the. She has been his protector since he was little, he said. When Dustin first came home from the hospital, I was there, Wingate said. State of conviction: District Court of North Dakota. Here are the 46 men on federal death row whose trip to the execution chamber were paused. Summary:Taylor abducted Atlanta restaurant owner Guy Luck from his driveway, then shot him on a rural road in Tennessee. His claims are backed up by an affidavit written by Haynes in 2012, which was included in a clemency application for Higgs during the Obama administration. In 2000, a federal jury in Maryland convicted Higgs of murder and kidnapping in the killings of Tamika Black, 19; Mishann Chinn, 23; and Tanji Jackson. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. Convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a child in. She was pronounced dead at 01:31 (06:31 GMT). The sun sets over the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute,Ind.,on Jan. 12, 2021. After receiving his death sentence,prosecutors filed murder charges against Torrez in the murders of 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias in 2005 at aZion park. For a time, their plans for the future were intertwined. Higgs lawyers argued it was arbitrary and inequitable to execute Higgs while Willis Haynes, the man who fired the shots that killed the women, was spared a death sentence. Convicted and sentenced to death for his participation in a series of drug-related killings. Three executions are scheduled for next week, but their status remains in limbo due to last-minute legal challenges. The hotel sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and Interstate 70. On November 20, the day after his friend Orlando Hall died by lethal injection, Higgs got an execution date himself. We will review the data in question. He did not apologize for anything he did on the night 25 years ago when the women were shot by another man, who received a life sentence. Photo: Courtesy of Dustin Higgss defense team. Summary:A jury handedAgofskya death sentence in the beating death of 37-year-old Luther Plant, an inmate at a federalpenitentiaryin Texas in 2001. I have also wrote a children book, and a book comprised of my reflective thoughts. The goal, he said, is to make a difference, to honor his family, and to bring them out of poverty., He also worries about how his execution will impact Wingate if it goes through. MICHAEL KUNZELMAN AND MICHAEL TARM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In a recent poll of the nations police chiefs, the death penalty ranked last among methods they felt were effective in reducing street crime., Finally, there was the age-old problem of racism. "He received a fair trial and was convicted and sentenced to death by a unanimous jury for a despicable crime," U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte wrote in a Dec. 29 ruling. Resentenced to death in 2005. BOP: Federal Executions Historical Information Timeline Fallen Heroes Past Directors Federal Executions Alcatraz Capital Punishment. The federal government should not be needlessly taking more Black lives, and to do so on my fathers birthday would be shameful, he wrote. Summary: The two men were convicted in a kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting affluent Russian immigrants that left five people dead. Dustin didnt make me do anything that night or ever. Higgs also argues that his defense attorneys failed to investigate critical witnesses and that federal prosecutors hid evidence from his attorneys at trial. Dustin Higgs, left, pictured with his mother and Alexa Cave Wingate, right, in an early family photo. According to Havenner, Gloria also told her that Haynes had threatened to kill her and their daughter if he said anything. 43 F Terre Haute International Airport Station | Report. Contact Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com or 317-503-7514. A 1994 congressional study found that 89 percent of the cases in which federal prosecutors chose to seek the death penalty under the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act involved Black or Latino defendants. Currently, 16 inmates have been executed, and a further 41 inmates are imprisoned on death row awaiting execution.[1][2][3]. He then slit the 9-year old's throat. The fight to save the life of a death row inmate is always dramatic up until the very last moment, and none more so than the fight to save Lisa Montgomery. Federal executions had been on pause for 17 years before President Donald Trump ordered them to resume earlier last year. In a tribute following her death in 2017, the Justice Department highlighted her role in convicting the sole two death row defendants in the District of Maryland, ensuring that the interests of the United States were fully vindicated. Weidenfeld had a slightly different description of Johnston. Dustin didnt threaten me. On the night Lisa Montgomery was executed by the Trump administration, Alexa Cave Wingate arrived at the Springhill Suites in Terre Haute, Indiana, at 9 p.m. They took the cell keys from a guards belt and unlocked the cell of fellow inmate Gabriel Rhone. He awaits a resentencing. President Donald Trump's Justice Department resumed federal executions last year after a 17-year hiatus. On the way back to Nevada after their travels, Sanders pulled over to the side of the road and shot Roberts in the head. Pled guilty and sentenced to death for the kidnapping and death of a woman following an escape from prison. Six days is all I pray for. In an opinion piece in The Washington Post earlier this week, Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, noted that Higgs, a Black man, was scheduled to die Friday his fathers birthday. Convicted of abusing, sexually molesting, and murdering his 2-year-old daughter at. (Co-defendant of Brandon Basham). In a statement after the execution, Higgs attorney, Shawn Nolan, said his client had spent decades on death row helping other inmates. This is not closure. The statement didnt include the sisters name. Murdered an Oklahoma State Trooper during a drug bust. Police wanted him in connection with a series of bank robberies, and hed evade them by carjacking vehicles then killing their drivers so they wouldnt identify him. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. She received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute. State of conviction: Eastern District of Texas. It is not uncommon to see evidence like this revealed after a person has been sentenced to death. Caro had been serving a 30-year sentence for drug charges. Ebron held Davis while another inmate stabbed him 106 times.