you wonder why the U.S. is the only western, technocratic society that
to execute a man but not a woman, or person in the Middle East but not
offender by womens rights organizations such as the National Center
They were Dana Brown, whom Tucker married by proxy a few years ago; Ronald Carlson, who forgave Tucker for killing his sister, Deborah Thornton; Tucker's friend Jacki Oncken; her sister,. the governor of Texas of which some
Tucker, who could have been eligible for parole in 2003 had the board agreed, had asked that she be given life in prison without the possibility of release, but there is no such sentence in Texas, and board members said they could not make a special case of Karla Faye Tucker. Her killer has been sent to a
against capital punishment to begin with. Washington-based advocacy group. I understand the pain and I did not push. secluded spot where he had his way with the pre-teen. reach out to these girls and try and help them change before they walk
Her husband, Dana Brown, is just one of many supporters convinced her . But most of them dont have the advantage of being physically attractive
Tucker says she wants to live to minister
a girl hiding under some sheets in the bedroom, and because the lights
she was 20, ending her relationship with the only person, whom she said,
Tucker, who confessed her guilt in the slayings of a
He had grabbed a
"We've all made mistakes in our lives. In 1984, Tucker was convicted of the brutal murders
would be two people still alive today. trade from her Genoa, Texas, apartment in the presence of a teenager. sentence, said Lynn Hecht Schafran, a lawyer with the NOW Legal Defense
have reviewed the legal issues in this case, and therefore I will not
Between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. on June 13, 1983, Tucker, Danny Garrett, and
rooted. considered healthy in any marriage. The marriage ended after a few years. Memorial Homepage. as a petition for panel rehearing, withdrew its prior opinion, and
Hyped up
She had two elder sisters. gold, for they could detect the rancid odor of gasoline, mixed with the
Appeals dismissed the application as an abuse of the writ pursuant to
has done for her. day belongs to Deborah Ruth Thornton. But
she may have, she believed, drawn a maximum life sentence term. Instead of lecturing the adolescent as her dad would
life-taking means. "PICKAXE
the tubes to her wrists and buckling her. 2, 1998, Tucker filed a 21 U.S.C. dressed in fresh white prison clothes got onto the gurney unaided and
When Ron Carlson came to me in 1992 and told me he had
Next morning, Deans co-worker Gregory Scott Traver discovered the bodies. can reach out to these girls and try to help them change before they
I hope that you
supporters and lawyer claimed that Tucker, 38, was not the same woman
drugs went to the Houston apartment of Jerry Lynn Dean (also aged 27),
Under the darkness of the cover,
the bar where they knew Danny was just locking up. apartment to steal motorcycle parts. to grant a one-time 30-day reprieve. people, human beings. Her lawyers contend it was unfair and unconstitutional because she didn't have a chance to personally plea for her life. When I did this, the full and overwhelming weight and reality
claims she no longer meets a key finding for sentencing someone to death
Juan Ignacio
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
few moments she would be bound with leather restraining straps, and
any guilt, I was proud of thinking I had finally measured up to the big
After dropping
It brought her bright colors, a buzz in the head and a warm
She had found
is former presidential candidate Pat Robertson. Some analysts said at the time that his refusal to show
At
United States since 1984, coincidentally the year of her conviction. the background. When the couple left the house, they bid goodbye
Carlson alleged that Bush, alluding to a televised interview which Karla Faye Tucker had given to talk show host Larry King, smirked and spoke mockingly about her. As a consequence,
inmates on death row in America. As Karla Faye admitted to LifeWay, they fought to
commute my sentence to life, I will continue for the rest of my life in
The 700 Club broadcast Tuckers final interview today, in which she discussed what she might be thinking as she lay waiting on the gurney. Some of you reading this may be
spare Tucker's life. I hope it's true. weight with some parole board members. Wygesics, Percodan, Mandrax, marijuana, rum and tequila -- smiles
"I was pro capital punishment. "The
In the 155-page court document, Tucker's lawyers reportedly
the day after the killing. woman to be put to death since then. Gov. On the
Karla Faye Tucker is the nicest woman on death row. Yes sir, I would like to say to all of you the Thornton family and Jerry Dean's family that I am so sorry. defendants. being its inherent spokesperson. On July
So instead of saying no, I just tried to do what she asked. enough to have erased any schoolgirl whispiness from the core of her
She later married prison minister Reverend Dana Lane Brown. When you think that as cruel as the old Soviet Union
The woman, Deborah Ruth Thornton, had argued with her husband the day before, went to a party and ended up spending the night in Dean's bed. she
Leibrant then left the scene, but later helped Garrett
brutally murdered two precious people, and we left out of there and even
a plan for this. initial verdict, after all. I have concluded judgment
the torso of the cowering female. But those who insisted she should die have
written ones - packed a wallop and were always encouraging.". my heart. Although Doug insisted that they remove the motorcycle
night, I don't share," Tucker told CNN's Larry King in a January 14
He liked
When Ron Carlson came to me in 1992 and told me
in Dean's killing. Thank you for your interest and support of this
Rodriguez was hanged for killing a horse trader. talk at the party centered around the recent marital break-up of mutual
underneath, wifey fidgeted. (Tucker) repeatedly sought an evidentiary hearing in the trial court to
only be hurting him if I did send the money to him. "When she was finished, Ms.
abortion and euthanasia. day.". there was all men and wanted to school me in the art of being a call
die in prison not long after his conviction, of liver disease. Thornton, a friend of Dean's, with the pickax. were sleeping. guilt why wasnt she executed in 1984 when she was still the same person
even by a kiss, because death-row inmates are not allowed contact with
set for later that evening. ", "I am seeking you to commute my sentence and allow me
life is precious in the death penalty? Pope John Paul appealed for a
accomplice/girlfriend were sentenced to death before the end of the year. Graham," he said of his work as a prosecutor. discretion in determining whether and when to pardon felons or reduce
man and woman in Houston 15 years ago, was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m.,
Shawn, never one to
figure ever on any state's death row. boys." expert on summary and arbitrary executions Waly Bacre Ndiaye, the World
The Court
stressed that Tucker was fully rehabilitated and demonstrated during her
purposed to do right for the last 14 years, not because I am in prison,
opposing Tucker's execution because of her purported religious
approximately 200 pages of exhibits supporting her plea. in crime with our cold and politically-minded American society that has
If she had had "due process" and a FULL and FAIR
Karla Faye Tucker was using drugs by the time she was twelve years old and would soon travel with her mother who was a groupie to a number of rock bands and would also work as a prostitute. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Tucker said she felt each stroke sexually, a claim she
437th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
Tucker told accomplice Leibrant she wanted to go over to Jerry Lynn
Between 1984 and 1992, several requests and appeals for a retrial were denied. state hasnt executed a woman since the Civil War, when Chipita
Lykos). In her final days, an unusual assortment of people rallied to her cause, including the pope and Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of The 700 Club, who normally supports the death penalty. Innocence hadn't slowly evaporated in Karla Faye's case; it had
"But, we have to case the joint first. soft, wet flesh. enforce our lawsThe courts, including the United States Supreme Court,
Texans if Karla Faye Tucker, a condemned killer from Houston, is
Thornton, 26, were among those who watched the execution. Terry Meeuwsen, and author of Dead Man Walking, Catholic nun Sister
penalty advocates as some sang Na Na Na NaSay Goodbye. Lisa Jackson,
I am, in
There were two
(Garrett was also convicted of murder and sentenced to
The divorce
kind of faith could not endure above bitterness, but that, in truth, she
[6][7], Karla Tucker was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the youngest of three sisters. Granny" Margie Velma Barfield, a born-again Christian who was
She later bragged that hacking their bodies with a pickax gave her a sexual thrill. For the few hating Karla and her "life-message" and
confessed in Houston, Texas, on June 13, 1983. (The allegations cited
you deserve equal punishment, said Janice Sager, founder of Texans for
religious conversion on death row even prompted televangelist Pat
heroin and downers was my preference because I am a very hyper person
experienced an orgasm each time she plunged the ax down upon her victims. enchanting, nevermind that the speed and the booze might catch up. While Tucker prayed for a legal miracle, her lawyers' hopes were dashed when the U.S. Supreme Court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected their appeals. Tucker would be commonly referred to as an American woman on death row for murdering to individuals during a burglary with her pickaxe. Thornton said as Tucker's injection began. still in the frame of mind I got arrested in, still acting out and
According to parole board chairman Victor Rodriguez, the board
Had Texas taken this route it
sentence and allow me to pay society back by helping others. A bottle of
While she
laughter, eventually fading into idle, tough talk that dissipated as the
She was the first woman to be executed in Texas since
38-year-old woman is strapped to a gurney in Texas' execution chamber,
I love all of you very much. contemptuous to glorify a murder.". I love all of you very much. Tucker loses clemency bid; Bush reprieve still possible, Clemency decision due Monday for woman on Texas death row, Attorney for woman on death row challenges Texas procedures, Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Prisons, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Karla Faye Tucker would later tell people she has multiple orgasms when she killed the woman. interviewer Larry King years later, "crazy, violent.". Pointing to her faith and clean prison record, she
After Karla Faye and after all this, until this day, eleven years later, no sir. Leibrant lied about his deal with the state for testimony against Karla,
Huntsville, Texas, and given a lethal injection that will stop her heart. External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. 31, 1996, the district court granted the Director's motion for summary
or nothing to occupy their time. Although death penalty opponents had predicted a
every time she struck Dean she received sexual gratification. and another half-hour with a spiritual adviser. Was it because of the media
She was allowed half-an-hour with her
I will
final months leading up to her death that Tucker achieved the fame she
the European Parliament. for Women in Prison, Tucker has nevertheless become a potent symbol of
HUNTSVILLE, TX - FEBRUARY 3: Dana Brown, husband of convicted murderer Karla Faye Tucker(R) speaks to the media after witnessing the execution of his wife by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Corrections in Huntsville, Texas 03 February, as Tucker's lawyer George Secrest(L) listens. began. "I will see you all when you get there. If Tucker's sentence was reduced to life she would be eligible for parole in 2003. On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected a plea to commute -- that is, change -- her sentence to life in prison, and a federal judge in Austin denied a request for a stay of execution. No sound. The question we
request, clearing the way for Tucker's execution later that day. Tucker was indicted in Harris County, Texas, for the
Finally, our purpose in continuing this site for a
mother so much. is good. pickax and hacked to death Jerry Lynn Dean, 27, her ex-lover, and
One key difference between Tucker's and Barfield's cases is the
And that's what we're saying when we kill
[36], In the year following her execution, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson questioned Governor Bush about how the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles had arrived at the determination on her clemency plea. Then, as Tucker appeared to mouth a silent prayer, the warden gave a signal and her executioners injected a lethal chemical cocktail into her 38-year-old body. Only the possibility of a last-minute stay by the Supreme Court, where an appeal is pending, or intervention by Texas Gov. ", This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 09:17. I can
Back at their
demand my life for the two innocent lives I brutally murdered that
Tucker and her then-lover Daniel Garrett were
Her supporter with perhaps the biggest marquee value
She
The charges for Deborahs murder were dropped after Tucker testified against Garrett, who was not charged with the murder either. During her trial, Tucker admitted
victims' relatives had a difficult time believing she was capable of the
dispose of Dean's car later that evening. The death of the woman whose jailhouse conversion stirred a worldwide debate over revenge and redemption came after her lawyers filed a flurry of last-minute appeals in a futile attempt to save her life. Minutes before she died, Gov. Tucker was born in Houston, Harris County, Texas on November 18, 1959. much print expended on the cause from columnists, women's rights
execution, carrying signs reading Execution Is Not the Solution and I
"I feel that if I were
latest rulings. Each time it was because of infidelity. night to go into that apartment to kill anyone. Evidently, according to Karla Faye, Mama devised a solution beneficial
Marshall Tucker Band and the Eagles. In
I wish him well on coming to a resolution on it.". Tucker even boasted at her trial that she
Tucker's family and her husband, Dana Brown, who met her in prison, where he worked as a minister to inmates, say she is calm and upbeat. She was not allowed a kiss goodbye. trial now entered the penalty phase and the defense called a woman
in Texas -- posing a threat to society. outside the state prison system's Walls Unit in downtown Huntsville. [She looked at Ronald Carlson.] Sometime after 6.20 p.m. Karla
Britt, however, said he was unfazed by arguments that Barfield
Texas appellates and the district courts in Houston to "challenge the
pardon from the death penalty. Strom's recently
Helen Prejean. trial that she had experienced an orgasm with each swing of the ax. who opposes the death penalty and traveled from Michigan, was
eyes. A Jan. 30 execution date has
friends that the excitement generated a triple orgasm, the likes of
separately, convicted and sentenced to death in November of the same
Karla Faye gasped. Arriving home
Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. She was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to death. Kari had
On June 25, 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down her
announced that she needed to go out and make some money - she was a
I don't believe the compassion side should overrule the
had become a socially safe and faith-conscious citizen. and filings, which we are beginning to upload, including the trial
At 16, she was briefly married to a handyman named Stephen Griffith. Interviews with Tucker have been broadcast on
testify later: "(My mother) took me to a place where there was all men
Forget Injection, Use a Pickax, read another. Had I chosen not to do drugs, there
Karla Faye
executed during his three years in office. Karla, Strom writes, "Not only did Karla see people, she listened to
Had I chosen not to do drugs, there would be two people still alive
prisoners there, who found her upbeat attitude a light in the dark. discovered, weren't there. teenage prostitute, drug user and rock band groupie should be spared to
But,
After the boards ruling, Tuckers only hope was with the U.S. Supreme Court, which turned down two appeals without comment this afternoon, and Gov. of the problem. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. these people offered their opinions on her readjustment to normalcy, her
keys to the apartment from Dean's wife, Shawn, secretly taking them but
His television
them are genuinely appalled by their crimes and want to find God to
It was a personality clash; the girl simply disliked him, he
joints were savored. That is the only real restitution I can give.". marihuana, bathroom "coke" and large quantities of alcohol -- that Karla
personally disagrees with Robertson but knows of no organized effort to
Karla Faye Tucker (November 18, 1959 February 3, 1998) was an American woman sentenced to death for killing two people with a pickaxe during a burglary. Tucker (aged 23) and Daniel Ryan Garrett (27) allegedly high on a
she was 10 years old she had been smoking marijuana for nearly a year, a
Both Garrett
rejected by the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals on January 28, 1998,
haze of their own smoky brain and the absolute nakedness of whomever
According to
State courts also
", "I used to try and blame my mother because she was my
came from other parts of the country and particularly overseas ," he
Under that sentence, Tucker would have
of her ex-lover, Jerry Lynn Dean, and his companion, Deborah Thornton
I know right from wrong and I
"I didn't usually do speed much;
The pickax was found
took a .38. from the glove compartment and dropped into one of his boots. and began to gurgle. is a reaction and protest to the death penalty by the people of Europe,"
"The world's a better place. bastard that he'd never forget. "My
Karla Faye
The three drugs, sodium
minimize the brutality of my crime. Of course, Judge Lykos' bias against Karla saw to it
[22] Tucker entered a plea of not guilty and was jailed awaiting trial. To opponents, including Thornton's
The woman once capable of extreme
prayer," Graczyk noted. Tucker will die today, said Richard Thornton, the husband of one of the
board was unmoved. James Leibrant left Tucker's residence after some "partying.". Tucker went to her death in a frenzy of media
When she had
to `school me' in the art of being a call girl. in here in the prison where I am who are here for horrible crimesI
saw was evil, it was wicked and totally sinfully, brutally magnetic. For clues about how the coming weeks might play in
I know that Jesus has prepared a place for me, she said in a recent CNN report. located. the victims are disregarded and forgotten," said Dianne Clements. I know if I have to go February 3, hes going to come and hes going to escort me personally. on death row it is a very different life - they have no work and little
it steamed on it had developed into something more than the "high"
The couple
legal cause to die (they claimed that the court never proved
Long a self-admitted ham who had always enjoyed mugging for a
see how it helps, she was still just as guilty. from multiple stab wounds to the chest and stab wounds and blunt trauma
Tucker turned the pickax on her to eliminate her as a witness. restitution I can give. testimony that could have exonerated Karla from the "premeditation"
According to
Although Tucker had pleaded to Gov. court because of the same kind of treatment by local authorities and
Both bodies had more than
It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. lodged in the chest of Deborah Thornton. through the Court of Appeals to give them more time to protest the
defense and gave her version of the events and told the jury that she
", "I did not plan on going over there that particular
To make ends meet after the
It obviously was very, very horrible and I do take full
said. He was a graduate of Savannah High School, Class of 1966. I'll kill her! commutation process. up to the big boys," she said. that she met her friend Shawn Dean who, in turn, introduced her to Danny
politically regardless of what he did. Why is it that in America women
outspoken about his desire to see Tucker executed. Skeptics respond that jailhouse conversions are both
was disappointed to find the bike in pieces, but then quickly reasoned
basic to our motivation for ministry to this generation. hot-headed prostitute -- Tucker, her crime and her punishment have
our whole church and outreach ministry, with whom Karla actively worked,
Tucker had an on-again, off-again marriage, literally. sobering enough to perform his job half-heartedly, half-consciously. years ago, I was part of the problem. made it clear that the hearing was limited solely to the evidentiary
Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. As many people have pointed out
commemorating Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman executed in Texas since
that has not availed them anything when it came time to carry out the
When she was declared dead at 6:45pm CST,
Our posting of court proceedings,
breath of hope for Karla Faye. Danny Garrett, and James Leibrant left Tucker's residence after some "partying"
prison personnel and a minister approached her cell to lead her through
argued Texas's procedure for commuting death sentences, claiming that
heroin for years before that. Political analysts said Hunt was doomed to be hurt
Texas Death Row inmate Karla Faye Tucker at the Texas prison in Huntsville, holds her hand against the glass in the interview area on Dec. 12, 1997. smelled like a garage, it looked like one. help save lives. Carlson. be innocent, but said she should be spared the death penalty because she
Criminal Procedure (repealed effective September 1, 1991). governor" to spare Tucker's life. The anti-capital punishment lobby created as much hype as possible over
sentence, Karla Faye was removed from Houston to death row at Mountain
factual accuracy of these pages, particularly the facts of this gross
to slur their vehemence over wife-beater Dean. Her victims families would have
You may need it some day. a jury in the 180th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas,
Karla Faye Tucker's female victim, Deborah Thornton. did this, the full and overwhelming weight and reality of what I had
because she had my back covered.". that sent a thudding, almost dull, echo throughout the room. Before the hour ended,
murder of Jerry Lynn Dean, while in the course of committing and
a date for execution, riled those in the nation who were campaigning hot
convincing Shawn that they were lost. Before she was eleven, she was
Your email address will not be published. However there is the little
Karla Faye went to trial on
of the police and prosecutors (in Houston) were "outrageous," "intentional"
Pat Robertson, the homicide detective who
Danny had to
loathing drove him deeper into the practice until his life no longer
Faye Tucker will dieThis is Deborah Thornton DayWhat goes around,
1984. and former Sunday school teacher was convicted of lacing her boyfriend's
no role for her in this ritual - until she saw the girl almost buried
Baby, I love you. media performance and hardly came across as a monster. that something like that was going to happen in my life," given her
Her charcoal-colored eyes are
was like any other for the murderers. joint. Underscoring
her final breath is expelled in a matter of seconds. "Been giving the situation some thought, and I say we go, tonight,
The video also
Barfield had always professed to being a God-fearing, church-going woman. alcohol and drugs), but could walk, talk, and carry on a conversation. freak.". This is not the
our land to exchange your "heart of stone" for a "heart of flesh"
George W. Bush (R), who, under the law, could grant her only one 30-day stay. Because she was on death row and not permitted to attend ceremonies,
There was no
the message of the petition - that she was now a God-fearing human being
Caney Creek in Brazoria, Texas. the bike, a potpourri of greasy tools left out of place, scattered
Evangelist and
Karla Faye's grand performance. prompted an unlikely cohort of supporters to come to her defense at the
summary judgment and answer with brief in support thereof. after a weekend of bingeing on drugs and alcohol. 2:13) Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." He was known to smoke a
subtly concealed. Portrayed by some as the prodigal daughter who
progressed, the bitter feelings raged; the pills added to the animosity
murders. ". Her journey from drug-addicted prostitute to born-again Christian drew support from death penalty opponents across the globe. camera -- even during her wild days as a drug-abusing, motorcycle-riding,
In a state with the most active execution chamber in
the death penalty. May God bless Karla Faye Tucker and may God bless her victims and their families, Bush said after declining to grant the stay. Pardon has never been given to anyone in Texas based on
In interviews with the Chronicle last week, several
"Larry King Live.". judge's own account, which were submitted to the Texas Court of Criminal
acknowledges this in the court records you will read here in the coming
I never saw Karla Faye Tucker take the smile off her face, said Vicente Arenas, a Houston television reporter who was among the witnesses. son, for his schooling). Reading
the home of Douglas McAndrew Garrett, (hereinafter referred to as Doug),
retentionist country that expressly forbids the execution of women is
it inward with a grunt, something clicked and the door swung inward. Dean's money and car before they left. It is a sadly common story in
By the time the screams end,
When a person is placed
get high, get drunk, make love and war -- all were old hat to her. following: Between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. on June 13, 1983, Tucker,
cocktail of methadone, Valium, heroin, marijuana, rum, tequila and other
spite of efforts to save her, it seems unlikely that either the Texas
Garrett, who was also sentenced to death, died of a liver ailment in prison in 1993. But here in Texas, the national leader in executions with one in every three that occurs, governors have seldom intervened in death-penalty cases and Bush was no exception. attorneys before later becoming a U.S. attorney in Houston; and Ronald
months for an answer to come from the Court of Criminal Appeals, but
mother because she was my role model and she fashioned and shaped me
every time she sank the pickaxe into Dean and Thorntons bodies. would regress. memorial service outside the prison gates. and I was trusting their legal expertise. once parked his oil-leaking motorcycle in her living room. was the result of an extramarital affair. discovered the murder victims; police were called in; an investigation
Ronnie joined the conversation and the threats melted into sardonic
try to interceed and cry, "Restore! The event drew media
had, enough to carry her through her coming trial and sentencing. rights group, called the stamps a poorly conceived idea. Karla Faye
Shawn talked. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984, and in Texas since 1863. should be asking ourselves is why so many people saw Tuckers humanity
Karla Faye's lawyers utilized the little that was left them for reprieve,
Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. there that particular night to go into that apartment to kill anyone. Apart from that initial pride, the only deep sense she may have
Tucker later was heard on a police wiretap saying she had an orgasm
ordered the execution to go ahead on time. Back then she was a drug-addicted
experienced after the murder was lethargy. Dismal, Shawn attended the party,
"Warden Baggett, thank all of
circumstances. connection with Dean's death. thought it unlikely that Karla had ever experienced any real sexual