Scene 1

Background
The Willingham fire occurred on December 23, 1991 at 10:34 am. Stacy Willingham had left the house at about 9:15 am, leaving husband Cameron Willingham and their three daughters, Amber, Karmon, and Kameron, sleeping. Cameron awoke as Stacy was leaving, heard the twins crying and gave them each a bottle. They were in their bedroom on the floor. Amber was asleep in her bed. Upon becoming aware of the fire by Amber, he instructed her to leave the home and went to rescue the twins. Only Cameron was able to escape the fire and the three children died.

Setting: This case took place in Texas, 1992 a year after the incident.
(Judge enters the court room).

Security: All rise!

(Judge takes his seat. The rest of the court house follows).

Judge: How does the defense plead?
Willingham: Not Guilty, you Honor.
Judge: Counselors (looks over at the attorneys) a word.

(Counselors approach the Judge)

Defense: Your Honor

Prosecution: Your Honor

Judge: Counselors, remember all evidence is to be presented now, and if any new witnesses arise you are to notify me. Am I understood.

Defense & Prosecution: Yes your Honor.

Judge: (looks at them both) Good let us begin.

(Defense begins)

Defense: Your Honor, my client has declared himself not guilty, in the fire leading to the death of his daughters. Your Honor, people of the court, my client was asleep in bed at the time the fire had started. He was suddenly awakened by his daughter Amber’s cries, and immediately rushed to her. Mr. Willingham asked Amber to leave the house, while he went for the twins Karmon and Kameron. Unfortunately my client had not gotten there in time and was injured in the process. He escaped the fire, and realized Amber had not made it out either, but there was nothing he could do anymore. Nothing further.

(Prosecution rises)

Prosecution: Your Honor, people of the court. Today with us we have a man, Cameron Todd Willingham, who claims to have had no hand in the death of his daughters, but we have reason to believe Willingham set the fire and killed the girls to cover up abuse.

Defense: Objection, you Honor.
Judge: (looks over to the prosecutor)Counselor, this was not discussed in the case. Move on or sit down.

Prosecution: We call our first witness to the stand, Federal Marshall Manuel Vazquez

(Federal Marshall Vazquez enters the court room)

Security: Raise your right hand. Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Vazquez: I Swear.

Security: Please sit.

Prosecution: Now Deputy Vazquez, care to share with us what you came upon in your investigation.

Vazquez: Of course. I have investigated 1200-1500 fires and that most of them were arsons. Here are some pictures of the fire (Shows the photographic evidence for the jury ). The fire tells a story. I am just the interpreter. And the fire does not lie, It tells me the truth.

Prosecution: What else did you observe?

Vazquez: I also noticed that from the condition of the floor once cleaned that a liquid had covered much of the floor area of the children’s bedroom. I knew the space heaters were not the cause of the fire because they were turned off. The fire damage to the children’s bedroom was “not normal.” It was clear that the fire spread into the house and not out of the house.

Prosecution: So your saying that there was some liquid on the children‘s bedroom?

Vazquez: Yes.

Prosecution: Nothing further your Honor.

Judge: Defense?

Defense: I call Cameron Todd Willingham to the stand.

Security: Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Willingham: I swear.

Defense: Now Mr. Willingham, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened on
December 23, 1991.

Willingham: I awoke in the morning as Stacey was leaving the house. I heard the twins crying so I gave them each a bottle. The twins were on our floor with a child gate at the door. Amber was in her bed in the children’s bedroom.

Defense: By this time did you notice a fire?

Willingham: No, I went back to bed and was awakened later, I heard Amber calling out to me daddy, daddy. I awoke to a room thick with smoke such that I couldn’t see. I felt for my pants, put them on, and instructed Amber to leave the house. I got up, checked the door to the kitchen, and found only light smoke in the kitchen. Smoke was heavier in the hallway and especially heavy moving forward in the hallway toward the children’s bedroom. I had to crouch down to move forward in the hallway. I heard electrical popping sounds.

Defense: You said you told Amber to go outside. What about the twins?

Willingham: Yes, I went to the twin’s gate into the children’s bedroom and my hair burned. I was unable to see in the twin’s bedroom due to the smoke density, but was aware of an orange glow high in the space. I crawled around the floor searching for the twins. I found a bottle and a doll, but did not find either of the twins. I never heard them cry or make any sounds. Burning material began falling from the ceiling, with one piece falling on my shoulder, causing a burn. I burned my hand touching the child gate. I struggled with the door, ultimately opening the door and screen door, exiting to the front porch, leaving the front door open. I caught my breath, recovering from the smoke exposure, and considered reentering the building. I saw neighbors and asked them to call 911 and called out that my kids were burning.

Defense: Did you reenter the building?

Willingham: I had to be forcibly restrained from attempting to go into the building and approach Amber when she was rescued. I was handcuffed and restrained by police and others. I was taken to the hospital for treatment. and was kept in the hospital overnight. I had burns on my shoulder, ears, face, hair, and fingers.
(He was convicted based on the testimony of forensic experts who said they had determined that the fire was intentionally set and a jailhouse informant who said Willingham had confessed to him. On October 29, 1992, he was sentenced to death)
In 2004, a second fire investigator, Gerald Hurst, looked into Willingham’s case. Hurst found multiple scientific errors in Vasquez’s report and concluded that there was no evidence of arson.
A 2009 report by the Texas Forensic Science Commission would later come to the same conclusion.

Despite Hurst’s criticisms, both the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Perry declined to halt Willingham’s execution. He was put to death in 2004.

But that wasn’t the end of the Willingham case: In 2009, the case became intertwined with politics after Perry replaced three members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission two days before a meeting on the report, leading critics to accuse the governor of trying to hush up talk of Willingham’s potential innocence. When the commission released its report in April 2011, it took no stance on Willingham’s guilt or innocence.

This represents my picture because the sword represents the power that is held by those making the decision. And in this case Rick Perry, Governor of Texas at the time, was the one making the decision. He executed Cameron Willingham, even after evidence of his innocence was present. Even after his execution, more evidence clearing Willingham’s name was found, and Perry did everything possible to eradicate it, instead of admitting to have executed an innocent man. The monster claw holding the sword, makes it clear that in this case justice was in the wrong hands.