'Good day to die': how the death row in the USA say goodbye to the world

The state of Texas is the leader in the United States in the number of executions — for thirty-two years, 518 convicts were injected there. Esquire publishes their last words.

Photo: Shutterstock

Miguel Angel Paredes

• Date of crime: September 17, 2000
• Date of execution: October 28, 2014
• Age: 32 years

Accusation: Together with two accomplices he shot dead three people and burned their corpses.

“I want to say to the family of the victim: know that I hope you no longer feel hatred because of what I did. I came into the world as a lion, and I am leaving peacefully, like a lamb. There is peace in my soul. I hope our society understands who else it is hurting. I want to say to those I love: I hope my victims were able to forgive me in their hearts. I myself have forgiven everyone and love everyone. Pray for my soul, I forgive myself. I love you and will wait for you there. Brother, take care of my family. Take care of my beloved girl, mother, sons and everyone I love. Brother Wayne and Brother Joe, thank you! Jorge, don’t think that Luis is completely lost, I will keep an eye on you. Thank you for everything! Lord, heavenly father, I entrust my soul to you, do not leave with care and concern those whom I leave. Warden, I'm ready. Lord, accept my soul. Forgive me, I love you all, I will always be with you. I love you, love you! Lord, my savior, I love you, I love you, I love you!”

Jerry Lee Hog

• Date of crime: January 12, 1979
• Date of execution: March 11, 1998
• Age: 47 years

Accusation: raped a 27-year-old woman, and then tied her eight-year-old son and neighbors and set fire to the house.

“Mindy, I'm with you, honey. Mindy, I don't know why you're doing this, but I forgive you anyway. You know he's a killer. Why aren't you on my side? He'll do it again, Mindy, you're lucky you're still alive. Say hello to my family. I love them. Mindy, you can stop this. Okay, I'm ready."

Lee Andrew Taylor

• Date of crime: April 1, 1999
• Date of execution: June 16, 2011
• Age: 32 years

Accusation: Taylor, a member of the Aryan brotherhood of Texas, killed a black man, inflicting many blows on him with a makeshift dagger.

"Yes, sir. Jennifer, I love you. Rick, take care of yourself. You all hear, when I killed your relative, it was self-defense. Prison is a nasty place. There were eight of them, I was alone. I'm sorry I killed him, but if he had been a saint, he wouldn't have gone to jail. I hope you understand. Baby I love you. I hope people will understand how terribly unfair our justice system is. There are 300 people on death row, but there are no monsters among them. Texas is committing injustice and cruelty. You cannot kill a person just because he himself killed someone. After all, everything in the world changes, right? Life gives us experiences and people change. Mom, I love you and all my friends, we have known each other for a thousand years, and they have always stood up for me. I'm ready to teleport. I hope that when you watch a person die, you will not enjoy it.”

Jeffrey Demond Williams

• Date of crime: May 19, 1999
• Date of execution: May 15, 2013
• Age: 37 years

Charge: after hijacking a car, he shot dead a police officer.

“Cops, you are clowns. Do you want innocent children not to be killed? So that no one shoots your children? And if I kill someone, damn it, slap someone, you immediately want to kill me. But God knows who gets what. Do you understand? I love everyone who loves me. And I don’t love everyone who doesn’t love me.”

David Martinez

• Date of crime: July 27, 1997
• Date of execution: July 28, 2005
• Age: 29 years

Accusation: raped a 24-year-old girl, then strangled her and cut her throat.

“Only the sky and green grass will remain forever. Today is a good day to die."

On the subject: Ukrainian traveler miraculously escaped the death penalty in Iran: he was convicted because of the drone

Benka Adams

• Date of crime: September 2, 2002
• Date of execution: April 26, 2012
• Age: 29 years

Accusation: when robbing a store, he shot a man, tried to rape two women and fled the scene.

“First of all, mom, don't cry. There's no point in crying, we're all going to die. Everyone has their own time, don’t suffer for me. I am strong. I want to tell the family: the old man, the children, dad is very sorry. I love you all and will miss you very much. I want to tell my wife that I love her. The last two years have been the best of my life. Children, mother, nephews - I am very proud of you. I love you all, I love you all very much, really, very much. I also want to say to the victims. I'm very sorry that everything turned out this way. I'm not the villain you think I am. I was just an idiot. I made a lot of mistakes. Everything that happened was a mistake. I was a child in an adult world. I messed it up and now I can't fix anything. I was too young to understand it. Please don't keep pain in your heart. You must find a way to get rid of hatred. Believe me, when they kill me, it will not bring you any relief. I hope you find healing. Don't let hatred consume you, figure out how to survive it all. Linda, I thank you. I'm devastated that things turned out this way. Miss Sherry, thank you. And I also want to say to the victims. I'm sorry for everything that happened to you. There is nothing good about this. We will meet again. I love you all, keep your heads up! I came into the world strong and I leave it strong. Warden, proceed. My condolences to the family of the deceased. Any murder is bad, killing is wrong. It had to be done differently.”

Jamie Bruce McCoskey

• Date of crime: November 13, 1991
• Date of execution: November 12, 2013
• Age: 49 years

Accusation: kidnapped a 20-year-old young man and his 19-year-old bride and drove them to an abandoned house, where he stabbed a man with a knife and raped a woman.

“This time now is the best of my life. If I had to do it again, I would do everything exactly the same. The angel touched me with his wing. If I had to do it again, I would make sure Dwyer's parents didn't have to suffer - because I know they do. I know this won't make the pain go away because I have a child myself. Lord, I’m going to say terrible words now. I thank everyone who helped me escape. Thank you, and remember that I love you. Angel, and your family, and everyone who helped me escape. If it kills your pain, so be it. I love you. I'm ready".

Jeffrey Carleton Doty

• Date of crime: August 2, 1993
• Date of execution: August 16, 2001
• Age: 39 years

Charge: He beat an 80-year-old man and his wife, the owners of a jewelry store, to death with a metal bar after they refused to lend him $ 30 for drugs.

“For almost nine years I have been thinking about the death penalty, about whether it is right or wrong, and I have not found an answer. But I don’t think the world will be a better or safer place without me. If you wanted to punish me, it should have been done the day after that incident, and not now. You won't hurt me now. I had time to prepare, say goodbye to my family and end my life the way I needed to. It all started with a needle - and it ends with a needle. Carl, old man, you were a great friend. I'll keep an eye on you. When you return, tell your daughter that I love her. Tell her that I came here as a man and I am leaving as a man. Everything was cool, old man. Thank you, Shoti. I will be with you every time you take a shower. If you just leave in tears, it won't be worthy of me. If you don't see peace in my eyes, then you don't see me at all. I'll be the first to meet you when you get ready to go to the other side. This is all. I'm ready, boss."

James Lee Clark

• Date of crime: June 7, 1993
• Date of execution: April 11, 2007
• Age: 38 years

Accusation: raped and killed a 17-year-old girl.

“Uh, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say, I don’t know... I didn’t know there was anyone there. Hello".

Brian Robertson

• Date of crime: August 30, 1986
• Date of execution: August 9, 2000
• Age: 36 years

Accusation: during a house robbery, he beat to death his owner, a 79-year-old man, who later confessed to another murder.

“I have already said everything I wanted to my loved ones. You know that I love you all, and you know where we are now. See you when you get there. And here is my last word to you. To all the white supremacists in America who hate blacks, and to all the blacks in America who hate themselves, here are words from my legendary brother Matt Turner: “Kiss my black ass.” Go".

Charles Neely

• Date of crime: August 20, 1997
• Date of execution: March 20, 2007
• Age: 42 years

Accusation: during a shop robbery he shot and killed a 25-year-old employee and fled the scene, taking 4 thousand dollars.

In general, I love you all. And you, the head of the prison. You are a good friend and a good detective. Doug, thanks for getting out of Michigan. Chris, David, I love you. Debra, James, I don’t cry, so you don’t roar. Do not worry about me. I will be with the Lord, Allah and mom. And I’ll ask the folder why he didn’t hand you over at the wedding. Randy Greer, bro, I'll be watching you, so don't get in trouble. Do you know why so long? They could not find a vein. You know, I always hated needles and always hung in the doctor’s office. Tell the guys on death row that I didn’t need a diaper. I can’t think of anything else. All be strong. Now you can finally forget about all this. Do not bury me in the prison cemetery. Bury next to mom. Not to the left of the father, but to the right of the mother. Kim Skifer, you are an angry woman! You broke the law. And the judges and the judges helped you. You had no facts. You know that you couldn’t see anyone at all on film! You jumped out of your pants to dig up something against me. And now the state will kill me to cover this business. But I'm not crazy, and I'm not suffering. I'm sorry that you are stuck here and must go through all this. And I go to where it is better. My time is up. Now let me get ready for the flight. Doug, don't forget Marcy.

Patrick Brian Knight

• Date of crime: August 27, 1991
• Date of execution: June 26, 2007
• Age: 39 years

Charge: with an accomplice, he entered the house of his neighbors, held them hostage for several hours, and then drove them to a remote place and shot him.

“Yes, so. Thank you, Lord, for giving me friends and those I love. Lord, look down and help the innocent on death row. Help Lee Taylor, Bobby Hines, Steve Woods. We're not all innocent, but they are. And also help Cleve Foster. Melissa, my girl, I love you. I actually didn't want to say anything, but I have to. Jack, Irene, Danny, Doreen, I love you guys. I promised to tell everyone a joke. Death freed me - that's the funniest thing, and I deserved it. Here's another joke: I'm not Patrick Brian Knight, but you still can't stop the execution. Go ahead, I'm done. Come on, Lord, tell me. Melissa, I love you, take care of this little monster for me.”

Carl Eugene Chamberlain

• Date of crime: August 2, 1991
• Date of execution: June 11, 2008
• Age: 37 years

Accusation: raped and then shot dead a housemate.

“I want you to know, all of you. I want it with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Thank you for coming here to honor the memory of Falisse Prestle, whom I didn't even know. To celebrate my death. My undoing began on August 2, 1991 and continued as I began to see the beautiful and innocent life I had taken. I'm very, very sorry. I would gladly die not just once, but many times, so you would know how terribly I regret it. I already said in the interview, hurt me, choke me if you want, I felt just as terrible before this crime. Excuse me! I've always loved life. Thank you for being a part of it. I love you. May the Lord be with us all. May the Lord be merciful to us. I'm ready. Please, don’t hate anyone, because..."

On the subject: In the US, looking for more humane ways of the death penalty: what options are possible

Freddy Lee Webb

• Date of crime: December 8, 1985
• Date of execution: March 31, 1994
• Age: 33 years

Accusation: Together with an accomplice, he abducted a 26-year-old man and his wife, who worked in a restaurant, robbed the cash register and later killed the victim with five shots to the head.

"Peace to you".

Douglas Alan Roberts

• Date of crime: May 18, 1996
• Date of execution: April 20, 2005
• Age: 42 years

Accusation: kidnapped and robbed a 40-year-old man, later stabbed him and moved his body in a car.

"Yes, sir. Yes, boss. Okay, I've been hanging around this sweet shop for too long already. Before I go, I want to tell you this. When I die, bury me deep, put a couple of speakers at my feet, put headphones on my head and turn on rock and roll. See you in heaven someday. That's it, boss."

Read also on ForumDaily:

'The Efremov case' in Hollywood: does American justice spare celebrities

'Heartbreaking and Obscene Stories': Trump's niece wrote a book about the president

Protest Effect: HBO removes 'Gone With the Wind' movie due to racism scenes

In Colorado, a 21-year-old girl was shot dead due to a dog walking dispute

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.