Texas governor issues last-minute reprieve for son who ordered family killed

Washington (AFP) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday issued a last-minute reprieve for a death row prisoner who hired a gunman to kill his family after his father, whom he sought to murder, pleaded for his son's life.

Thomas Bartlett "Bart" Whitaker, 38, had been one of three men awaiting execution Thursday in three different US states.

Another, Eric Branch, was executed as scheduled in Florida for the 1993 murder of a student.

In a proclamation explaining his decision on Whitaker, Abbott wrote that the prisoner "must spend the remainder of his life behind bars as punishment for this heinous crime."

The governor said he had taken into consideration the fact that "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."

He added: "Mr Whitaker's father, who survived the attempt on his life, passionately opposes the execution of his son. Mr Whitaker's father insists that he would be victimized again if the state put to death his last remaining immediate family member."


Source : Yahoo News