Execution Report: William Kitchens

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Webb had previously served eight months of a two-year sentence in Oklahoma for assault and battery.

A jury convicted Kitchens of capital murder in August 1986 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in October 1991. In his habeas corpus appeals, Kitchens maintained that his lawyer did not properly present mitigating circumstances of child abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness to the jury, so that he might receive a life sentence rather than the death penalty. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals accepted his case, and after a full hearing and arguments, affirmed his conviction and sentence in September 1999.

At his execution, Kitchens addressed James Webb, Patricia's husband: "I personally just want to let you know if there has ever been any doubt in your mind at all of what happened, I want you to know that Patty was always faithful to you, that I forced her for everything that she did and I am sorry." He repeated several more times that he was sorry, then offered a lengthy prayer in which he asked the heavenly Father to bring peace to the Webb family. Finally, he said, "I love y'all, y'all take care. I am so sorry." And then the lethal injection was administered.

By David Carson. Posted on 3 April 2002.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's office, court documents.