It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of Billy Hughes. While in Nashville, Hughes purchased a .45 automatic handgun with another stolen check and stole an Alabama license plate from another car. wearing a helmet. Billy George Hughes Jr. those in Texas who were protesting the execution. The Bushes and the Buckleys and folks like them ignore the obvious. Hughes' bid for help on Monday. Billy, however, joked with everybody including his keepers. Hughes left Louisiana for Texas, staying in Beaumont, Texas, on the night of April 2, 1976. Birthday: November 28, 1948. penalty, which I agree with," he said, adding that initially some of the It enrages her that Hughes has not been among the 100 men put to death thus far in Texas. Hughes filed a notice of appeal on February 11, 1998, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on October 5, 1999, also denied permission to appeal. Billy stayed for another 19 years until death set him free. Meanwhile, a bare-chested, body-painted, football-helmeted man ran through the crowd with a "Death" pennant. A search of the car revealed the following items: one holster for an automatic handgun on the front seat, one holster for a revolver in the glove compartment, and the following items in the trunk of the car: a fully loaded .30 caliber carbine; a loaded, sawed-off short barrel twelve-gauge shotgun; a .300 Magnum rifle; extra .38 caliber shotgun ammunition; and a Halloween mask. being filmed. Hamilton said. Howard Hughes, in full Howard Robard Hughes, Jr., (born December 24, 1905, Houston, Texas, U.S.died April 5, 1976, in an airplane over southern Texas), American manufacturer, aviator, and motion-picture producer and director who acquired enormous wealth and celebrity from his various ventures but was perhaps better known for his eccentricities, Dr. Joseph Jachimczyk, who performed the autopsy on Trooper Mark Frederick, testified that the bullet that killed Frederick struck him on the upper left arm, exited on the inside of the arm, entered his chest on the left, and finally exited from his back upper-right mid-back. He is best known for his songs with Philip Bailey, Bette Midler, The Jacksons, The Sisters Of Mercy, Noel Paul Stookey, his band Lazarus, and his solo career as a recording artist. Chants are shouted and exchanged. He was also a longtime friend of Hughes's, even receiving a posthumous, and postage-due, letter from the inmate expressing his love, admiration and gratitude as he headed for his "final sunset." There was an orientation for witnesses at 3 PM. Frederick on Interstate 10 in Sealy as Frederick walked toward Hughes' On March 30, 1976, Hughes left Montgomery for Louisiana, where he used Martin's credit card for food, motels, and gasoline. "We do have a lot of feeling of compassion for the police officer's is enough, and since it's the law, then it shouldn't be questioned . During Hughes next headed for Jacksonville, Florida, where he sawed off the barrel of the shotgun as short as possible and concealed it in his trunk. His writing has been published in a large number of periodicals and journals for the past twenty years. Hughes's conviction was automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and was affirmed in a published opinion. "Do you wait 10 years to send a robber to prison?" Death Records - Death Records Search Online By Name But Atwood said he was ultimately saddened by the pain the event could Also, the prison staff genuinely wanted to make the execution as "easy" as possible on everyone involved. My conscience required me to." 608th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976 by mge-6 Although we never even saw each other, there were two groups of witnesses: those asked by Billy and those asked by the immediate relatives of the victim. Hughes then returned to Fair Hope and retrieved some clothing from a cleaners and attempted to fake his death at a local beach by leaving his shirt and pager. Protest signs are waved. We kill more than any other state! These death row cheerleaders aren't on our side after all. And wasn't it "the law" in certain parts of Europe that allowed and supported a final solution to the perceived social problems then, by those who (like George W. and William F.) were the least likely to be personally affected by them? He's a killing machine! It was The court also denied permission to appeal. Wearing blue jeans, a baseball cap and a windbreaker that looked a lot like the state flag, he fit right in. But when six cheerleaders and a makeshift marching band came prancing around the corner belting out "When the Saints Come Marching In," it was clear that number 117 was not routine. The chaplain replied that at least he is there and sometimes he is the only one there for the person being executed. The episode is expected to air on Bravo sometime next season. Jay Martel wandered through the pro-death-penalty crowd outside the Huntsville prison on the night of January 24 without arousing suspicion. I want the guys to know out there not to give up, A correctional officer wanted to know his request for his last meal. Billy continued his control. Frederick and his wife, Jane, had a small child, Denise, and were expecting another. escapade had misrepresented themselves and hyped aspects of the event, escapade had misrepresented themselves and hyped aspects of the event, Rick Lemmon, a man who has lost both his twin brother and only son to murder, shouted back through a megaphone: "We have never killed anybody for practices.Y'all don't forget the victim here." and you all watch out for Mom and you all keep up, keep going. "My son, Trooper 11 Mark Alan Frederick paid the ultimate price of The Tragic Life Of Willie Nelson's Son, Billy Nelson - Grunge The fact that Hughes -- who is preparing yet another round of appeals -- continues to live angers many of those who feel strongly that the death penalty is just and that extraordinary delays rob the punishment of its deterrent effect. He's being charged with first-degree felony theft of over. Throughout Texas history, there seems to come a time when the people including their public officials have had "enough" and rise up. Hughes only stayed in Pensacola for a day or two before leaving for Orlando. Method What provoked Dianne Clements of Justice For All in Houston, a victims' script and published cartoons illustrating animal rights and other causes. The Lamp of Hope Project was founded by Texas Death Row Prisoners. I am not the same The staff replied in kind, "Billy if you get a stay, we'll let you drive back!" and overturned the conviction in 1987. execution, complete with cheerleaders and a marching band. killed Frederick. The piece, which will include a segment shot in Florida, is "a celebration," says Awful Truth producer Dave Hamilton, "of two states who have long embraced the death penalty and turned their ability to kill Americans into a state pastime." George, George, he's our man, If he can't kill 'em, no one can, Who's the best on the killing scene? wearing a helmet. "They were doing synchronized Hughes admitted to the stolen car and credit card, as well as a string of other thefts and robebries, but claimed that the police opened fire on him and he just blindly fired a shot which killed Officer Frederick. asked Andy Kahn of Houston, director of the Mayor's Crime Victims program. The car was abandoned and after a massive manhunt, Hughes was found hiding in a field six miles away. It was over in 15 minutes! This chaplain pointedly said, "the doctor is in the next room, not in the execution chamber. "The Rifleman" The Sidewinder (TV Episode 1963) - IMDb Ranger Scholton went to the location by helicopter, where he spotted Hughes hiding under a mesquite tree in a pasture. Billy will be missed by us all. George W. Bush, Jr., by association, for his particular role in the alarming number of executions (121 at this writing -- Hughes was #118!) not to give in, that I hope someday the madness in the system - something Hughes then decided to head back to Pensacola, but he first bought gas and food with another worthless check. they had a lighted scoreboard counting the number of executions. AUSTIN - Friday, January 21, 2000 - Texas Attorney General John Cornyn offers the following information on Billy George Hughes who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m., Monday, January 24th: Hughes then left Nashville and headed for Montgomery, Alabama. His conviction was reversed in 1981 and he has since been serving a life sentence. the walls of the corrections facility in Huntsville, Texas. On the evening of April 4, 1976, Billy George Hughes checked into the Days Inn Motel in Brookshire (west of Houston), Texas, using a stolen credit card. A contributing editor to The Other Side magazine, Brasfield is an advisor to the Board of the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty and Assistant Executive Director of The Lamp of Hope Project. Over the next 24 years, Hughes was twice convicted of the crime. Go, Texas Go!" Atwood said that despite the methods of the film crew, "I am all for Hughes earned two college degrees in religion while on death row. Nancy Hughes Obituary (2019) - Lake Forest, IL - Chicago Tribune The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Hughes's request for relief on February 26, 1997. can now rest in peace and our nightmares will end knowing that Billy Hughes' second conviction and sentence were automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. I am not the same approached Hughes car. He offered cans of ginger ale, passed out foam fingers and praised George W. Bush. Date of Execution Hughes, who maintained his innocence until the end, was executed for the Because of past executions, they were probably used to disgruntled witnesses like me. seeking justice, living our worst nightmares over and over and over. If there had been a baby, you can bet he would have kissed it. While many DPS officers were on hand for the execution, so were several ". He was an actor, known for Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958), Smoke in the Wind (1975) and The Detectives (1959). 204th murderer executed in Texas since 1976, Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Executed Offenders (Billy Hughes). The shocking incidents occurred in ten months between . Frederick was 26, and a husband and father when he was shot to death He then left Orlando for Daytona Beach, where he was robbed after leaving a nightclub. executions, which by their nature are dismal, depressing and decidedly anti-photo-op for aspiring politicians large and small. For the third night in a row, and a record-breaking 40th time this year, Texas Thursday executed a convicted killer in the death chamber in Huntsville. Frederick, 26, had been a trooper only five years when he stopped Hughes' car near Sealy on April 4, 1976. say they happened, and the truth will come out someday. bid for president by attacking his stance on capital punishment. I followed-up with "perhaps you cannot advocate for abolition of the death penalty now, but one day in the future you can speak out.". "It was truly disgusting," said Clements. If I am paying my debt to society, I am due a rebate and a refund. That did it. This theft occurred sometime during the second or third week of February. He never denied it, but at 27, explained in an interview that he was a different person than the embittered and confused youngster he had been. Hughes claimed that, after he left the motel and was pulled over by Troopers Frederick and Reichert, the troopers opened fire on him without provocation, whereupon he fired a blind shot out the window. Your search results may include information about the deceased person ( Name and Date of Birth) and Death Details ( Date of Death . Hughes's ex-wife, Beth Rounds, related that Hughes was a violent husband who hit, slapped, punched, and choked her. I believe that time is coming on executions and may be here even sooner than I think. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that it was all right for states to resume capital punishment. Trooper Jack Reichert got out of the patrol car almost immediately after Frederick did. Maybe so but I hope they're wrong. Who would have thought it would have taken 24 years to get to this moment? Hughes continued heading west until he attempted to use Martin's credit card at the Days Inn in Brookshire on April 4, 1976. I want the guys to know out there not to give up, Lethal injection, rah, rah, rah! Billy was more than just a friend. William F. "Toby" Hughes Jr. (USAF Retired) of Cibolo, Texas, passed away on Monday, January 18, 2021, at Lavaca Medical Center . for the blind and even worked from his cell as a registered legislative On the other side is an army of capital punishment opponents arguing that the state is getting carried away . Willie Sr. would later say, "I've never experienced anything so devastating in my life," according to the People. for the blind and even worked from his cell as a registered legislative my debt to society, I am due a rebate and a refund, but I love you all, However, at a second psychiatric interview prior to his second trial, he denied having any amnesia and stated that he recalled everything about the offense. It was was punished to the full extent of the law after having one of the Mark, justice has While Billy seemed to be in total control, I was starting to spin out-of-control with a certain "makes me wanta holler" anger and frustration. Billy Hughes - Wikipedia trying to portray those there to support the officer's family as drunken After failed attempts to ignore the demonstration, shout down the cheerleaders, circle the band and blame Canada for the fiasco, attentions finally turned to Martel, who seemed to be enjoying all the mischief a little too much. A native born in Daytona Beach on February 11, 1975 to William and Kathy Hughes. putting Texas and George W. Bush under the spotlight on the death penalty "I want to tell you all how much I love you all, how much I appreciate following an execution. Mr. Fuccillo was 64 years old who died at his home in Florida. From his cell at the Ellis Unit north of Huntsville, the baby-faced killer from Montgomery, Ala., has drawn and marketed greeting cards, launched a series of appeals, argued against the death penalty as a registered lobbyist and charmed the media. All I ask is that I have one day, and all the memories of you and my family and all the things that have happened. Texas Attorney General Media Advisory A few days later, Hughes returned to Chattanooga where he bought ten-dollar traveler's checks, cashed two, reported all ten stolen and received a one-hundred dollar refund. "What if after examination the doctor detects a heartbeat?" Victim(s)(Race/Sex/Age at Murder) More or less- the official cause of death was pneumonia. William F. Buckley would not agree. Department of Public Safety officers, while the other was an almost "I don't know anything about that," he answered maintaining his ministerial composure. Hughes claimed he was reaching for his wallet when penalty, which I agree with," he said, adding that initially some of the Hughes was indicted for extortion and pled guilty, receiving probation. 10-year-old was playing in the garden when tragedy struck on Monday. On April 13, 1994, that court affirmed his conviction in a published opinion. Former Taylor VFD chief charged with stealing over $300K - FOX 7 Austin This attitude of accommodation continued as the witnesses gathered at 5:30 to wait for the signal to enter the death chamber. "We did perform a stunt there, with a pep band and cheerleaders," Despite having serious health problems over the years, he always had a kind and giving spirit, and a wonderful . The victims' rights group Justice for All was already more boisterous than normal on this particular night at death row because of the man who was being executed. As they approached he asked them to help him, but he died before he could say anything more. Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Executed Offenders (Billy Hughes) Needless to say, the anti-death-penalty camp was a little sadder than normal to see a "reformed" man die. You could actually see the realization come over the faces of those in the pro-death-penalty camp: Hey, wait a minute. seeking justice, living our worst nightmares over and over and over. Billy Holiday passed away on 17th July 1959 due to complications caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Who would have thought it would have taken 24 "I want to tell you all how much I love you all, how much I appreciate everything. George W. Bush's Two days later, a helicopter approached a field where a suspect was reportedly seen. 204th murderer executed in Texas since 1976 Undoubtedly, Billy Hughes was an exceptional human being. After Hughes pulled onto an interstate exit ramp, Trooper Mark Frederick approached the driver's side of the Ford. "This was very disrespectful to the family. The database also contains older death records for some parishes, such as deaths that occurred in Jefferson parish before 1911, and deaths that occurred in Orleans parish as early as . he whooped. CURE began in San Antonio, Texas, in 1972, expanded statewide in 1975 and nationally in 1985. ) I left death row in 1981. The suspect, who was later identified as Hughes, called local television and radio stations and threatened to blow up two local hospitals unless the three banks paid him $100,000. Both Rounds and Hughes were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses until Hughes was expelled from the group for incessant lying and bad-check writing. "If there was a positive out of this, for the first time ever the 2 This attitude of accommodation continued as the witnesses gathered at 5:30 to wait for the signal to enter the death chamber. Patsy Teer, the mother of the man he killed, wants to end it. In this issue I would like to remember all who have served this organization and given of their time and energy. Hughes left Chattanooga for a small town to the northwest, where he burglarized a car and stole a 9 millimeter automatic in a holster, a .45 pistol in a holster, a .300 Magnum rifle with a scope, a .30 caliber carbine, .38 caliber shells, and an empty holster. "All I ask is that I have one day, and In fact, composure and "extra mile" consideration seemed to permeate the day as the prison staff went about the ritual of the execution. His kindness continued to blunt my anger as I asked about how the medicine used in the execution is prescribed. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," muttered Martel. Police spokesman said his death is being treated as 'unexplained . We've got power. Billy died December 20, 2005, while visiting Alma, Arkansas. were a family member of the officer I would have felt terrible, and I Texas," said a statement jointly released by groups for and against the