This is February and Cathy is alive. In twenty more days it will be March, and she will be alive all through March. But then April comes, and if the state of Texas and the courts have their way Cathy Henderson is not going to live past April 18th.
That is the date of her scheduled killing in the nation’s busiest killing chamber. They’ll take her around 5:30 in the evening to insert the IV tubes. As her spiritual advisor I’ll be allowed one last visit with her around 4:30 for just a half hour or so. Then the state-hired chaplain takes over. No matter that I know her, that I love her, care about her life, respect her life, have fought for her to live, and want to be with her during every minute of her last hours on this earth. No matter. In Texas’ cold protocol of death any chaplain will do. Get in there and do your God-thing. Get her ready to meet her Maker. We want her to have every spiritual benefit before we carry out the punishment. We’re not heathens. We don’t relish this death. Just doing our job, our duty. We respect that she has an immortal soul.
These words and the mentality they represent – using religion to bless the killing ritual – can be found in wardens’ mouths almost word for word in Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents.
It’s a weird, impossible task, counting the days toward Cathy’s death. In her last letter she wrote in unmistakable terms, “I’m absolutely not afraid of dying, but I’m worried about the poisons they’re going to inject into me.”
Cathy’s big focus now is on the suffering of her children, especially her youngest 17-year-old daughter. The poor kid is having a tough time concentrating in school, is fighting depression. Who can get their mind around such a bizarre reality, that the state is fully intent on killing this young woman’s mother? You’re going to kill my mother? And you’re telling me this is legal and good for society? Killing my mother?
I do not accept that Cathy is going to die. Her case sits now at this very moment in the hands of the Supreme Court. We pray, we hope, we wait. Our dedicated pro bono lawyer, George Cumming, the Man of the Hour, after consulting widely has put forth the most skilled arguments he knows to plead justice for Cathy before the high court. In the hope that the court will approve the petition, the firm has already hired an investigator and a neurological expert to do the thorough work that should have been done for Cathy in preparation for her original trial.
We’re praying for a miracle. The letters of love, of support and compassion have been pouring in – 1,550 of them and counting. This love avalanche pouring over Cathy, this is in no small way a miracle. Spread the word about Cathy. Invite people to the web page. Write to her. Send her beautiful scenes from nature.
And write to the suffering parents, the Baugh family, who are going through their own agonizing hell of loss of their three-month-old son. Pray for them. Surround them with love and compassion.
They all need it.
Stop breaking the law (God’s and man’s) and there won’t be any more executions.
First, to the family of baby Brandon, my heartfealt condolences. I am truly sorry for what you folks have had to endure, no one should go through that kind of sunnering. Take comfort in knowing that your precious baby is an angel with god.
I’m sorry and I hope that someday you can forgive those of us that don’t support the death penalty, not just in the case of Cathy Henderson, but in any case. I am Roman Catholic and that is waht we are taught!
I am not entirely clear on Cathy’s case while I certainly beleive she is responsible for the death if Brandon, I am not sure whether or not it was an accident, only Cathy and God know that answer, I think her actions after Brandon’s death are horrific, probably more so that his death.
As for Cathy’s most recent appeals, it is up to the courts to decide whether or not they have merit.
I do not feel that it is right to take a life, any life! God should be the only one to pass judgementon man (or woman in this case!) killing is a sin no matter who commits it!
I hope someday everyone in this case finds peace and reconcilliation! That is my prayer for all of you Cathy and her daughters too!!!
I know that more likely than not no words will ever ease the sorrow that you feel. I don’t think that Cath’s death will do that for you either! Because it will not bring Brandon back.
My nephew died 6 years ago he was only 16 days old. It gets easier over time but you never let go.
To Melissa Baugh,
Please don’t feel responsible, it was not your fault this tragedy could have happened to anyone. Find strengh in knowing that Brandon is an Angel.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
As a mother myself, I can only imagine, not empathize, with what the Baughs must feel. I think of, too, like Nigel has said, the prison staff who have these decisions weighing on them as they are to carry them out. And while I cannot say that I might not feel hatred against Cathy if she were to have accidentally OR purposefully killed a child of mine, nor could I say that I would feel relief that she were to die for that crime, intentional or not. I could only leave her fate up to our maker – and hope that there is justice served on another level when I’m no longer humanly concerned about justice. I pray for doctors and other professionals daily who have to make life or death decisions. I have told my own mother that I could not carry out the wishes of her living will if she were to become incapacitated, because I just don’t think my place is judge, jury AND executioner. I have found that it’s easy to judge, but it’s far less easy to forgive. Foregiveness is the only thing that will set anyone’s conscience free. Being angry and holding someone accountable may temporarily ease feelings, but never does it completely take away those feelings – and that I do know from experience.
This message is from the UK. It seems wierd that the US and the UK are so similar in certain areas but miles apart in others. In particular the question of the rights and wrongs of the Death Penalty. However it breaks my heart to read the horrific nature of baby Brandons death and I firmly believe that the UK should follow the US lead and make child murder punishable by death. These little souls trust us and depend on us and anyone who takes their life does not deserve to breath air. Sorry I have no blessings for Cathy, I truly hope she burns in hell.
I don’t understand how in one sentence, anyone can tell Cathy’s daughters that they wish them happiness, and then in the next say that they want thier mother dead, it is very contradictory. I just don’t understand it. Just like I can’t fathom that anyone would intentionally harm an innocent baby. Killing Cathy, will create more victims in a tragedy that is already senseless. I do apologize if I offend anyone with this post.
My hope is that every one can reconcile and find peace.
Hi Everyone,
I would just like to say I am against the death penalty. However i do believe that Ms Henderson should spend the rest of her days behind bars. Her execution will only add to the list of victims in this case, and I do not believe the Baugh family to be evil for wanting the death penalty either. You can’t know what they feel unless you endure the same horror, I’m honestly unsure whether my convictions would stand up in those circumstances. I don’t feel for Cathy at all, I do feel for her family though. I truely hope that the step that is about to be taken helps the baugh family and at the same time does not condemn Cathy’s
To the Baugh Family,
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please believe me when I tell you that knowing all the gruesome details of Brandon’s death WILL NOT make you feel better. It will haunt you. I am speaking from experience.
Sister Helen, I have read your books and read about your work since the execution of Karla Faye Tucker. I know that God has called you to do this work. May God Bless you.
I will be in Huntsville on Wednesday…praying you through.
Jan
Dear Amanda (UK),
Have you forgotten Angela Cannings and Sally Clark? These women too were convicted of the murders of their children (on highly dubious evidence). Had we in Britain ‘followed the US lead’ as you advocate, what would you have had to say to their husbands when the evidence that cleared both Sally and Angela came to light?
The difference between locking people up for life for murder and killing them (as Texas is about to do with Cathy Henderson) is that with life imprisonment, the system at least fails safe – but with judicially decreed homicide, there’s no going back at all. And saying ‘Sorry, we’ve made a mistake’ to their grieving relatives means a fat lot of good when innocent people have been killed.
Nigel
You want us to say sorry we made a mistake to the woman who murdered our baby? How very noble of you to want us to make that kind of statement to the woman who abused her own children and murdered our baby!! Wow! Some nerve you have Nigel. Us apologize to the woman who will not apologize for murdering our baby.
How about if Cathy just once said, I am sorry I murdered your baby, took him out and buried him in a liquor box and ran off and started shacking up with a guy in Missouri the very next day?
Grandmother of Baby Brandon
To the Grandmother of Baby Brandon,
Please note that I didn’t have the case of Brandon in mind when I mentioned the risks involved in judicial killing for murder. In both of the cases I did mention (see particularly http://www.sallyclark.org.uk) if you go to that Website you will see how easy it was that a young woman could have been convicted for the ‘murder’ of two of her children on the basis of highly dubious evidence (the piece of evidence that eventually cleared Sally was held back by a prosecution witness). It’s frightening to think that any one of us could be ensnared in a situation like that – both in your country and in mine.
For the record, I lit a candle and said prayers in Portsmouth (Roman Catholic) Cathedral today for Brandon and all his family, for Cathy, for Sister Helen, and for all others involved in this sad saga.
Dear family of Brandon Baugh,my prays for you at the loss of your son, and my love to your family for your loss.
I have a perfect solution to your problem I would like to take Kathy’s place, just as christ died for us I am willing to lay down my life if it will bring peace for everyone involved. I have nothing to lose since I am saved and believe in Jesus and have enternal life. My life is so insinfigent. I have not accomplished much on this earth. I clean for a living and try to do the best job I can to serve others. This act would allow me to too something worthwhile with my worthless life.!!!!!!
To Dee Knoll,
Please watch the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. All life is precious and has value.
The state of Texas does not demand a life for a life. Rather, the state seeks to protect and obtain justice for it’s citizens. The death penalty, as much as I hate it, is used to seek justice for a crime so heinous, and an offender so dangerous that the offender has forfeited their right to life.
I hate the death penalty, and believe life without parole serves both the state and God’s commandment. That is my personal choice, but Texas society believes the death penalty is appropriate in some cases. Cathy says she caused Brandon’s death, but accidentally. The state convinced the jury that Brandon’s death was intentional and Cathy is a future threat to society deserving of the death penalty.
I pray that the Baugh family and Cathy’s daughters will find peace. They have all been made into victims. I also pray for Cathy’s soul, and hope she asks for the Lord’s forgiveness. If Cathy is executed tomorrow, I hope she will help the Baugh’s find peace and apologize to them.
I still hate the death penalty and wish there was an alternative acceptable to everyone.
Dee,
That is not the point!! It is not life for a life! Our family has nothing to do with the fact she is sentenced to death. She was sentenced because it is the law of the land and because she broke God’s and man’s laws when she murdered our baby!!
Your sacrificial offer is not valid anywhere in the world that I would know of. Nor is it needed or wanted! Keep your life, take care of your family.
Cathy broke the law, she needs to pay the price for her crime. Although I am sure she would be more than happy to take you up on your offer. She cares about no one but herself. Not even her own children.
Grandmother of Baby Brandon
I just wanted to say that I have prayers for everyone involved. For the Baugh family and for Cathy’s family. I was friends with Amber when we were young kids in Hutto and always wondered what happened to her. I am glad to know she supports her mother and has become a mother herself.
I cannot imagine the sorrow that the Baugh family must be going through. I have said prayers for them many times.
I just hope that someday no matter what happens that everyone is able to forgive.
I am happy that the court of criminal appeals has decided to at least allow Cathy to present her new evidence, whether or not it is going to save her remains to be seen. Whether or not we agree with the death penalty or not it would be unfair for Cathy not to be allowed to present such evidence. She was not given that opportunity at trial. It is the benchmark of our justice system to be able to do so.
I know that this probably does not bode well with the Baugh family, and to them I am so sorry, I don’t mean to offend you in any way, I hope that some how, some way, you find peace in all of this.
It was not fair for Brandon to die I know, but the system has to be fair to Cathy and to other defendants to maintain its integrity.
Dee
When I read of the ongoing ordeal of the Baugh family it only makes me more glad that my country (Australia) has moved away from the death penalty. We had an appalling massacre about 10 years ago in which 35 people were killed. The only consolation for the family and friends of victims was that sentencing (to life imprisonment) was mercifully swift. As a consequence the families of the victims have been able to get on with their lives without endlessly worrying about yet another appeal. It’s an irony, but from the viewpoint of victims the death penalty is slow, agonising and uncertain, whilst a sentence of life in prison provides relatively prompt closure.
To Brandon’s Grandmother and the rest of the Baugh family:
Please know that the rest of us cannot begin to fathom the magnitude of your pain and agony unless we have lost a beloved child through the actions of another. That is why some of us write these messages that agonize you even more and dig at your all-too-fresh wound. But as you know, only Cathy knows what happened that day. It seems she will never let anyone else know. Whatever the rest of us say is just background noise.
I read of a case in Missouri (I think) where a young 18/19-year old woman was abducted from a crowded beach at gun point and vanished. A witness saw the abduction but only from across the lake through a telescope. And while he alerted the police, it was too late.
The likely suspect killed himself as an arrest became imminent and his wife refused to cooperate with the authorites to solve the case. I am sure you can imagine the anguish the mother went through trying to figure out what happened to her precious daughter. The mother attempted to reach the suspect’s widow to extract some information to no avail. In fact, the widow tried to sue the grieving mother for harassment and won a restraining order. So as you see, victims being revictimized in justice systems is all too real and prevalent. Our laws try to protect the rights of defendants because we must assume their innocense until proven otherwise. While it is a noble endeavor and I cannot say that it should be any other way, it does little to prevent further suffering on the part of the victims.
So, if it’s not too presumptuous, I hope you will take some comfort in knowing that many, many undeserving families have walked in your footsteps and felt the dismay that you feel now at the injustice of it all. I hope when all is said and done, you will find closure and peace and that you will go on with your lives to find joy and happiness.
Dear Grandmother of Brandon,
I read all the posts on this site and was quite moved by it all. Prior to reading this, I was opposed to the death penalty–favoring life in prison for people like Cathy. But after reading this, esp. your posts, I have changed my mind on this.
My prayers are with you and your family, and with Cathy’s children.
This is such a horrible thing that happened, and you’re right, Cathy had numerous chances to redeem herself, but she chose (and continues to choose) not to.
Again, my prayers and my love goes out to your and your family.
Sincerely,
Jenn
Dee said, “Whether or not we agree with the death penalty or not it would be unfair for Cathy not to be allowed to present such evidence. She was not given that opportunity at trial. It is the benchmark of our justice system to be able to do so……I know that this probably does not bode well with the Baugh family, and to them I am so sorry, I don’t mean to offend you in any way, I hope that some how, some way, you find peace in all of this.”
Well Dee, it does offend me. And this is why.
1. I heard Judge Wisser during voir dire of the jury tell Cathy’s attorneys to hire whoever they wanted. Judge Wisser told them, there was plenty of money to get any expert they wanted and he signed the court order for them to do so. Her appeals attorneys lied and said no such order was issued. They have since found the order the judge signed after the defense attorneys at the last hearing were bemoaning that the judge denied money to them for that expert. So that was a red herring.
2. Cathy’s trial attorneys decided not to use the biomechanics expert for some reason. The technology was there in 1995 and had been for quite a few years. Instead Cathy’s attorneys hired Dr. Sperry, who was a teaching Forensic Pathologist and had taught college at Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Sperry had taught courses, that Dr. Bayardo and Dr. Veasy had both attended at different times. Dr. Sperry knew both Dr. Bayardo and Dr. Veasy and they had been his students. All THREE Forensic Pathologists had looked at the autopsy photos of Baby Brandon and the autopsy results and each had independently come to the same conclusion, that this was not an accident, it was murder. They all said that much damage to Brandon’s skull could not have occurred from that short a fall from her arms as she had said occurred and the way she described it as happening at the time.
Again, Cathy’s own hired Forensic Pathologist said it was not an accident, it was INTENTIONAL.
3. Judge Wisser asked Cathy toward the end of the trial if she wanted to testify? Cathy stood up and answered the judge, saying, “NO.” Cathy chose not to testify on her own behalf. But upon the guilty verdict and during an interview with the press afterward, she lied and said she wanted to testify on her own behalf and was not allowed too!! Go figure. OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A LIAR. Check the court records, check the news articles. It is all there!!
To Cathy’s daughter, Amanda. I thank you for your kind thoughts on our behalf, and we want you to know that we send those same kind thoughts back to you and to your family.
I want you to know that we have never blamed her daughters or felt harshly toward any of you. You were all Cathy’s abuse victims too. You escaped the abuse by going to live with your father. He did his best to protect you from her by taking her back to court and getting supervised visitation right before she murdered Brandon. He probably saved your life too by those actions. I am glad you are safe now and have a new baby. Please love it care for it. Your baby deserves the best that life has to give, just as our Baby Brandon did.
I hope someday to visit with Melissa again. She was such a sweet suffering child. I will never forget the pain and abuse she spoke of on the witness stand and the hell her mother put her through. I wish her the best and hope she will be happy some day also.
We also feel the pain for Jennifer, in the loss of her mother. I just want Jennifer to know that this is not what we chose for her. It was a choice that her mother made, that brought this disaster on herself and this long suffering hell on our family. We wish Jennifer well.
But we want you to know this as well, that by your mother being locked away in prison, it saved you years of child abuse and the same kind of pain Cathy inflicted on her other two daughters.
To Jenn, thank you for your kind words and well wishes. I am glad to know you do understand what we are talking about and are one of the few who GETS IT.
Grandmother of Baby Brandon
Hello to all !
I hope for all concerned, that the next trial will find out the whole truth about all of this.
But humans and attorneys can be mistaken. Only God exactly knows, what really happened in the past and only he knows the time, when the whole truth will be revealed. The Lord is the highest and the faultless judge. God is the owner of all of us and only he really knows who is guilty and who is innocence. How lucky are the ones, which got forgiveness by Jesus, the only one who save us.
Very often by alcohol or drugs the Evil can lead the mind of humans to do bad things and to brake the commands of the Lord. It’s dangerous by such bounded people to take care of babys and children, or take responsibility, if their psychical situation or the charakter is unstable. How hard it is, that we cannot retourn the time for a second time and a second chance to do everything well in our life.
I hope for the whole family of Brandon that God will dry their tears and take their pain away more and more day by day and that they shall be together again with Brandon one day for all time. Because God exists there is life. Because God exists, there is life after death and that’s our hope in this painful life.
To Those who wish Cathy Henderson to hell : Humans can not decide who comes to hell or to heaven. Remember that Cathy is still in a kind of hell now in her live since many years. Living in death row is not like a lucky living, a lot of people hate her, she is not free, she cannot live her own life, her children grow up without her, her life is passing by in the death row, being shure of possibility to die an horrible death very soon, than she allways has to live with the remembering to the death of the baby and cannot bring Brandon back to his family. I imagine that she cannot be happy. I think this woman is still punished a lot.
Let us hope, that no human will die through our hands, so that we shall not become guilty. Let’s pray that God will hold us all the time, that we don’t bring other humans to a nightmare.
Diane
Dear brandons grandmother.
How i feel for your pain, and that of your son, daughter in law and family.
Im a mother my self and my self a victim of horrendes abuse. Yet i cant imagen what it would be like, loosing a (grand) child this way. Please dont take on the mean, horrible words ignorent people on the internet wish upon you, if they only felt 1 second of your pain, they will be silent for ever.
I can only say , i believe you, there are bad people in this world, and as long as there are, there will be victims. there is no denying of that. Its just horrible that in this case, you, your family and little brandon are.
Because of my Christian believe, i am against the death penalty, the 10 commandments is where i have to live by, and thay shall not kill is one of them. 2 wrongs doesnt make a right, that doesnt help you i know, your pain is still to big, in my case (and i can only speak in my own experience) it toulk me 30 years to be able to be over the pain and forgive my abuser in a way that i didnt have any anger for him anymore and to realise that he will be judged and have to answer to a bigger and more powerfull power than me. I can only hope and pray, that one day you will feel that same peace. And be able to think of Brandon without thinking of cathy hendserson.
ellen, leeds, england
Hello I’m a junior at St.Joseph Academy in cleveland ohio. I just wanted to stop and say keep up the great work. I used to be for the death penalty, but I have come to realize a life is just as a precious as another life. WE are God’s creation and we must follow Jesus ways.
My husband and I went to appeal hearings this week in which several exemplary expert witnesses testified. The final witness was the most astounding- Dr. Harold Gill-King. He works at the Center for Human Identification – Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology in Denton Texas. He is an expert at reviewing human remains and determining the cause of injury and if it took place before or after death. He explained where the fracture points were on Brandon’s skull. There was a complete fracture of the left parietal bone behind the coronal suture, a fracture focus on the right parieto-occipital area spanning the right arm of the lambdoid suture with radiations and a fracture focus on the left parieto-occipital area spanning the left arm of the lambdoid suture. Additional damage is suggested by the irregular fracture lines which define the lower margins of the parietooccipital defects. His conclusions were:
(1) The defects described represent a minimum of three applications of force to the calvarium
(2) The defects are distributed in a pattern that is inconsistent with secondary fracturing from a single application of force
(3) The irregular fracture margins at the juncture of the calvarium and the portion of the skull which was not retained strongly suggest the likelihood of additional applications of force.
(4) Examinations of the AP radiograph of the decendent’s thorax reveals an anomaly which may be a fracture of the right rib, or a defect induced by removal of the breast plate during autopsy. This interpretation is deferred to a pediatric radiologist.
I am wondering how you are going to defend Cathy’s actions now? This means Cathy slammed our baby’s head into an object over and over again. I can’t even describe the feelings I have had since I heard this. Anger, grief, an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and other feelings I can’t even describe. Our tiny infant endured what no one should. He was slammed into a blunt object over and over again. You say it is cruel to put someone to death on death row, but I say it isn’t anything like what Brandon had to endure. Cathy gets to go to sleep not have her head smashed over and over again until she looses consciousness and her brain swells causing death. This woman murdered a precious defenseless 12 pound infant for absolutely no reason. There is no excuse for this. If I remember correctly Jesus loved the little children.