Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge,^[2] the program featured Ted Koppel as its main anchor from March 1980 until his retirement from the program in November 2005. As of February 25, 2011, the Executive Producer is Jeanmarie Condon.^[3] The program airs weeknights on local ABC stations at 11:35pm ET or later.

In 2002, Nightline was ranked twenty-third on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.^[4]

[edit] The Iran Crisis—America Held Hostage: 1979

The program had its beginnings on November 8, 1979, just four days after the Iran hostage crisis started. ABC News president Roone Arledge felt the best way to compete against NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was to update Americans on the latest news from Iran. At that time, the show was called: "The Iran Crisis—America Held Hostage: Day xxx" where xxx represented each day Iranians held hostage the occupants of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Originally, World News Tonight lead anchor Frank Reynolds hosted the special report. Shortly after its creation, Reynolds stopped hosting the program. Ted Koppel, then ABC News's State Department Correspondent, took on the hosting duties. It wasn't until a few days later that a producer had the idea of displaying the number of days on "America Held Hostage": Day 15, Day 50, Day 150, and so on.

[edit] Ted Koppel's Nightline: 1980–2005

At the end of the hostage crisis in 1981 (after 444 days), Nightline had entrenched itself on the ABC programming schedule, and made Koppel a national figure. The program has prided itself on providing a mix of investigative journalism and extended interviews which would look out of place on World News Tonight. Thanks to a video sharing agreement with the BBC, Nightline also repackages some of the BBC's output for an American audience. Nightline broadcasts also reappear in a condensed form on the overnight program World News Now.

The program aired four nights a week until 1982, when the sketch comedy program Fridays was shifted to air after Nightline.

The format of the show was as follows: first there was the introduction by the host, then a taped piece on the specific topic of the night, then after a commercial break, there was a live interview related to the topic of the piece. In 1983, there was an unsuccessful attempt to change the format of the show to multi-topics and an hour as opposed to a single topic in a half hour. This switch proved to be unsuccessful, and after a few months, the old program was restored. Once the original format was restored, it would remain unchanged through the end of Koppel's tenure; it was changed following his retirement.

The program remains unique in American media, considering its nightly broadcasts. Most other similar shows only air once a week, though usually in a prime time slot for a full hour. Nightline is usually less sensationalistic than the weekly newsmagazines (which often emphasize soft news programming), though the program has caused controversy on occasion.

Memorable subjects[link]

Nightline devoted each episode to a unique subject. Since its inception, they have covered all types of subjects (science, education, politics, economics, society, and breaking news). Many candidates for government offices, such as David Duke (November 1991) have appeared on Nightline to try to promote themselves. Seeing that there are so many prisons in the United States, they created an ongoing series in 1994 called "Crime and Punishment." Over the years Nightline had a number of technological firsts. They did the first live report from the base of Mount Everest. In November 1992, Science reporter Michael Guillen did the first ever live broadcast from Antarctica. There were times where there was breaking news as late as 11:00 ET, and they had to change the subject of the show and cover the breaking news. Examples of this were the deaths of John Lennon (1980) and Yasir Arafat (2004).

Other important series were "America: In Black and White" and " A Matter of Choice." Nightline held a series of townhall meetings. Some of the more important ones include the Israeli-Palestinian Town Meeting in 1987 and the one discussing the War of Iraq in 2003. The interview was a major portion of the episode where important people were asked tough questions on the spot. Another series of townhall meetings featured public discussions and appearances by Japanese officials on the poor performance of American business during the 1980s, contrasted with the success of Japanese businesses. These townhall meetings coincided with the corporate takeovers of US companies by Japanese corporations during the early 1990s (i.e. MCA by Matsushita, CBS Records and Columbia Pictures by Sony Corporation, etc.)

Perhaps the most infamous episode of Nightline occurred on April 15, 1987. During the episode, longtime Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis made racially insensitive comments. When Ted Koppel asked Campanis about why there were not that many black field or general managers in Major League Baseball, Campanis responded by saying that blacks may lack the "necessities." What soon followed was what many observers believed was Campanis coming off worse and worse despite the numerous chances from Koppel to clarify himself. Shortly after the interview, the Dodgers fired Campanis.

On December 3, 1990, Nightline played the Madonna's controversial music video "Justify My Love" (the video contained imagery of sadomasochism, voyeurism and bisexuality) in its entirety, then interviewed Madonna live about the video's sexual content and censorship. When asked whether she stood to make more money selling the video than airing it on MTV, she shrugged and answered, "Yeah, so? Lucky me." She also mentioned that the banning was hypocritical as male artists were able to show music videos on the channel which contained sexist and violent imagery. She also mentioned that in her "Vogue" music video she had worn a see-through lace top which exposed her breasts, but this was passed by the channel.^[5][6]

Highlights[link]

• 2008 - John Edwards admits on Nightline to cheating on his wife with a campaign staffer.
• 2005 - Ted Koppel's last show as host of Nightline.
• 1997 - Nightline airs "ABC Exclusive" footage of Pol Pot's trial, in violation of an agreement with journalist Nate Thayer^[7]
• 1988 - Nightline goes on location to Jerusalem.
• 1987 - Nightline is seen in U.S.S.R. for first time.
• 1987 - Gary Hart admits on Nightline to cheating on his wife.
• 1987 - Nightline presents its first "Town Meeting" the subject is AIDS and the show runs until 3:47 AM
• 1987 - Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker appear on Nightline after PTL scandal.
• 1987 - Al Campanis, Los Angeles Dodgers executive for more than forty years, resigns after making racially insensitive remarks on Nightline.
• 1986 - Corazon Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos appear on Nightline.^[8]
• 1985 - First remote location for Nightline (South Africa).
• 1984 - 40th Anniversary of D-Day. Nightline "covers" the D-Day landings as though modern TV news, along with satellite reports, had existed at the time.
• 1984 - First live TV appearance by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger.
• 1983 - Nightline expands from a half-hour to a full-hour program.
• 1982 - PLO chief Yassar Arafat appears on Nightline.
• 1981 - Nightline extends from four nights to five nights a week (Friday).
• 1981 - Nightline with Ted Koppel premieres on ABC.
• 1981 - Nightline with Ted Koppel extended from twenty minutes to thirty minutes.
• 1980 - ABC's nightly Iran Hostage crisis program renamed Nightline.
• 1979 - ABC broadcasts "Iran Crisis: American Held Hostage" with Frank Reynolds (forerunner to Nightline).

Reading of the names[link]

On April 30, 2004, Koppel read the names of the members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in Iraq. This prompted controversy from conservatives who believed Koppel was making a political statement and from Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which felt that ABC was undermining the war effort in Iraq. Others, most notably the Washington Post television columnist, thought it was a ratings stunt for sweeps, and indeed Nightline was the highest-rated program during that time period, and had about 30% more viewers than other Nightline programs that week. Sinclair stations did not air the program.

Koppel repeated the format on May 28, 2004, reading the names of service members killed in Afghanistan, and on May 30, 2005, reading the names of all service members killed in Afghanistan or Iraq between the last program and the preparation of the program. This time, Sinclair stations aired the program as scheduled.

Ratings and threats of cancellation[link]

Rumors have spread for many years about the show's cancellation. However, during the so-called "late show wars" of 1993, when The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno were battling it out for viewers, Nightline would often place second and occasionally be in first place.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, ABC attempted to hire David Letterman from CBS, a move that would likely have forced Nightline's cancellation. However, Letterman opted to re-sign with CBS (When ABC added Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003, it was placed at the 12:06 timeslot instead of the 11:35 slot of Nightline, again preventing cancellation).

Koppel anchored his final Nightline broadcast on November 22, 2005, despite his contract ending in December. He announced in March 2005 he was leaving the show at the end of his contract.

Ratings have been up since the new format has begun, even beating The Late Show with David Letterman for three consecutive weeks in August 2006 and again in 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Koppel's final "Closing Thought"[link]

On November 22, 2005, Ted Koppel retired from Nightline after 25 years on the show, and left ABC News after 42 years. Koppel's final broadcast of Nightline did not feature clips, or highlighting moments, as typical when an anchor retires. Instead it featured Koppel's 1995 interview with college professor Morrie Schwartz, who was suffering with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Every so often, Koppel ended the program with a "Closing Thought". This segment is usually when he expressed his opinion on the subject of the nights show. On his final night, the following was his "Closing Thought".

[edit] Post-Koppel Nightline: 2005–present

On November 28, 2005, Koppel was succeeded by a three-anchor team: Martin Bashir and Cynthia McFadden at Times Square Studios in New York City and Terry Moran in Washington, D.C.. Along with the new anchors, Nightline is now live every night and has a multi-topic format—that covers multiple stories in each broadcast. There are many critics of the multi-topic format due to the fact that it is more difficult to focus on a subject in depth when there is much less time devoted to the subject, and that more stories seem to be focusing on popular culture, rather than news events.^[9]

On July 11, 2006, Ted Koppel made a surprise appearance on Nightline to discuss with co-anchor Terry Moran the prisoner situation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and to discuss his upcoming series for Discovery Channel. It was his first appearance on the broadcast since leaving the show in November 2005.

As of August 7, 2006 ABC had ceased Nightline's New York operations from Times Square and moved to ABC News Headquarters in Lincoln Square, citing high production costs and logistical problems. Even though Nightline moved to ABC Headquarters in Lincoln Square, several shows have been taped at ABC's Times Square location, mainly with Martin Bashir's coverage.

Nightline is developing an online program hosted by the show's anchors through Twitter, encouraging viewer discussion on the website.^[10]

In November 2009, ABC News Nightline achieved the number-one spot in the Nielsen ratings for a late night broadcasts, the first time averaging 4.15 million viewers. It beat The Tonight Show and The Late Show in total viewers.

2010s[link]

In August 2010, Martin Bashir left Nightline to be an anchor on NBC and MSNBC, he was subsequently replaced by Bill Weir.

On January 20, 2011, ABC News president Ben Sherwood announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live would start at midnight, shortening Nightline to a 25-minute newscast. It was also announced that Nightline would gain 13 primetime hours to produce content for the network.

International broadcasts[link]

Country	TV Network(s)	Weekly Schedule (local time)
Australia	Sky News Australia	Airs at 1:30AM (AET)
Canada	CHCH/CHEK/CJNT	Simulcast of ABC
Japan	NHK-BS1	4:30PM(JST)

See also[link]

List of late night network TV programs

Lateline, an Australian program similar to Nightline

References[link]

1. ^ EXCLUSIVE: World News Kicks Off HD Expansion at ABC - World News with Charles Gibson , Nightline to begin broadcasting in 720p HD Aug. 25. Broadcasting & Cable August 25, 2008
2. ^ Trimel, Suzanne. "Roone Arledge Auditorium And Cinema Dedicated April 25", Columbia University, April 26, 2000
3. ^ Leno's primetime move at NBC good news for ABC Reuters December 10, 2008
4. ^ TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows
5. ^ Interviewer: Forrest Sawyer (1990-12-03). "Nightline". ABC.  Video on YouTube. Retrieved on 2008-12-26.
6. ^ Rich, Joshua (1998-11-20). "Madonna Banned | News". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285759,00.html. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
7. ^ Paul McCann, "Your scoop? Nah. It's ours if we want it."
8. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9044413
9. ^ Steve Gorman (17 October 2005). "ABC News unveils new 3-anchor 'Nightline' format". http://www.redorbit.com/news/entertainment/274738/abc_news_unveils_new_3anchor_nightline_format/. Retrieved September 16, 2009. 
10. ^ "‘Nightline’ developing Twitter show". The Live Feed. May 12, 2009. http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/05/nightline-developing-twitter-show.html. 

External links[link]

• Nightline website
• Nightline Official Twitter Page
• Nightline Official Facebook Page
• ABC Medianet Website
• Nightline Story on Spam Arrest & Hormel Trademark Battle
• Nightline at the Internet Movie Database
• Nightline at TV.com
• Nightline show on YouTube

Jenna Miscavige Hill is a former Scientologist who, after leaving the Church of Scientology in 2005, has become one of its most prominent critics. She is the daughter of Ron Miscavige, Jr.^[1] and the niece of current church leader David Miscavige.^[2][3]

Hill, with Kendra Wiseman and Astra Woodcraft (both also raised in Scientology), founded the website exscientologykids.com.^[4] She has been interviewed about her experiences within Scientology by a number of media outlets, including ABC's Nightline in April 2008.^[5][6]

In 2000, when Hill was 16, her father and mother left Scientology. Hill states that due to the Scientology-ordered practice of disconnection with relatives and friends who don't support Scientology or are hostile to it, letters from her parents were intercepted and she was not allowed to answer a telephone for a year.^[7][8]

She described her experience from ages five to 12 thus: "We were also required to write down all transgressions ...similar to a sin in the Catholic religion. After writing them all down, we would receive a meter check on the electropsychometer to make sure we weren't hiding anything, and you would have to keep writing until you came up clean."^[1][9]

See also[link]

• Scientology controversies

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikinews has related news: Niece of Scientology's leader goes public with criticism

• Ex-Scientology Kids
• "Jenna Miscavige Hill tells her story in her own words". Ex-ScientologistsKids.com. 2008-04-19. http://exscientologykids.com/eskforums/viewtopic.php?t=1002. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 

This biography of a United States religious figure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted of murder, and executed in 2004 for the deaths of his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas on December 23, 1991.

Willingham's case gained renewed attention in 2009 when an investigative report by David Grann in The New Yorker,^[1] drawing upon arson investigation experts and advances in fire science since the 1992 investigation, suggested that the evidence for arson was unconvincing, and that had this information been available at the time of trial, Willingham would have been acquitted.

According to an August 2009 investigative report by an expert hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the original claims of arson were doubtful.^[2] The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record.^[3] The case has been further complicated by allegations that Texas Governor Rick Perry impeded the investigation by replacing three of the nine commission members in an attempt to change the commission's findings; Perry denies the allegations.^[4]

Fire[link]

The fire occurred at the Willingham home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991. Killed in the fire were Willingham's three daughters: two-year-old Amber Louise Kuykendall and one-year-old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham. Willingham himself escaped the home with only minor burns. Stacy Kuykendall, Willingham's then-wife and the mother of his three daughters, was not home at the time of the fire, as she was out shopping. Prosecutors charged that Willingham set the fire and killed the children in an attempt to cover up abuse of the girls.^[5] However, there was no evidence of child abuse, and Willingham's wife, Stacy, told prosecutors that he had never abused the children. "Our kids were spoiled rotten," she said, insisting he would never harm their children.^[1]

Investigation and trial[link]

Evidence[link]

The primary evidence leading to Willingham's arrest and conviction was the result of police inspections after the fire, which determined that the fire had been started using some form of liquid accelerant. This evidence included a finding of char patterns in the floor in the shape of "puddles", a finding of multiple starting points of the fire, and a finding that the fire had burned "fast and hot", all considered to indicate a fire that had been ignited with the help of a liquid accelerant. The investigators also found charring under the aluminum front door jamb that they believed was further indication of a liquid accelerant, and tested positive for such an accelerant in the area of the front door. Although no clear motive was found, and Willingham's wife denied that they had fought prior to the night of the fire, later testimony from a fellow inmate claimed that Willingham had confessed to starting the fire.

Charcoal starter fluid and an outdoor grill were kept on the front porch of Willingham's house as evidenced by a melted container found there. Some of this fluid may have entered the front doorway of the house carried along by fire hose water. While laboratory tests verified that an accelerant was used only near the front porch, it was alleged that this fluid was deliberately poured near the front porch, a children's bedroom and a hallway to start the fire and that Willingham included the entranceway by the front porch so as to impede rescue attempts. Willingham volunteered the information that squirrels had been getting into his roof in the weeks prior to the fire, and suggested to neighbors immediately afterwards that the fire was of electrical origin.^[6] He maintained this explanation, with qualifications as to his lack of expertise, in his police statement. The prosecution used this and other arson theories, some of which have since been brought into question.

Long after the original conviction, in 2004 Gerald Hurst, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry, examined the arson evidence compiled by Manuel Vasquez, the state deputy fire marshal. Hurst said that Vasquez was incorrect when he said that the extreme heat of the fire (as evidenced by a melted aluminum threshold) indicated that an accelerant was used, and said that experiments prove that wood and liquid accelerant fires can burn with equal heat. Hurst's own experiments showed that burning with an accelerant does not leave the kind of brown stains that Vasquez claimed were created that way. Hurst also said that the crazed glass that Vasquez said was caused by a liquid accelerant had been found as a result of brush fires elsewhere. Experiments showed that crazed glass was caused not by rapid heating but by cooling, and that glass cooled by water from a fire hose was more likely to have a crazed or cracked pattern. A $20,000 experimental house fire set without an accelerant created the same pour patterns and V shaped pattern that Vasquez attributed to the use of a liquid accelerant. Vasquez thought that Willingham lied when he said he escaped without burning his feet, because he thought that an accelerant was used that would spread fire along the floor. However, since no accelerant was needed to create the results found, Willingham could well have been telling the truth when he said that he ran out without burning his feet, presuming he left before the fire achieved flashover.

According to Hurst, when a fire reaches the flashover threshold, it is impossible to visually identify accelerant patterns. While the prosecutor thought that the "bizarre" path of the flame indicated that an accelerant was used, Hurst said that the path of the fire followed a post-flashover pattern of going in the direction of ventilation. Although Willingham was accused of using an accelerant in three different places, the front porch was the only place where an accelerant was verified by laboratory tests, and a photograph taken of the house before the fire showed that a charcoal grill was there. The family confirmed that lighter fluid was by the grill used for family barbecues. Water sprayed by firefighters likely spread the lighter fluid from the melted container. All twenty of the indications listed by Vasquez of an accelerant being used were rebutted by Hurst.^[1]

On returning to the house after the fire in the company of fireman Ron Franks, Willingham said that he had been over earlier and poured flammable British Sterling cologne in the hallway from the bathroom to the bedroom in which the twins had died, because they had loved its smell when they were alive.^[7]

A report prepared by Craig Beyler for the Texas Forensic Science Commission said that investigators ignored the scientific method for analyzing fires described in NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations and relied on "folklore" and "myths". Beyler also said that Vasquez was incorrect when he said that witnesses saw three different fires, and that they only reported smoke from the fire that began in the bedroom.^[2] Beyler wrote in his report, "in the end, the only (basis) for the determination of arson ... is the burn patterns on the floor of the children's bedroom, the hallway and the porch interpreted as accelerant spill. None of these determinations have any basis in modern fire science."^[2] However, the City of Corsicana was extremely critical of Beyler's report, and produced a 21-page response pointing out that his report lacked objectivity, stating "Given some of Dr. Beyler’s distortions of the trial record, as described below, it may be that he has assumed the role of an advocate."^[3]

The Board of Pardons and Paroles received Hurst's description, but unanimously denied Willingham's petition for clemency. Governor Perry refused to grant a stay of execution, saying through a spokesperson that "The Governor made his decision based on the facts of the case."^[1] Governor Perry said that the "supposed experts" (using finger quotes) were wrong^[8] and not to listen to anti-death penalty "propaganda".^[9] Perry aide Mary Anne Wiley said the commission's $30,000 hiring of fire scientist Craig Beyler was a waste of taxpayer money.^[10] Jackson, one of the prosecutors, admitted that an "undeniably flawed forensic report" was used to convict Willingham, but claimed that other reasons established guilt.^[11]

In addition to the arson evidence, a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb claimed Willingham confessed that he set the fire to hide an injury or death of one of the girls, caused by his wife,^[12] although none of the girls were found at the time of death to have physical injuries still distinguishable after the effects of the fire.^[13] Webb later told a reporter for The New Yorker, "it's very possible I misunderstood what he said. Being locked up in that little cell makes you kind of crazy. My memory is in bits and pieces. I was on a lot of medication at the time. Everyone knew that.".^[1] At Willingham's trial, Webb offered an explanation for the individual, distinguishable burns that were found on Amber's forehead and arm, stating that Willingham confessed to burning her twice with a piece of "wadded up" paper in an effort to make it appear as though the children were "playing with fire".^[12] Webb was later diagnosed bipolar and even the prosecutor described Webb as "an unreliable kind of guy", yet after Webb's testimony Jackson successfully got him released from prison early. Webb later sent Jackson a Motion to Recant Testimony, that declared, "Mr. Willingham is innocent of all charges." Willingham's attorneys were not notified and Webb later recanted his recantation. Webb later said, "The statute of limitations has run out on perjury, hasn’t it?"^[1]

During the penalty phase of the trial a prosecutor said that Willingham's tattoo of a skull and serpent fit the profile of a sociopath. Two medical experts confirmed the theory. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster, and said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities. Psychiatrist James Grigson said that a man of Willingham's criminal history was an "extremely severe sociopath" and was incurable. Grigson was an expert witness for the prosecution in murder trials across the state of Texas. Prior to his death, he upheld his record by stating that the prosecutors would not have them on trial if they were not a danger to society. "I did my part to put them away."^{[citation needed]}

Witnesses[link]

Further to the testimony of Webb and the arson evidence, the prosecution sought to establish that Willingham's conduct at the time of the fire and in the days afterwards was suspicious. As the fire took hold, Willingham was driven out through the front door of his house, where he crouched down near the entrance. On seeing neighbor Diane Barbe, Willingham began to shout at her to call 911, shouting "My babies are in there!"^[14] At trial, Willingham's conduct at the scene was described as oscillating between collected and hysterical - at times screaming for assistance, and at other times calmly pushing his car back from the flames that were engulfing his house.

Eyewitnesses also described his appearance as having "singed hair on his chest, eyelids, and head and had a two inch burn injury on his right shoulder, but the prosecution highlighted the absence of any evidence of smoke inhalation. His wrists and hands were blackened with smoke. He was eventually transported to the hospital for treatment, still resisting and still in handcuffs."^[15]

According to their sworn statements, both Brandice Barbe and Diane Barbe urged Willingham to return into the house to rescue his children, as according to Brandice Barbe, "all I could see was smoke".^[14] According to Brandice, he refused, and went to move his car away from the fire before returning to sit on a nearby lawn "not once attempting to go inside to rescue his children". Once the fire had reached flashover and the fire department arrived, Willingham became far more agitated, to the point of being restrained by emergency services.

In the following days, Willingham would return to the house with some family and friends, this gathering being described by neighbors as having an odd levity, which was seen to turn sombre on the arrival of authorities.^[16] On returning to the scene of the fire with fireman Ron Franks, in an effort to recover personal property (which was described as a very usual request at trial), Willingham was visibly dismayed to be unable to find a dart set. At a local bar, where a fundraiser was held for the Willingham family, he placed an order for a replacement set, stating that "money was not a problem now".^[17]

Motivation[link]

The prosecution claimed that Willingham may have been motivated by a desire to rid himself of his unwanted children.^[18] The prosecutor claimed that the fire which killed the children was the third attempt by Willingham to do so after attempting to abort each of two pregnancies by kicking his wife in order to cause miscarriages.^[19] However, in a follow up article by David Grann, it was noted that" ...there is evidence that Willingham hit his wife, even when she was pregnant, but there were no police reports or medical evidence indicating that Willingham had tried to abort or kill his children" and that "Willingham’s wife insisted during the trial and under interrogation that Willingham had not physically abused the children.".^[20] The testimony at trial of Johnny Webb, a jailhouse informant, suggested that Willingham had set the fire in order to cover up an injury or death of one of the children due to his wife's actions.^[21]

The prosecutor also claimed that Willingham was a serial wife abuser, both physically and emotionally. Jackson also claimed Willingham had abused animals and was a sociopath.^[11] However, those not associated with the case paint a different picture of Willingham. His former probation officer, Polly Goodin, said he had never demonstrated bizarre or sociopathic behavior and that “He was probably one of my favorite kids.” Even a former judge named Bebe Bridges—who had often stood, as she put it, on the “opposite side” of Willingham in the legal system, and who had sent him to jail for stealing—said that she could not imagine him killing his children. “He was polite, and he seemed to care,” she said.^[1]

Trial[link]

Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. During his trial in August 1992, he was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea, which he turned down insisting he was innocent.^[22] At trial, the fire investigator Vasquez testified that there were three points of origin for the fire, which indicated that the fire was "intentionally set by human hands". A sample of burned material near the doorway of the house tested positive for mineral spirits, indicating the presence of lighter fluid. Willingham had escaped the fire with bare feet and no burn marks. This was taken as evidence that accelerant was poured by Willingham as he left the house. Several witnesses testified for the prosecution.^[1]

In 2009, John Jackson, the prosecutor at the trial stated that burns suffered by Willingham were so superficial as to suggest that the same were self-inflicted in an attempt to divert suspicion from himself.^[11] However, The New Yorker writer David Grann says that fire investigators who reviewed the case told him that "Willingham’s first-degree and second-degree burns were consistent with being in a fire before the moment of 'flashover'—that is, when everything in a room suddenly ignites."^[20]

Commenting on the condition of the house, Jackson added "any escape or rescue route from the burning house was blocked by a refrigerator which had been pushed against the back door, requiring any person attempting escape to run through the conflagration at the front of the house."^[11] There were two refrigerators in the Willingham house. Jimmie Hensley, a police detective, and Douglas Fogg, the assistant fire chief, who both investigated the fire, told The New Yorker author Grann that they had never believed that the fridge was part of the arson plot. “It didn’t have [anything] to do with the fire,” Fogg said.^[1]

Jackson also contradicted Willingham's account by claiming blood-gas analysis at Navarro Regional Hospital shortly after the fire revealed that Willingham had not inhaled any smoke. Willingham's statement and eyewitness accounts had detailed rescue attempts.^[11]

Consistent with typical Navarro County death penalty practice, Willingham was offered the opportunity to eliminate himself as a suspect by polygraph examination, which "was rejected in the most vulgar and insulting manner," according to Jackson.^[11] Against the advice of his own counsel, Willingham also declined a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. He insisted he would not admit to something he had not done, even if it meant sparing his life.

Appeals, incarceration, and execution[link]

Ellis Unit, where Willingham was initially confined

Willingham had the Texas Department of Criminal Justice number 999041.^[23] While on death row, Willingham was initially incarcerated in the Ellis Unit,^[24] and later in the Polunsky Unit.^[25] Willingham maintained his innocence up until his death and spent years trying to appeal his conviction. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Willingham a writ of habeas corpus a month before his execution. Dr. Gerald Hurst, an Austin scientist and fire investigator, reviewed the case and concluded there was "no evidence of arson", the same conclusion reached by other fire investigators. Hurst's report was sent to governor Rick Perry's office as well as Board of Pardons and Paroles along with Willingham's appeal for clemency.^[26] Neither responded to Willingham's appeals. In response to allegations that he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Perry was quoted as stating "he was a wife beater." "The whole case was based on the purest form of junk science," Hurst later said. "There was no item of evidence that indicated arson." Perry spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said the Governor had weighed the "totality of the issues that led to (Willingham's) conviction." She said he was aware of a "claim of a reinterpretation of (the) arson testimony."^[27]

Willingham was moved to the Allan B. Polunsky Unit

Willingham was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004, at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. He was 36 years old. When asked if he had a final statement, Willingham said: "Yeah. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return, so the earth shall become my throne. I gotta go, Road Dog. I love you, Gabby."^[28]

He then addressed his ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, who was watching about 8 feet (2.4 m) away through a window. Willingham said, "I hope you rot in hell, bitch; I hope you fucking rot in hell bitch; You bitch; I hope you fucking rot, cunt. That is it."^[29] and then attempted to maneuver his hand, strapped at the wrist to the execution gurney, into an obscene gesture.^[18] Kuykendall showed no reaction to the outburst. While she initially believed in her husband's innocence, following the trial she told him she no longer believed him and publicized her change of heart. Willingham was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m., seven minutes after the lethal dose of chemicals began.

Huntsville Unit, where Willingham was executed.

Post-execution attention[link]

Since Willingham's execution, persistent questions have been raised as to the accuracy of the forensic evidence used in the conviction; specifically, whether it can be proven that an accelerant (such as the lighter fluid mentioned above) was used to start the fatal fire.^[30] Fire investigator Gerald L. Hurst reviewed the case documents, including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene. Hurst said in December 2004 that "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. It was just a fire."^[13]

In June 2009 the State of Texas ordered an unprecedented^{[citation needed]} re-examination of the case. In August 2009, eighteen years after the fire and five years after Willingham's execution, a report conducted by Dr. Craig Beyler, hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission to review the case, found that "a finding of arson could not be sustained". Beyler said that key testimony from a fire marshal at Willingham's trial was "hardly consistent with a scientific mind-set and is more characteristic of mystics or psychics".^[1][2]

The prosecutor, John Jackson, and the City of Corsicana have both released formal responses to the Beyler Report on the investigation of the fire that killed Willingham's three children at the behest of the Texas Forensic Science Commission.^[31] Both were sharply critical of Beyler.^[11] In a 2009 article discussing the reasons why Willingham was found guilty, Jackson recalled witness statements established that Willingham was overheard whispering to his deceased older daughter at the funeral home, "You're not the one who was supposed to die." Jackson stated that Willingham's comment was an indicator of guilt. In a rebuttal David Grann wrote, "If the arson investigators had concluded there was no scientific evidence that a crime had occurred—as the top fire investigators in the country have now determined—Willingham’s words at the funeral would surely be viewed as a sign that he was tormented by the fact that he had survived without saving his children."^[20]

An August 2009 Chicago Tribune investigative article concluded: "Over the past five years, the Willingham case has been reviewed by nine of the nation's top fire scientists—first for the Tribune, then for the Innocence Project, and now for the commission. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony^[1] by another inmate who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. Jailhouse snitches are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use."^[32]

The Texas Forensic Science Commission was scheduled to discuss the report by Beyler at a meeting on October 2, 2009, but two days before the meeting Texas Governor Rick Perry replaced the chair of the commission and two other members. The new chair canceled the meeting—sparking accusations that Perry was interfering with the investigation^[4] and using it for his own political advantage.^[33]

In October 2009, the city of Corsicana released two affidavits that included statements from Ronnie Kuykendall, the former brother-in-law of Willingham, originally made in 2004. According to the affidavits, Willingham's ex-wife had told Ronnie that Willingham had confessed to her that he had set the fire. Stacy herself told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on October 25, 2009^[34] that during a final prison meeting just weeks before he was put to death Willingham admitted setting the fire, as a response to Stacy's alleged threats of divorce the night before.^[35] Journalists familiar with the case noted that Stacy Kuykendall's statement explicitly contradicted previous comments, legal testimony, and numerous published interviews before and after the execution.^[36] This was also noted by Willingham's prosecutor, who said "It’s hard for me to make heads or tails of anything she said or didn't say."^[37] For example, Kuykendall had earlier in 2009 supported her 2004 contradiction of her brother's affidavit (saying that there had been no confession), and had previously always maintained that things had been amicable between her and Willingham before the fire.^[35] In 2010, she declared, "Todd murdered Amber, Karmon and Kameron. He burnt them. He admitted he burnt them to me, and he was convicted for his crime. That is the closest to justice that my daughters will ever get."^[38]

A four-person panel of the Texas Forensic Science Commission investigating evidence of arson presented in the case acknowledged on July 23, 2010, that state and local arson investigators used "flawed science" in determining the blaze had been deliberately set. It also found insufficient evidence to prove that state Deputy Fire Marshal Manuel Vasquez and Corsicana Assistant Fire Chief Douglas Fogg were negligent or guilty of misconduct in their arson work.^[39]

In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression".^[40]

In popular culture[link]

• Incendiary: The Willingham Case, a 2011 documentary film dissecting the case and its controversial aftermath, which won the Louis Black Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival.^[41] The film was one of ten American films screened in the 2011 AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival U.S. Feature Competition.^[42]

See also[link]

	Texas portal
	Biography portal

• Capital punishment in Texas
• Capital punishment in the United States
• Carlos DeLuna
• List of individuals executed in Texas

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Grann, David (September 7, 2009). "Trial by Fire". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann. 
• Mills, Steve; Maurice Possley (December 9, 2004). "Man executed on disproved forensics". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0412090169dec09,0,1173806.story. Retrieved September 1, 2009. 
• Offender Information. Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
• Last Statement. Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
• Cameron Todd Willingham. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
• Blumenthal, Ralph. Faulty Testimony Sent 2 to Death Row, Panel Finds. The New York Times (2006-05-03). Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
• "Document - USA (Texas): Further Information on Death penalty, Cameron Todd Willingham". December 13, 2004. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/182/2004/en/dom-AMR511822004en.html. Retrieved September 1, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
• Carson, David (February 18, 2004). "Texas Execution Information: Cameron Willingham". http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/320.asp. 
• Craig L. Beyler, Ph.D. Technical Director (August 17, 2009). "Analysis of the Fire Investigation Methods and Procedures Used in the Criminal Arson Cases Against Ernest Ray Willis and Cameron Todd Willingham". docstoc.com. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=10401390. Retrieved September 1, 2009. 

External links[link]

• City of Corsicana Response to Beyler Report, 29 September 2009
• "Media Advisory: Cameron Todd Willingham Scheduled For Execution." - Texas Attorney General - Friday February 13, 2004
• Analysis of the Fire Investigation Methods and Procedures Used in the Criminal Arson Case Against Ernest Ray Willis and Cameran Todd Willingham - Craig L. Beyler.
• Willingham Files - A collection of all stories published by the Corsicana Daily Sun
• "Media Advisory: Cameron Todd Willingham Scheduled For Execution." Texas Attorney General
• Kaye, Randi. "Did Texas execute innocent man?". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/10/04/kaye.execution.coverup.cnn. Retrieved 2009-10-04.  (Video)
• Lithwick, Dahlia. "Not Innocent Enough". Slate.com. http://www.slate.com/id/2227222. 
• Innocence Project case summary
• PBS portal on the Cameron Todd Willingham case - including original documents
• a shorter summary of the Cameron Todd Willingham case - a slide show presentation

Stormy Daniels
Stormy Daniels attending the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 8, 2010
Born	Stephanie Gregory [1] (1979-03-17) March 17, 1979 (age 33)[2] Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Other names	Stormy, Stormy Waters
Ethnicity	Irish American and Cherokee[3]
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight	130 lb (59 kg)
Spouse	Mike Moz
No. of adult films	127 as actress, 23 as director (per IAFD)
Website
http://www.stormydaniels.com

Stormy Daniels (born Stephanie Gregory Clifford^[1][4] in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on March 17, 1979^[2]), also known as Stormy Waters and simply Stormy, is an American pornographic actress, screenwriter,^[5] and director. In 2009, a recruitment effort led her to consider challenging incumbent David Vitter for the 2010 Senate election in her native Louisiana.

Early life[link]

Daniels' parents divorced when she was four. She was subsequently raised by her mother. Daniels has said of her childhood that she "came from an average, lower-income household...there [were] days without electricity".^[6] She attended a magnet school in Louisiana^[3] and was the editor of her high school paper^[7] and president of the 4-H club.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Daniels began stripping at age 17 at a club in Baton Rouge^[3], then expanded to become a feature performer in September 2000.^{[citation needed]} She chose her stage name to reflect her love of Mötley Crüe, whose bassist, Nikki Sixx, named his daughter Storm.^[8] While working as a feature she met Devon Michaels, who was doing lesbian scenes in a pair of upcoming movies — one for Wicked Pictures and one for Sin City--and invited Daniels to accompany her.^[9] Daniels accompanied Michaels to her Wicked shoot, where she met Brad Armstrong and co-starred with Michaels in her Sin City scene, American Girls Part 2. Afterwards, Armstrong invited Daniels to stay with him^[9] where she continued doing lesbian-only scenes.