These
last words are what make these so interesting, see? Just like the anti-death penalty people would have you believe, these convicts want their audiences to believe they are innocent. Listen to what
William Chappell has to say before they inject him:
"Jane, Grace and all of you all, I know you think I did this, and I'm sure you think this is wonderful in you eyes. But, let me tell you something, there were two DNA tests run and none matched me. I wanted a third, but that never happened. Three people at different times confessed to killing these people - your parents. They did not know me. My request is that you get yourselves in church and pray for forgiveness because you are murdering me. I did not kill anyone in my life. If you will look at your house and the police report, there are several bullet patterns shot into the West wall over the bed and the East wall and North wall and your sister was in the front bedroom while 30 shots were fired. There's no way in hell she would have laid in that bed. If you think I did this, you need to think again. There were three people in the house and have confessed to it. Larry Ashworth in Fort Worth killed seven people. All I was asking for was a DNA and I could not get it. But get in church and get right with God. Jane, you know damn well I did not molest that kid of yours. You are murdering me and I feel sorry for you. Get in church and get saved. I really don't know what else to tell you."
Then you read the circumstances surrounding his insistence of innocence about the murder and the offhand reference at the end of his statement about the molestation.
"Chappell killed his former girlfriend's family in retaliation for testifying against him in an indecency trial. In May 1987, Chappell was found guilty of one count of indecency with a 3 year old child and was sentenced to five years confinement. Chappell was released on bond pending appeal. After the indecency trial, the family of the victim congregated outside the courtroom. When Chappell came out, he informed the victim's grandmother, Martha Lindsey, that "it wasn't over yet" and that he "would get her for that." According to testimony from his wife (received in exchange for a probated sentence), in January 1988 Chappell was driven to the residence of Martha Lindsey, with gasoline intending to burn their house down. He was unsuccessful. Then on May 3, 1988, his wife again drove Chappell to the residence. He was dressed in dark clothing, makeup and a wig. Chappell also had a black ski mask, brown gloves and a nylon tote bag containing a walkie-talkie, the 9-mm gun, a pistol, the silencer, clips for the guns, a crowbar, and wire cutters. 15 to 20 minutes later, Chappell contacted Hayes by walkie-talkie and she picked him up. When he got into the van, Chappell stated that he had "shot Jane, her mother, and her daddy." He also said that he had taken some money to make it look like a robbery. The pair then drove back to Tennessee, where they disposed of as much evidence as possible."
Quite a different picture than the one Chappell would have you believe.
Totem