MINUTE
MINUTE DELAYS, JOHN WILLIAM KING HAS ABOUT 20 HOURS LEFT TO THE
LIVE.
LIVE. KING OF COURSE THE RINGLEADER IN THE DRAGGING DEATH OF BYRD -
WHO WILL BE EXECUTED BY LETHAL
INJECTION IN HUNTSVILLE, AROUND
SIX TOMORROW NIGHT. LAWRENCE
BREWER WAS EXECUTED IN 20-11.
SHAWN BERRY WAS SENTENCED TO
LIFE IN PRISON.
ON JUNE 7TH, 1998, THE CRIME
JOLTED AMERICA. SOME WOULD
SAY ITTCHANGED JASPER FOREVER.
PROSECUTORS SAY THE THREE WHITE
SAY
SAY THE
SAY THE THREE WHITE MEN CHAINED BYRD TO A PICKUP- AND DRAGGED HIM FOR THREE MILES ALONG HUFF
CREEK ROAD. ALL THESE YEARS
LATER, THE BYRD FAMILY CANNOT
COMPREHEND IT.
COMPREHEND IT.
"I
"I COULD
"I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN."
"WE GOT THROUGH IT BY THE GRACE
OF GOD. SOME NEGATIVE, SOME
POSITIVE BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH.
12NEWS REPORTER TYLER
12NEWS
12NEWS REPORTER TYLER
SEGGERMAN
SEGGERMAN IS LIVE TONIGHT IN HUNTSVILLE, WHERE KING IS SPENDING HIS FINAL NIGHT.
TYLER ?
IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS... TEXAS
PLANS
PLANS TO
PLANS TO EXECUTE THE 44- YEAR- OLD KING HERE --- INSIDE THE TEXAS STATE
TEXAS STATE
PLANS
PLANS TO
PLANS TO EXECUTEETHE 44- YEAR- OLD KING HERE --- INSIDE THE TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY AT
HUNTSVILLE... ALSO KNOWN AS THE
PLANS
PLANS TO
PLANS TO EXECUTE THE 44- YEAR- OLD KING HERE --- INSIDE THE TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY AT
HUNTSVILLE... ALSO
HUNTSVILLE... ALSO
KNOWN
KNOWN AS
KNOWN AS THE "WALLS UNIT." FORMER JASPER COUNTY SHERIFF BILLY ROWLES TELLS 12NEWS, HE'LL
COME TO HUNTSVILLE, BUT HE
DOESN'T PLAN TO BE INSIDE TO
WITNESS THE EXECUTION.
17-27
"I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE
LONGEST DAYS OF MY LIFE."
THE
THE DRAGGING DEATH OF JAMES BYRD JUNIOR LEFT A SCAR ON JASPER
JASPER
THAT'S
THAT'S FADED BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. FORMER JASPER COUNTY SHERIFF BILLY ROWLES HOPES THE
EXECUTION OF "RINGLEADER" JOHN
WILLIAM KING OFFERS A SMALL
SENSE OF CLOSURE.
"I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THIS
WOULD END IT FOR THE FAMILY, I
WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAA. I
WOULD LIKE TO THINK IT WILL BE
THE END FOR A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
IN JASPER." ROWLES SERVED AS THE
HUNTSVILLE TOMORROW...BUT HAS CHOSEN TO NOT WITNESS THE EXECUTION. TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE
IDEA OF THE MINDSET FOR
KING...SHERIFF ROWLES TELLS ME
QUOTE "HE'S HAVING A ROUGH TIME
PRAYER
PRAYER VIGIL TOMORROW NIGHT AT SIX. - COINCIDING WITH THE EXECUTION TIME. -- AT JAMES
BYRD JR MEMORIAL PARK IN JASPER.
TODAY
TODAY WE
TODAY WE SPOKE WITH A CHILDHOOD FRIEND OF BYRD'S. AARON ALLEN TELLS US JAMES BYRD JUNIOR
LOVED HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND
HAD A PASSION FOR MUSIC --
ESPECIALLY THE TRUMPET. ALLEN
IS HOPEFUL TOMORROW'S PUNISHMENT
MAY HELP JASPER - AND THE BYRD
FAMILY -
FAMILY -
TO
TO MOVE
TO MOVE FORWARD. "I HOPE AFTER THISSEXECUTION ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, YOU ALWAYS HAD
LOVE IN YOUR HEART BEFORE AND
AFTER. KEEP THAT LOVE IN YOUR
HEART BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE
GREAT!"
AGAIN, TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6 --
THE BYRD FAMILY WILL HOLD A
PRAYER VIGIL
PRAYER VIGIL
--
-- AT
-- AT JAMES BYRD JUNIOR MEMORIAL PARK ON BUTCH STREET ROAD. 12NEWS ANCHOR ERIKA HARRIS AND
REPORTER TYLER SEGGERMAN WILL
HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FROM
HUNTSVILLE TOMORROW. STAY WITH
US ON AIR -- AND ONLINE --
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.