>>> WHAT WOULD IT DO TO YOU TO WATCH PEOPLE DIE FOR A LIVING?
LARRY FITZGERALD, A SPOKESPERSON
FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE. IT WAS HIS JOB TO WATCH EXCUTE
THE MEN AND WOMEN ITS SEN TEPSED
TO THE DEATH CHAMBER.
MICHELLE LEFT HER REPORTING JOB
TO WORK ALONGSIDE LARRY.
AND OVER THE YEARS, MICHELLE AND
LARRY WATCHED THE EXECUTIONS OF
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
I RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SIT DOWN WITH BOTH OF THEM
AND THEY E THEY SHARED WITH ME
WHAT THEY WNGSED.
>> THERE'S ONE EXECUTION THAT I
SEE VERY VIVIDLY AND HONESTLY, I
DO NOT REMEMBER THE MAN'S NAME.
I CAN PICK WHICH YOU ARE HIS
FACE AND WHY IT'S REALLY STUCK
WITH ME IS THAT THERE WERE NO
WITNESSES.
WITNESSES. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES FOR THE
VICTIM'S FAMILY.
VICTIM'S FAMILY. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES FOR THE
INMATES FAMILY.
INMATES FAMILY. HE WAS THERE COMPLETELY ALONE.
AND WHEN THE WARDEN CAME IN AND
SAID DO YOU HAVE A LAST
STATEMENT, HE NEVER LOOKED TO
THE SIDE, JUST KEPT LOOKING AT
THE CEILING AND SHOOK HIS HEAD,
NO.
NO. AND AS THE CHEMICALS BEGAN TO
TAKE EFFECT, YOU JUST SAW HIS
ONE TEAR RUN DOWN HIS CHEEK.
AND IT REALLY STUCK WITH ME
BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A SAD,
LONELY THEME.
LONELY THEME. >> THIS IS THE DEATH CHAMBER IN
HUNTSSVILLE, TEXAS.
HUNTSSVILLE, TEXAS. DEATH ROW INMATES ARE BROUGHT TO
THIS UNIT WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR
FINAL HOURS.
FINAL HOURS. AND, FOR YEARS, MICHELLE LYONS
AND LARRY FITZGERALD WATCH THE
FINAL MOMENTS OF THOUGH INMATES'
LIVES.
LIVES. BOTH WERE FEATURES IN TEXAS
MONTHLY MAGAZINE, "THE WITNESS".
IN TOTAL, LARRY WITNESSED 290
EXECUTIONS.
EXECUTIONS. MICHELLE SAYS SHE SAW 208.
MICHELLE SAW HER FIRST AS A
REPORTER FOR THE LOCAL
NEWSPAPER.
NEWSPAPER. >> AT THAT TIME, IN 1998, I WAS
23.
23. >> THAT'S PRETTY YOUNG.
>> YES, IT WAS YOUNG.
>> AT THE SAME TIME, LARRY
FITZGERALD WAS WORKING AS A
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL
JUS TUS.
JUS TUS. >> SO YOU HAVE BECOME THE FACE
FOR THE EXECUTIONS IN TEXAS.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> AND THAT'S BECAUSE EVERY TIME
THERE'S AN EXECUTION IN TEXAS,
THERE'S A CERTAIN KIND OF RITUAL
TO IT.
TO IT. AND YOU ARE THE PERSON GIVING
THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. >> TRUE.
>> TRUE. WE ALLOW FIVE PEOPLE, FIVE MEDIA
MEMBERS, WE DID, ALLOW FIVE
MEDIA MEMBERS TO COME IN AND
WITNESS THE EXECUTION.
SO WHEN THE EXECUTION WAS OVER,
I WOULD GO FORWARD AND TELL THE
MEDIA THAT DIDN'T COME IN.
SO AND SO IS PRONOUNCED DEAD,
HERE'S THE FINAL STATEMENT.
YEAH.
YEAH. >> BY 2000, TEXAS GOVERNOR
GEORGE W. BUSH HAD HIS SIGH
ESIGHTEDS SET.
ESIGHTEDS SET. >> THERE WAS GROWING DEBATE IN
THIS COUNTRY OVER CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT.
PUNISHMENT. AND WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNOR
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, THE I
SHALL SHOE IS EVEN MORE
COMPLICATED.
COMPLICATED. >> BUSH HAS MADE IT CLEAR.
HE'S NOT ASHAMED OF HIS RECORD
ON THE DEATH PENALTY.
>> I RECA
>> I RECA I SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT SAVES
LIVES.
LIVES. >> BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE
STATE OF TEXAS HAD REACHED A
GRIM MILESTONE.
GRIM MILESTONE. 40 EXKOOUGSS.
40 EXKOOUGSS. THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. ALMOST FOUR TIMES MORE IN
OKLAHOMA, THE STATE WITH THE
SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF
EXECUTIONS THE SAME YEAR.
>> IN 200, THAT WAS THE MOST
THAT HAD EVER BEEN CARRIED OUT.
>> BACK THEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN I
WAS JUST STARTING AND COVERING
THOSE 40 DURING THAT YEAR, I DID
NOT FEEL ANY CONFLICT AT ALL.
TO ME, THIS WAS MY JOB.
MY JOB WAS TO BE AN UNBIASSED
REPORTER AND BE DOWN THE MIDDLE
AND I DIDN'T LET IT IMPACT ME
WHAT SO EVER.
>> ONE OF THE INMATES EXECUTED
THAT YEAR WAS GARY GRAHAM.
A MAN WHO MAINTAINED HIS
INNOCENCE UNTIL THE END AND WHO
FOUGHT OFF E OFFICERS ON THE WAY
TO THE GURNEY.
>> TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH
CALLED IT JUSTICE.
CONVICTED KILLER GARY GRAHAM
CALLED IT A LYNCHING.
>> THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE, NO MURDER WEAPON AND
OBAMA ONE EYEWITNESS.
>> MOST INMATES ARE NOT BOUND AT
THE HEAD.
THE HEAD. AND THAT WAS SIMPLY BECAUSE HE
HAD STRUGGLED WITH THE OFFICERS.
>> IT TOOK ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO
REMOOIF HIM FROM THE CELL AND
GAVE HIM AN ADDITIONAL 60
SECONDS TO STRAP HIM TO THE
GURNEY.
GURNEY. >> MICHELLE Y E LYONS SHARED
WHAT SHE HAD SEEN AS A NATIONAL
AUDIENCE.
AUDIENCE. >> WAS THIS HARD FOR YOU TO
WITNESS?
WITNESS? >> IT REALLY ISN'T.
IT REALLY IS LIKE WATCHING A
CLINICAL PROCEDURE.
CLINICAL PROCEDURE. I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A HOSPITAL
ROOM WHILE ANYONE WAS BEING
OPERATED OR WORKED ON, BUT THAT
IS VERY MUCH HOW I WOULD IMAGINE
IT TO BE.
IT TO BE. >> BUT MICHELLE'S REPORTER
INSTINCTS WERE, AT TIMES,
CHALLENGED.
CHALLENGED. BLUE E LULL
BUT THE IMAGE OF OF A WOMAN ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS.
>> SHE WAS VERY EL E ELDERLY AT
THE TIME AND SHE WAS WEARING HIS
E THIS FLORAL DRESS AND HER
PEARLS AND IT JUST TORE ME UP.
SHE INSISTED THAT SHE BE
STANDING UP SO THAT HE COULD SEE
HER THROUGH THE GLASS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST -- THAT'S
ONE OF THE EXECUTIONS I CAN SO
VIVIDLY PICTURE.
VIVIDLY PICTURE. IT'S NOT HIM.
IT'S HER.
IT'S HER. I PICTURE HER HANDS AND HOW
WRINKLE ADD AND THEY WERE AGAIN
THE GLASS SO SHE COULD MAKE SURE
THAT HER SON COULD SEE HER.
>> IN 2001, LARRY FITZGERALD
RECRUITED MICHELLE.
RECRUITED MICHELLE. IT EVOLVED WHEN SHE BECAME A
MOTHER IN 2005.
>> UP UNTIL THAT POINT, I HAD
AUMGS SYMPATHIZED WITH THE
VICTIM'S FAMILY.
VICTIM'S FAMILY. THEY ERR WITNESSING THIS
EXECUTION.
EXECUTION. AFTER HAVING A CHILD OF MY OWN,
I REALLY STARTED TO E EE EED EM
THE INMATE'S FAMILY AS WELL.
THEY'RE WATCHING THEIR LOVED ONE
DIE.
DIE. YOU HAVE A MOTHER WHO IS
WATCHING THEIR SON GO TO SLEEP
FOREVER.
FOREVER. AND I STARTED TO HAVE A MUCH
HARDER TIME WITH IT.
>> LARRY FITZGERALD WITNESSING
THE EBLG E EXECUTION, STILL WASZ
E WEIGHS ON HIM TO THIS DAY.
>> SOME OF THE EXECUTIONS, I
STILL THINK ABOUT.
I HAVE SOME DREAMS ABOUT THEM.
>> WHICH ONES?
>> THESE ARE THE FACT E FACTS.
IN 1983, CAR LA FAYRENH E FAYE
TUCKER AND HER BOY FRIEND KILLED
TWO PEOPLE IN A HOUSTON
APARTMENT.
APARTMENT. >> SHE WOULD BE THE FIRST WOMAN
PUT TO DEATH IN TEXAS SINCE THE
CIVIL WAR.
CIVIL WAR. >> SHE WAS A BORN AGAIN
CHRISTIAN AND I HAVE NO DOUBT
ABOUT HER SINCERITY.
>> SO FAR, THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE HAS RECEIVED 2400 LETTERS
IN THE TUCKER CASE BY A MARGIN
OF MORE THAN FIVE TO ONE,
THEY'RE PLEADING FOR CLEMENCY.
>> AND I SHARED THIS BEFORE.
I SEE JESUS COMING AND JUST
LITERALLY TAKING ME PILL THE ARM
AND ELSE KORTING ME HOME FROM
THAT TABLE.
THAT TABLE. >> SHELY RALLY SKIPPED DOWN THE
AISLE.
AISLE. CLIMBED UP ONLY THE GURNEY.
SHE WAS CON VINCED SHE'S GOING
TO A BETTER PLACE.
>> AND YOU STILL THINK ABOUT
THAT?
THAT? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >>> WE BECAME FRIENDS.
THAT'S THE THING ABOUT THE JOB
THAT I HAD.
YOU'RE ON DEATH ROW.
AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
SOMETIMES TWICE A WEEK DEPENDING
ONLY IF YOU'RE FEMALE DEATH ROW
AND MALE DEATH ROW.
YOU GET TO KNOW THE DEFENDER.
YOU BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
THERE'S ONE OFFENDER THAT, WHEN
I WALKED IN, HE WAS IN A HOLDING
CELL.
CELL. HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID WELL,
YOU KNEW IT WAS GOING TO COME
DOWN TO THIS SOONER OR LATER.
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW. HE MADE A REQUEST.
YOU KNOW WHAT I RECALL'D REALLY
LIKE.
LIKE. I SAID WHAT?
I'D LIKE SOME BRKSZ IN CHERRIES.
>> TODAY, LARRY AND MICHELLE NO
LONGER WHO RECOLLECT FOR THE
TEXAS PRISON SYSTEM.
>>> BOTH TELL ME THEY STILL
SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY, BUT
DOUBTS REMAIN ABOUT THE PROCESS.
>> WHAT DID WATCHING THAT MUCH
RICH ALIZED DEATH DO TO YOU?
>> IT MADE ME THINK VERY
SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE DEATH
PENALTY.
PENALTY. AND, AGAIN, I'LL SAY I'M NOT
AGAINST IT.
AGAINST IT. BUT IN QUESTIONINGS HOW THIS
PERSON WAS CONVICTED?
HOW DID THIS PERSON GET
CONVICTED.
CONVICTED. >> DO YOU THINK YOU EVER WATCHED
SOMEONE INNOCENT BE KILL SND.
>> THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE I HAD
SOME DOUBTS ABOUT.
>> WHABD E WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN
IF THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS
NENT?
NENT? >> IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE.
IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE.
>> THE KEY IS A SYSTEM THAT IS
TRANSPARENT.
TRANSPARENT. >> I ALWAYS WANT THE MEDIA TO BE
INVOLVED IN EVERY EXECUTION.
THEY HAVE TO BE THERE.
I MEAN, THAT IS THE PUBLIC'S EYE
INTO WHAT IS GOING ON.
AND THE ULTIMATE BUREAUCRATIC
SOLUTION.
SOLUTION. THE ULTIMATE BUREAUCRATIC
SOLUTION.
SOLUTION. THE HIGHEST STATE'S BUR OK REAL
SILL THERE.
SILL THERE. >> YES.
>> YES. >> GO TO ALLINWITHCHRIS.COM.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND A LINK TO
FANTASTIC REPORTING ON LARRY AND
MICHELLE WHICH INSPIRED US TO GO