Posted on 08/27/2004 10:33:22 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A death row inmate whose case attracted the attention of celebrity capital punishment opponent Susan Sarandon was executed Thursday evening for killing a convenience store clerk.
Speaking slowly and quietly, his voice halting at times, James Allridge thanked his family and friends for loving him and expressed remorse.
"I am sorry, I really am," he said in a brief final statement. "I am sorry I destroyed y'all's life," he said looking at the family of his victim. "Thank you for forgiving me. To the moon and back, I love you all. I leave you all as I came — in love." Nine minutes after the lethal injection, he was pronounced dead.
Allridge, 41, was the 12th Texas inmate executed this year and the second in as many nights. He was convicted of killing Fort Worth store clerk Brian Clendennen, 21, who was robbed of $300.
Also Thursday, Oklahoma death row inmate Windel Ray Workman was executed by injection for the 1987 beating death of his live-in girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter. He was the sixth person executed in Oklahoma this year.
Sarandon visited Allridge last month, has purchased some of his prison-made artwork and for years corresponded with him. The 57-year-old actress won an Academy Award in 1996 for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Helen Prejean in the movie version of the New Orleans-based nun's book "Dead Man Walking." Prejean was among those who witnessed the execution.
Allridge's brother, Ronald, was also put to death, in 1995, for killing a woman during the robbery of a fast-food restaurant. Two other brothers were at Thursday's execution.
"Our parents have lost their second son by lethal injection to the state of Texas," they said in a statement. "Their pain is incomprehensible."
Allridge's attorneys were rejected in their last-day appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the punishment and review the case. They had argued that his rehabilitation disproved his trial jury's finding he'd be a continuing threat to society — one of the criteria for the death penalty in Texas.
"My brother didn't even have a chance at life," the victim's brother, Shane Clendennen, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "People who say the death penalty is wrong haven't gone through this. All I have is a picture and a grave site."
In the Oklahoma case, Workman, 46, was executed for the Jan. 10, 1987, killing of Amanda Holman. Three doctors involved in the case said the little girl died of blunt head trauma, and that her injuries were consistent with being hit by a fist, a hard object or being slammed into a wall, court records say.
Workman maintained his innocence, claiming the bruises were caused by Amanda's falls from her bed and in the bathtub. Later, he claimed either Amanda's mom or grandmother were at fault.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and the 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Denver denied Workman's last-ditch efforts to save himself, rejecting his claims of innocence and inadequate trial defense. He did not appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I feel relieved," said Rebecca Griffitts, Amanda's mother, "but yet saddened, disappointed because he did not admit out of his own words and take responsibility for what he did."
Yeah, Texas is making this a nice little habit.
The more of these murderers we execute, the better off we will be down the road.
CORRECTION: "Our parents have lost their second son to thier own crimes and lack of moral upbringing"
Texas Death Row needs an express lane...
Imagine the pain of the families of their sons' victims. I can't imagine how these boys were raised - two murderers in one family?
I think being liked by Susan Sarandon is a capital offense in itself.
I wish California would get into the habit. There are over 600 people on death row. The last execution was a few years ago. Most of them will die of old age. The death penalty in California is meaningless.
Do you think the press will mention that Kerry is strongly anti the death penalty?
Of will they try to hide it like they do everything that might earmark him as a liberal.
Probably more.
Screw them. Dig 'em both up and kill 'em again, just for kicks.
I wonder if Sarandon would bond with someone who murdered one of her children. Then again, being the lamebrain liberal that she is, she probably would. She and Tim Robbins make a perfect couple.
The families of the victims grieve more - they had no warning of their child's death, they had no date and time for it. They received a phone call or a knock on the door. They have no time to say goodbye.
Yeah, whatever.
This was a great execution! It's like Texas just told Hollywood, "drop dead".
I admire the guy for leaving his family and the family of the man he murdered with loving words.
He sure seems to have come from a screwed up family though - two murderers in one family? Maybe it is better that they are put to death so that they won't be having any children.
Agreed. There should be a comparable number of executions each year, to the number of homicides.
About time they executed Tim Robbins.
You kill us we kill you back. LOL
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