A British bride screamed 'I love you' through a viewing window as she watched her husband die by lethal injection in Texas, just weeks after they married behind bars. Tiana Krasniqi, 31, a law graduate from Lewisham, London, sobbed and threw herself against the glass as James Broadnax, 37, was executed on Tuesday evening.
Broadnax was pronounced dead at 6:47 pm after a dose of pentobarbital, despite a last-minute confession from his cousin claiming to be the real shooter. In his final words, Broadnax maintained his innocence in the double murder of two music producers 18 years ago, saying: 'Texas got it wrong. I'm innocent.'
Krasniqi, who moved to Houston to be near her husband, shared a harrowing account of the execution on Instagram, claiming Broadnax suffered a nosebleed and bruising from the injection. She had protested his innocence throughout, even begging 'Take me. Don't take him' in a final plea.
The couple met in 2024 when Krasniqi, studying international human rights law, chose Broadnax as a case study. Their romance blossomed, and they married on April 14 in a 15-minute ceremony. Krasniqi has a nine-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, who remains in the UK with her father.
Broadnax was convicted of fatally shooting Christian music producers Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler. His cousin Demarius Cummings confessed to being the shooter two months ago, but officials dismissed the claim as 'questionable evidence' and denied reprieves. Seven relatives, including the victims' parents, witnessed the execution.
