A death row inmate in Texas has been executed despite his cousin admitting to being the actual perpetrator of the crime. James Broadnax, 37, was put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday evening for the 2008 shootings of two Christian music producers outside a studio in Dallas.
Final Statement and Claims of Innocence
In his final statement before execution, Broadnax declared: "Texas got it wrong. I'm innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself." He also apologized to the victims' families for his involvement in the robbery that preceded the murders, saying: "I wish I could show them my soul, so they could see just how sorry I am."
Prosecutorial Misconduct Allegations
Broadnax's legal team argued that prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by using rap lyrics he had written to portray him as violent and dangerous, and by dismissing potential jurors based on race. Several high-profile rappers, including Travis Scott, T.I., and Killer Mike, submitted briefs to the Supreme Court supporting his appeal, which was ultimately rejected.
Cousin's Confession
Demarius Cummings, Broadnax's cousin who was sentenced to life without parole for the same crime, recently confessed in a video: "I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swann." Broadnax's solicitors noted that Cummings' DNA was found on the murder weapon and in a victim's pocket, not Broadnax's. However, the Texas Attorney General's Office dismissed Cummings' confession as "questionable new evidence."
Execution and Wedding
Broadnax was administered a lethal injection at 6:47 p.m. local time at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. Just days before, on April 14, he married Tiana Krasniqi, a British law school graduate, at the prison. Krasniqi had appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this week, stating she wanted to be present if the execution proceeded.
Broadnax became the third person executed in Texas this year, a state that historically carries out more executions than any other in the United States. The victims' families have called for the execution to proceed, with Matthew Butler's mother, Theresa Butler, calling the confession a "stall tactic."
