Michelle Lyons is a journalist from Texas which witnessed around 300 executions of detainees. In his book “Death Row: The Final Minutes” he reveals the last sentences of the inmates, some horrifying and hard to forget.
Lyons, who worked for The Huntsville Item from 2000 to 2012, has over the years witnessed the execution of hundreds of death row inmates killed by lethal injection, the first killer being Javier Cruz in 1998.
In the book he says that some apologize for the crimes committed while others choose other paths, still others are hard to forget their last words.
He recalled: “One night there were two executions. The first told the families of the victims “I hope that on your way home you will have an accident and die” and “kiss my ass”.
Lyons says: “In the second execution, the boy apologized instead, cried and said to the victim’s family: I’m so sorry for doing this to you.” “It was a really crazy contrast within 30 minutes and it stuck with me.”
During the execution there are usually witnesses and media taken to a small room where they can see the inmate already tied to a stretcher. There is a central room and two witness rooms divided by a wall, so that the two groups do not have a chance to meet.
Texas, the last hours of life of the inmates
Lyons explained that the executions were initially “impartial and unaffected” as they lasted only a few minutes. But that later changed when he started working as an official spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and witnessed the last hours of life of the inmates.
This includes meeting with prisoners hours before they die and visiting prison chaplains who offer advice to the inmates on “how to die well”. Lyons says it was a tough undertaking at times as some refused to die quietly, as it were, and rebelled.
Officers were often forced to hunt them on the prison grounds but by far the most chilling part of the execution is when inmates are given the opportunity to speak before they die.
Sentenced to death, the last words before dying
“Most don’t talk for long but in 2000, before Gary Graham’s execution, they spent more than 20 minutes. They usually don’t allow it. Normally the manager allows you to speak for about two minutes. “
In another final speech, Cameron Todd Willingham, launched into a rant directed at his ex-wife, including “every dirty word you can imagine.”
Lyon recalled that the director kicked off the start of the execution while he continued to hurl insults at the woman until she was silent forever.
The former reporter said: “Some people do outlandish things. One boy started telling jokes, another referred to a song, “The Road Goes On Forever And The Party Never Ends”, by a Texan singer-songwriter.