On this date, December 10, 2020, Brandon
Bernard was executed in U.S. prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, by the US Federal
Government. He was convicted of the 1999 murders of Texas Couple, Todd and
Stacie Bagley in 1999.
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Brandon
Bernard |
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Born |
Brandon Am Bernard
San
Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
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Died |
December 10, 2020 (aged 40) Federal
Correctional Institution, Terre Haute,
Indiana, U.S. |
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Cause of
death |
Execution by lethal injection of
phenobarbital |
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Education |
Killeen High School
(1997–1998) |
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Motive |
Robbery |
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Murder
(2 counts) |
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Criminal
penalty |
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Partner(s) |
Christopher Vialva, Terry Brown, Christopher Lewis, Tony
Spark |
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Details |
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Victims |
Todd Bagley |
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Date |
June 21, 1999 |
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Imprisoned at |
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Brandon Am Bernard
(July 3, 1980 – December 10, 2020) was an American man who was convicted for
the 1999 robbery, kidnapping, and murder of two people. He was sentenced to
death for the murders and remained on death row until his execution in December
2020.
Bernard spent most of his childhood in Killeen, Texas. In his early teens, he began committing crimes such as burglary and joined a neighborhood gang. His crimes and rebellious behaviors lead him to being kicked out of several schools and prosecuted in the juvenile criminal justice system. In 1999, Bernard and a few of his friends robbed, kidnapped, and murdered two youth pastors, whom they shot burned inside a car.
Christopher Andre Vialva was executed on 24 September 2020, and Bernard was executed on 10 December. The remaining teens received a range of different prison terms; some remain incarcerated.
In the time leading to his execution, politicians, celebrities, and the prosecutor and several jurors who convicted Bernard advocated that his sentence be commuted.
INTERNET SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Bernard
Early life
Brandon Bernard was born on July 3, 1980, to Army nurse Thelma Bernard in San Antonio, Texas. He had 2 younger siblings. Due to the Army transferring Bernard's mother to Alaska, the family moved briefly to Fairbanks, Alaska between 1982 and November 1984, they then moved to Killeen, Texas. He would spend the majority of his childhood in Killeen. As a child, Bernard was suffering from asthma. In 1986, Bernard began attending school at the Seventh-Day Adventist Academy. The family spent the summer of 1987 in Colorado for his mother's medical training. In September 1992, Bernard's intoxicated father sprayed his mother Thelma in the face with mace; the couple later divorced in 1993.
In 1994, Bernard's cousin Melsimeon Pollock joined the household. Pollock began promoting Bernard to burglarize houses in early 1995. Bernard's new rebellious and criminal behavior led him to be bounced between his parent's households, multiple school changes, and 5 months in a juvenile detention facility in Brownwood, Texas in 1995. Bernard then became a member of the organized neighborhood gang known as "212 Piru Bloods". In 1996, Bernard attempted to gain employment but failed to do so. He would later complete his GED in 1997 and enroll as a senior at Killeen High School for the 1997-1998 school year. While attending Killeen High School, he managed to receive decent grades and had good class attendance. In the summer of 1998, Bernard attempted to enroll in the United States Army but was rejected due to his juvenile offenses.
Christopher Vialva, 40,
is set to receive the death penalty on Thursday at a federal prison in Terre
Haute, Indiana. He was convicted 20 years ago for the 1999 murders of two youth
ministers
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[PHOTO SOURCE: https://wikispro.com/christopher-vialva-wiki-bio-age/] |
Crimes
On the afternoon of June 21, 1999, Brandon Bernard, age 18, Christopher Vialva, age 19, Terry Brown, age 15, and Christopher Lewis, age 15, and Tony Spark, age 16, approached Todd and Stacie Bagley, two youth pastors, and asked them for a ride at a gas station–with plans to rob them. Once the Bagleys agreed to give them a ride, Vialva held the couple at gunpoint and forced them into the trunk. While in the trunk for several hours driving around, the Bagleys spoke through an opening in the backseat and urged their abductors to accept Jesus Christ and to spare their lives. The perpetrators then robbed the Bagleys by using their ATM card to withdraw cash, stealing money, stealing jewelry, and seeking to pawn Stacie's wedding ring. Soon after, the teens pulled to the side of the road and poured lighter fluid inside the vehicle while the Bagleys sang "Jesus Loves Us" among themselves. Vialva then shot both of the Bagleys in the head, killing Todd and knocking Stacie out to later die of smoke inhalation. Vialva then ordered Bernard to set the car on fire. Bernard has claimed he thought that both of the Bagleys were already deceased when he ignited the vehicle.
Legal proceedings
Bernards trial was held in 2000, 1 year after the murders. Since the crimes took place at Fort Hood, the trial would be held in federal court and not in a state level court. He was convicted of 2 counts of murder and sentenced to death.
Death row
Controversy
In the time preceding his execution, there was substantial national and international controversy on whether Bernard should have been sentenced to death and executed.
Execution
Bernard was executed by lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana. While preparing for the execution, Bernard spoke his last words saying he was "sorry" to the couple he murdered citing those words as "the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day.” The chemical used during the lethal injection was pentobarbital. He was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m. EST on December 10, 2020.
See also
- List
of offenders executed in the United States in 2020
- List
of people executed by the United States federal government
Todd and Stacie Bagley,
left and right, were murdered by Christopher Andre Vialva
Todd and Stacie Bagley,
left and right, were murdered by Christopher Andre Vialva
‘Please
remember the victims,’ Todd Bagley’s mother releases statement following Vialva
execution
by: Web
Desk
Posted: Sep 24,
2020 / 08:55 PM EDT Updated: Dec 10,
2020 / 08:28 AM EST
(AP
Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
TERRE HAUTE,
Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Here is Todd Bagley’s mother Georgia’s complete statement on
the execution of Christopher Vialva:
U.S.
government puts first Black inmate to death since resumption of federal
executions this year
After
watching the news broadcast this morning, I was both hurt and disappointed that
the death penalty was the issue, yet both sides of the story were not told. The
story was focused on Vialva’s life and the changes that he has made. This is
not about him and his changed life, but about the victims in this case.
At 19,
Vialva was aware of right and wrong and was trying to prove himself as a leader
of a gang. Vialva preplanned with the other members what would go down that
day. He personally shot both Todd and Stacie in the head, killing Todd
instantly. Stacie was shot in the mouth after watching her husband die. She
later died of smoke inhalation after Bernard set their car on fire. The gang
utilized Sparks, who at 15 was the youngest of the group, to ask Todd for a
ride home. In the course of trying to help, Todd and Stacie agree to give their
time to take him home, which was their practice to reach out to help anyone
they could, when given the opportunity.
Vialva,
Brown, and Bernard hid from sight until Sparks gave them the Ok. They then all
rushed out and jumped in the car, putting guns to Todd and Stacie’s head, and
Vialva said, “plans have changed.” Todd and Stacie were two innocent young
people who were deceived because they always saw the good in others. They were
then forced into the truck of their car and driven around for 7 horrific hours
on that hot day in June. They had no water, no restroom, they were robbed of
their belongings, they had all of their money withdrawn from their bank
account, they were driven around to other gang members houses, and slam banged
around on a dirt country road. They begged from the trunk of their car for
someone to call the police to help them at the different houses, but no one
would call for help.
Vialva now
says he has turned his life around and has influenced other lives since then,
but Todd and Stacie have also influenced many lives. They were willing to lay
down their lives to try and win their kidnappers to the Lord by quoting
scripture, praying, and singing praises to God before they died. We will never
know how many people they could have influenced for good if they had been given
the chance. I feel when these tragedies happen, both sides of the story should
be given. I believe when someone deliberately takes the life of another, they
should suffer the consequences for their actions.
Christopher’s
mother had the opportunity to visit him for the past 21 years. This execution
should have been carried out 3-5 years after a jury of 12 people found him
guilty. We have had to wait for 21 years for justice and closure. We cannot be
with our children for visits or to see them on holidays. We were denied that
privilege. Todd and Stacie were innocent victims. Please remember the victims
and their families whose lives have been shattered and are still trying to
cope. I have the assurance that Todd and Stacie were staunch Christians and are
now in heaven with Jesus, who will richly reward them for their willingness to
be his witnesses even unto death. I know without a doubt we will have a
glorious reunion with them one day!
I want to
make sure to thank everyone that participated in seeing that Todd and Stacie
received justice for this horrific crime, particularly: Our Federal Prosecutors
in Texas, The FBI, The Texas Rangers, The Ft. Hood Military Police, and The
Crisis Support Team in Indiana. We appreciate that President Trump felt
compassion to the victims and the families to reinstate the Death Penalty, and
allow us some closure and to give Todd and Stacie justice.
Georgia,
Todd Bagley’s Mother
INTERNET SOURCE: https://www.mywabashvalley.com/federal-executions/statement-from-todd-bagleys-mother-georgia/
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Todd and Stacie Bagley,
left and right, were murdered by Christopher Andre Vialva |
OTHER LINKS:
http://soldierexecutionerprolifer2008.blogspot.com/2020/09/christopher-vialva-executed-for-1999.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-set-execute-brandon-bernard-200824383.html
https://www.facebook.com/VictimsFamiliesForTheDeathPenalty/posts/3369853736469902
https://www.facebook.com/ProDeathPenalty/posts/5215079158502530
