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.

Brandon Bernard

American double murderer Brandon Bernard

Born

Brandon Am Bernard

July 3, 1980

San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Died

December 10, 2020 (aged 40)

Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.

Cause of death

Execution by lethal injection of phenobarbital

Education

Killeen High School (1997–1998)

Motive

Robbery

Conviction(s)

Murder (2 counts)

Criminal penalty

Death penalty

Partner(s)

Christopher Vialva, Terry Brown, Christopher Lewis, Tony Spark

Details

Victims

Todd Bagley
Stacie Bagley

Date

June 21, 1999

Imprisoned at

Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute

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

[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.

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/