Politics & Government
Parole Board Recommends Clemency For Houston Death Row Inmate
Thomas "Bart" Whitaker was convicted in 2008 for killing his mother and brother in a scheme to get a $1 million inheritance.
AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is recommending Sugar Land man set to die by lethal injection on Thursday for the 2003 murder of his mother and brother have his sentence commuted to life in prison.
The board sent their recommendation for clemency for Thomas “Bart” Whitaker to Gov. Greg Abbott, who could still decide to reject the decision and send the man to the death chamber this week.
The recommendations came at the request of Whitaker’s father, Kent Whitaker, who was shot by his son in the 2003 attack.
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Bart Whitaker, who was convicted of the murders in 2008, was motivated to collect an inheritance of $1 million and devised the plan, KTRK reported.
He was convicted and sentenced to death.
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The recommendation for clemency is only the fourth sent to the governor this close to an actual execution date since Texas began executing prisoners in the early 80s.
On two of those occasions, the recommendation was rejected by Gov. Rick Perry and the inmates were put to death, KPRC reported.
Image: Photo Credit: David Graves/REX/Shutterstock
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