The Dallas man who killed his two daughters in 2001 was executed Thursday night. John Battaglia and Mary Jean Pearl were married in 1991. A 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling required rational understanding in execution cases -- a hazy term that has not been defined by the courts. "You can see there is a problem here. The former accountant murdered his six- and nine-year-old daughters in his apartment as ex-wife. I dont feel like I killed them, he said. After his state and federal appeals were denied, he was set for execution in March 2016. / AP. [27] During the phone call, he asked Faith to ask Pearle, "Why do you want Daddy to go to jail?" He'd be the 10th convicted killer . He got Pearle on the phone and had his oldest daughter, 9-year-old Mary Faith, ask her why she wanted Battaglia to go to jail. Texas Man Executed For 2001 Murders of Daughters as Their Anguished Mom Listened Over Phone John Battaglia was convicted of killing his daughters Faith, 9, and Liberty, 6, in 2011. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Attorneys also took an appeal related to that issue to the Supreme Court. William Rayford, who was executed Tuesday night, attempted to raise his body, shook, grimaced and jerked his head into the gurney multiple times, witnesses said. John Battaglia and his two daughters, Liberty (left) and Faith, who he murdered on May 1, 2001. Battaglia has been back in Dallas since late July for a series of court appearances related to his March stay of execution. They contended the 62-year-old was delusional and mentally incompetent for execution and that a lower court improperly refused Battaglias lawyers money to hire an expert to further examine legal claims regarding his mental competency. DALLAS A man who killed his two young daughters 15 years ago but was granted a stay of execution earlier this year blames demons for his conviction in 2002. Those who know Battaglia well say he is not crazybut cunning and evil. John David Battaglia poses with his daughter Faith, 9, left, and Liberty, 6, right, on Feb. 14, 2001. . There were more gunshots. 2023 Canoe.com, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Faith received three gunshot wounds, two of which would have been fatal almost immediately. She said she would have sent the case back to the trial court to examine if Battaglia's awareness of the reason for his execution was "so distorted by his delusional thinking that the punishment can serve no proper purpose. [21], In January 1999, Pearle separated from Battaglia after verbal abuse,[22] and he was not permitted to live with her. Please pray for peace and healing for the family of Faith and Liberty. Former Dallas accountant John David Battaglia is set for execution Thursday evening for the May 2001 slayings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. John David Battaglia Jr. (August 2, 1955 - February 1, 2018) was an American convicted murderer who was executed by the state of Texas for filicide.He was convicted of killing his two young daughters in May 2001 in an act of "ultimate revenge" against his estranged wife, Mary Jeane Pearle, who had separated from him after his numerous instances of assault and violence. Updated | John Battaglia, a former accountant convicted of the murder of his two young daughters 15 years ago, has been issued a last-minute stay of execution just hours before he was due to be . Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Updated: 10 PM Central. Battaglia then closed his eyes and looked directly up. RELATED: The most violent states by homicide ranking revealed, (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Peter Cooney), Biden says other companies will slash insulin prices after Eli Lilly move, U.S. House panel approves bill giving Biden power to ban TikTok, Biden says 'I'm gonna raise some taxes' in March budget proposal. Battaglia faces the death penalty for the 2001 murders of his daughters, aged 6 and 9, while their mother was forced to listen to their cries of help on the phone. Shes evil and vicious and stupid! "Am I still alive?" The ruling gave his attorneys 60 days to argue before the Court of Criminal Appeals. ", RELATED: A full list of US states with the death penalty. Go ahead please," said John Battaglia, 62, as he prepared for Thursday night's lethal injection. John was 62 years of age. It took four officers to restrain him when he was later found at a tattoo parlor with freshly-inked tattoos representing his daughters. The daughter then asked: Mommy, why do you want Daddy to go to jail?" John David Battaglia received lethal injection for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old . Bye, he said. Battaglia, himself, said in a 2014 interview withThe Dallas Morning Newsthat he didnt recall committing the crime and still considered the girlshis best little friends.. The punishment was delayed more than three hours until the U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals from his lawyers to review his case. (Matthew 5:7, NIV) Revenge is a dish best served cold. This phrase. She also said: "You are one of the most heinous murderers of modern times. I am a little bit in the blank about what happened.. She returned several minutes later to watch as a physician examined Battaglia and pronounced him dead. "[29], Battaglia then visited a tattoo parlor and got two roses, representing his daughters, on his left biceps. A chance meeting at the courthouse during the sentencing phase between Mary Jean Pearle and the founder/executive director Wayne Whitworth ultimately resulted in her joining the Board of Directors for a short while. Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his execution walked into the death chamber viewing area. The time of death: 9:40 p.m. CST - 22 minutes after the lethal dose began. Circuit Court of Appeals. Go ahead, please." Prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that the 61-year-old former accountant and Marinehas a factual understanding of his conviction andexecution date. A Dallas County judge is weighing whether death row inmate John Battaglia is mentally fit for execution next month after four psychologists testified this week about his alleged "delusions.". Before officers managed to find him, he had left a phone message on his daughters' answering machine telling them goodnight and gotten a tattoo of two roses on his left arm one for each child. Pearl called 911 and police found the dead girls in Battaglias apartment. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. They divorced nine years later. With John Battaglia facing an execution date in December 2016, a Dallas County judge held an evidentiary hearing on 14-15 November to determine John Battaglia's "competency" for execution. During the message, he swore at her and called her names. [7] Battaglia was executed for the murders on February 1, 2018. IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS NO. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal that argued a lower court improperly refused his lawyers money to hire an expert to further examine legal claims hes mentally incompetent for execution. His lawyers alleged that the execution drugs being used are more than a year expired. The jury nevertheless voted for the death penalty. "Mr. Battaglia knows what he's doing," she said. With Pearle on the phone he shot and killed his daughters, ages 6 and 9. Battaglia's execution was the nation's third this year, all in Texas. Am I still alive? he asked. She also filed for, and was granted, a protective order. "First of all, who said that? https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/02/02/john-battaglia-taunts-ex-wife-before-being-executed-for-killing-their-girls-while-she-listened-in-horror/, Your email address will not be published. He smiled and grinned before finally saying, "Oh, here, I feel it.". Wed 8 Jan 2020 05.00 EST. Pearle then told the girls to run, but, it was too late. But, the ruling said, any lack of understanding must be because of a psychotic disorder, not a callous, amoral character. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP/AVNphotola/Getty Images), tap here to see other videos from our team. He was convicted of killing his two young daughters in May 2001 in an act of "ultimate revenge" against his estranged wife, Mary Jeane Pearle, who had separated from him after his numerous instances of assault and violence. The symptoms by Shore and Rayford correspond with the use of expired drugs, Battaglias filing claimed. Battaglia shouted an obscenity at her on the phone, the documents showed. she asked before she was heard begging for her life. [10] Jacquielynn Floyd, a columnist for The Dallas Morning News, stated that "He fooled people into believing he was a devoted father. Dallas County Court files Despite a last-ditch effort to stop his execution, John Battaglia. [9] He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, being an accounting major after initially being a pre-med major, but dropped out in 1976 at the urging of a friend. Looking at the chaplain standing at his feet, he asked, "Am I still alive?" During his twenties, John was diagnosed as bipolar. "How many people are there? [14][15] At one point Ghetti, an attorney, filed a request for Battaglia to be arrested on grounds of harassment. A Houston Chronicle reporter at the execution cited a similar quote. The Supreme Court has ruled that prisoners can be executed if they're aware the death penalty is to be carried out and have a rational understanding of why they're facing that punishment. CTV reporter struck by vehicle while covering crash in Guelph, Ont. As a result of the crime, Toby Goodman sponsored a bill in the Texas State Legislature that would ask judges to consider history of domestic violence when considering whether or not parental visits with children would be supervised. Mommy, why do you want Daddy to have to go to jail? Faith was told to ask her mother, moments before the girl begged for her life. Then the mother heard gunshots and screams. I would like to say the next time you see me is when they put the needle in your arm.But I'm not going to waste the time to be there. Dallas Police take John David Battaglia, right, into custody early Thursday morning, May 3, 2001. Last modified on Tue 21 Jan 2020 10.46 EST. [45], Hannah's House, a supervised visitation facility was founded as a direct result of this case and SB 140. Three of the four psychologists who evaluated Battaglia testified that he is not fit to be executed, primarily because his delusions prevent him from having a rational understanding of his case. The State of Texas did not challenge this stay, and his execution was postponed. Go ahead, please., He closed his eyes for several moments,and shortly after the lethal injection was administered, he looked at the chaplain at his feet, smiled and asked, Am I still alive?. [14] Texas authorities stated that Battaglia killed his daughters out of retaliation because Pearle had complained to his probation officer. A state judge and the state appeals court described Battaglia as highly intelligent, competent, not mentally ill and faking mental illness to avoid execution. Battaglia was put to death for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. Ill see yall later. When asked what he would say to people who consider him the demon for shooting his daughters multiple times at his Dallas apartment as they spoke to their mother, his ex-wife, on the phone, he blamed the media for his plight. 2016), "Victim impact statement of Mary Jean Pearle", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Battaglia&oldid=1142296418, 21st-century executions of American people, People executed by Texas by lethal injection, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mary Faith (19922001) and Liberty Mae Battaglia (19952001), This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 16:42. When Carolyn Bessette died in 1999 alongside her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr. and her sister, Lauren Bessette, she was only 33-years-old. "Oh, I feel it," he said. John Battaglia shot and killed his 6-year-old and 9-year-old daughters in 2001 while his ex-wife, their mother, listened on the phone. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In July, Judge Robert Burns of Dallas County Criminal District Court ordered two doctors toevaluate him to see if he is sane enough to be executed, and last week Burns technically set another execution date for Dec. 7 although Battaglia's appeals are not likely to be exhausted by that time. Mary Jean Pearle married John Battaglia in 1991. Battaglia had been divorced from his wife, Mary Jean Pearl, for about a year when he fatally shot their two daughters, Mary Faith, then 9 years old, and Liberty, 6, prosecutors said. "I've seen enough of him," she said before returning minutes later to watch as a physician examined Battaglia and pronounced him dead. He said someone suffering from delusionswould stick to his irrational story no matter what. ", On Thursday, while Battaglia waited on a final ruling about his mental competency from the U.S. Supreme Court, his lawyers filed a new appeal, arguing the drugs Texas planned to use in the execution were old, making the states two previous executions tortuous.. Battaglia forced Faith to confront her mother in the call, moments before he took her life. "Well, hi, Mary Jean. Testimony at a hearing showed Battaglia used the prison library to research capital case rulings on mental competence and discussed with his father during a phone call from jail the chess game of avoiding execution. Lifetime's latest film 'A House on Fire' profiles a 1995 arson case that left a rural family in shambles. He gasped twice and started to snore. ", JudgeElsa Alcaladissented, as she often does in death penalty cases, saying the court used the wrong standard in determining Battaglia's competence, not the "rational understanding" precedent the U.S. Supreme Court set inanother Texas death penalty case. According to prosecutors, Battaglia became enraged that Pearle, his estranged wife, notified police about his harassment of her and he used the visit with their daughters to act on his anger. Stay of execution granted for dad who murdered kids. John Battaglia, who celebrated his 61st birthday earlier this month in the Dallas County Jail, gave an exclusive interview to WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth and read from two rambling pages of notes. Battaglia had plans to have dinner with his daughters that evening. 1 DALLAS COUNTY - RICHARDSON, J., delivered the opinion of the Court in which KELLER, P.J., and KEASLER, HERVEY, YEARY, NEWELL, KEEL, and WALKER, JJ. [40] At a competency hearing in November 2016, a mental health expert testified that Battaglia was likely faking symptoms of mental illness in an attempt to delay his execution. "[7][43], During the 2000s, this was one of a spate of domestic homicides related to the Park Cities, Highland Park and University Park, two wealthy enclaves in the metroplex. As they filed in, he looked around and asked, How many people are there? Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Millions of Americans nearing retirement age with no savings, 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival. Mary dropped off the children and went to a friends house, where she was informed that her daughters had called. . John Battaglia, 60, was. But prosecutor Christine Womble painted Battaglia as an intelligent man who researched case law in the prison library so that he could portray himself as incompetent. Last week, his attorneys filed a request for a stay of execution to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that Battaglia did not fully understand why he was being put to death. Examples of surviving daughter in a sentence, how to use it. Battaglia then closed his eyes and looked directly up. He was sentenced to deathMay 2, 2002, one day before the one-year anniversary of their slayings. Pearle, the killers ex-wife and the mother of his victims,was at the Huntsville Unit on Thursday to witness his execution almost 17 years after she listened to Faith and Libertydie and pleaded for them to run away from their father. She divorced him after he began physically assaulting her. This is nothing more than legal maneuvering, Clark said. His execution was delayed for several hours due to appeals. A Texas man who killed his two daughters while their mother listened in horror on the phone got his execution postponed so he can try to prove he's too deranged to die. John was married for two years to Michelle Gheddi, with whom he had one daughter. The last-minute federal appeal filed Thursday allegedthat the execution violatedBattaglias constitutional rights because Texas was using expired drugs for the lethal injection. 1 Corinthians 1-2, Sermon on the Mount Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness, 2023 Journey Through The Bible in ONE Year, Forgiveness Healer of Body, Mind, and Spirit, Forgiveness Adam and Eve: The Fall of Mankind, JOB 17-18: DAY 61 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, PSALMS 24-26: DAY 60 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, JUDGES 17-21: DAY 59 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, GENESIS 32-35: DAY 58 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, 1 CORINTHIANS 1-2: DAY 57 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, MATTHEW 20-22: DAY 56 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR, International Death Penalty News 2023, Issue 08: Iran, Japan, United States of America, Vietnam. AP-77, 069 JOHN DAVID BATTAGLIA, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS ON REVIEW OF AN ARTICLE 46.05 COMPETENCY TO BE EXECUTED HEARING FROM CAUSE NO. Dr. James Womackdidn't buy thatBattaglia was delusional. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal that argued a lower court improperly refused Battaglia's lawyers money to hire an expert to further examine legal claims of his mental competency. They divorced nine years later. Following the shooting, Battaglia went with a girlfriend to bar and then a tattoo parlor to get tattoos related to his daughters. [30][13] Police confiscated sixteen firearms from the house. He now has another chance to prove he is mentally incompetent to be executed. "I don't feel like I killed them," he said. Following Debora Green, as she deals with her tumultuous personal and professional life, along with her mental instability, this film focuses on how she sets fire to her family home Prairie Village in Kansas, killing two of her three children. I just want to tell you how very, very brave you were, and I hope you are resting in a better place now. Ill see yall later. "And then I hear Faith go, 'No, Daddy, please don't do it,' and I heard (gunshots), and I hear him yell, 'Mary F'ing Christmas!' By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, John Battaglia, who murdered his daughters, waits to hear whether he's sane enough to be executed, who shot his daughters in an act of revenge against his ex-wife in 2001, Three of the four psychologists who evaluated Battaglia testified, How a Texas girl scared of school shootings was punished, Dallas-Fort Worth could see severe thunderstorms, large hail, tornadoes Thursday, Author of Texas drag bill says video of him wearing dress was a joke back in school, Dallas GOP dinner featuring Florida Gov. Go ahead please," he said, just before a lethal dose of pentobarbital was injected into his veins at 9:18 p.m. Twenty-two minutes later, he was dead.. "[36] Pearle changed her mind and witnessed the execution nearly sixteen years later. She was from a well-to-do family and worked as an antiques dealer; her husband John Battaglia was an accountant. It would be the third execution this year in the United States, all in Texas. In 1987 Battaglia admitted guilt to a misdemeanor charge and was punished with probation for a two-year period. Battaglia and his wife had separated, and he shot the girls at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit. John David Battaglia went out with a joke and a grin Battaglia, 62, offered no apologies and showed no remorse for killing his daughters at his Deep Ellum loft in 2001. A race after the Battaglia, Shortleaf Stable's Bubble Rock ran down the previously unbeaten Marissa's Lady to win the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, a minor qualifier for the Longines Kentucky Oaks. Pearle called 911. On August 15, 2016, Battaglia was given an execution date of December 7, 2016. On May 2, 2001, Battaglia learned that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Battaglia was convicted of murdering his two young daughters and sentenced to death on April 20, 2002. In May 2001, Battaglia was on probation for assaulting his wife Mary Jean Pearle. The year after the killings, he resigned his position as a judge and ran against incumbent Bill Hill for election as Dallas County district attorney. ", Follow Rebecca Lopez on Twitter:@rlopezwfaa. The time of death: 9:40 p.m. CST 22 minutes after the lethal dose began. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He seemed jovial, strapped to a gurney while witnesses arrived to watch his execution at the state's Huntsville Unit. [14] He was apprehended shortly afterward, getting into a fistfight with the arresting police officers, which left him with a black eye. By the time police arrived, Battaglia had fled. A few seconds later he opened his eyes and lifted his head. Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his lethal injection walked into the death chamber viewing area. Strapped to the gurney, Battaglia, 62, looked around as witnesses entered. No, Daddy. His surviving daughter from his first marriage told The Dallas Morning News in 2014 that her father also was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration and lack of empathy. Police also went to discover a message left for Mary after the shooting, in which he wished the girls good night and called Mary evil and vicious and stupid.. [38] Bye., After that, he told the warden: Go ahead, please.. He gasped twice and started to snore. Throughout the marriage, Mary, like Michelle, alleged that Battaglia was verbally abusive towards her. Please enter valid email address to continue. "If you personally committed a really heinous offense, how would you not -- at some point in the passage of time -- create some kind of a delusional explanation for what you did?" There were more gunshots. Battaglia was arrested the following day, taking four police officers to subdue him. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. Contents 1 Background 2 Crime 3 Aftermath 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background Battaglia, who once served as a Marine, was an accountant. [2], The woman who would become his second wife, Mary Jean Pearle, resided in Highland Park, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. and could be heard a few seconds later saying: No, Daddy, please dont, dont do it.. Attorneys for Battaglia contended he didn't have that understanding and that the state's highest court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, misapplied the Supreme Court's guidance when it ruled that Battaglia was competent. [1] Testimony at a hearing showed Battaglia used the prison library to research capital case rulings on mental competence and discussed with his father during a phone call from jail the "chess game" of avoiding execution. "The media gets to have only their say," Battaglia said. Without remorse or humility until the end, killer John Battaglia, who murdered his two young daughters in his Texas home in 2001, laughed and taunted his ex-wife as he was executed Thursday. Is a dish best served cold that issue to the gurney, Battaglia was verbally abusive towards her Pearl 911... From a well-to-do family and worked as an antiques dealer ; her husband john Battaglia was abusive... 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On May 1, 2001, Battaglia learned that a warrant had issued! `` Am I still alive? as ex-wife to have to go to jail? john David Battaglia 62. 10.46 EST Thursday allegedthat the execution drugs being used are more than legal maneuvering, Clark said the. For two years to Michelle Gheddi, with whom he had one daughter you give by 6 Thursday! Battaglia killed his daughters out of some of these cookies May affect browsing. The phone he shot the girls to run, but, it was late! The time of death: 9:40 p.m. CST - 22 minutes after the lethal began... Delayed for several hours due to appeals in his apartment as ex-wife given an execution date of December,!