TAVP Interviews with Survivors of Violence

 

Interview with Captain Arthur G. Cárdenas

Captain Arthur (Art) Cárdenas is a member of the Command Staff of the Travis County Sheriff's Office. A founding member of the Travis County SWAT Team, then-Sergeant Cárdenas trained Keith G. Ruíz in "SWAT School." Deputy Ruíz died in the line of duty on February 15, 2001, while attempting to serve a warrant on a suspected narcotics dealer in Del Valle, Travis County. In this interview, Captain Cárdenas recalls the perseverance, dedication, skills, and humor of Deputy Ruíz, and describes the emotional intimacy and sense of family that develops among officers. Captain Cárdenas also recounts his own path, from seminarian to law enforcement officer, married father of three sons, boxing coach, and writer. This interview took place on July 23, 2008 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

 

Interview with Deputy Roger Wade

Roger Wade is  Public Information Officer (P.I.O.), for the  Travis County Sheriff's Office. He was a friend of Deputy Sheriff Keith George Ruíz, an officer who died in the line of duty on February 15, 2001, while part of a SWAT team attempting to serve a narcotics warrant at a residence in Del Valle. In this interview, Roger Wade explains how he came to work for the Sheriff's Office, his work as P.I.O., and in particular his actions and feelings as on the night of Deputy Ruíz's death. In this interview, Mr. Wade also thinks out loud about his reaction -- at the time of trial and years later -- to the Travis County District Attorney's decision not to seek the death sentence in the shooting of Keith Ruíz, even though murder of a law enforcement official is a capital crime in Texas. Mr. Wade also describes Deputy Ruíz's personal qualities, the danger of law enforcement work, and the effects of Deputy Ruíz's death on his coworkers in the Sheriff's Department.

 

Interview with Major Darren Long

Darren Long is a Major in the Command Staff of the Travis County Sheriff's Office, and was a friend and colleague of Deputy Keith George Ruíz. Deputy Ruíz died early on the morning of February 15, 2001, when, as part of a SWAT team, he attempted to serve a narcotics warrant and the person sought shot through the door of the house, hitting Deputy Ruíz. In this interview, Major Long describes his background, his friendship with Keith Ruíz, the night of the shooting, and the resulting criminal investigation, trial, and sentence. Major Long also shares his own reactions and that of his colleagues both to Deputy Ruíz's death and to the decision of the District Attorney not to seek the death penalty for this capital crime. Major Long also explains the origin of SWAT teams and the process with which law enforcement agencies decide when to deploy SWAT teams. This interview took place in Austin, Travis County, Texas on August 25, 2008.

 

Interview with Mr. Ireland Beazley

Ireland Gene Beazley is the father of Napoleon Beazley, who was seventeen years when he fatally shot Mr. John Luttig in Tyler, Smith County. The death sentence and execution of Napoleon Beazley sparked international protest; within three years of the incident the U.S. Supreme Court banned the practice of executing people who were juveniles at the time of their crimes. In Video 1, Ireland Beazley describes family life up until the time Napoleon was arrested; the apparent determination of officials to execute Napoleon before he was even arraigned; the trial and legal proceedings; and the effects of the tragedy on the family. In Video 2, Ireland Beazley additionally describes how faith, prayer, and the support of Black churches, family, and community enabled him to get through these tragic events. This interview took place on April 3, 2008. 

 

Interview with Mr. Jamaal Beazley

Jamaal Beazley is the brother of the late Napoleon Beazley, who was executed in 2002 for a capital murder committed in 1994, at the age of seventeen. In the interview, Mr. Beazley reflects on the role of memory; recalls his reactions and his coping mechanisms during the arrest, conviction and eventual execution of his brother; considers the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in the case; discusses the setting of the Walls, how the events have affected his family, possible perceptions of the victim's family, and the importance of communicating his message to others. The interview took place on April 4, 2008, in the public library near the Walls in Huntsville, Texas, where Mr. Beazley was also in his final year at Sam Houston State University.

 

Interview with Mr. John Holbrook

Then-private investigator John Holbrook worked with the defense team for James Lee Clark, Jr., charged with the 1993 rape and murder of 17-year old Shari Catherine "Cari" Crews near Denton, Texas. (Clark was ultimately convicted, sentenced to death, and executed in 2007 for these crimes.) After his investigation, Holbrook suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He attributes subsequent projects – photographing homeless people and Death Row inmates – to emotional and spiritual changes initiated by his role in this case. In this interview, he describes these events and processes as well as his visit to the Polunsky Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in order to photograph condemned male prisoners. He also reads aloud a letter from the Public information Office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice banning him from interaction with condemned inmates. This interview took place on August 7, 2008 in Benbrook, Tarrant County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Burnett Clay and Ms. Helen Phillips

Burnett Clay is the grandmother and adoptive mother of Keith Bernard Clay, who was sentenced to death in 1997 for a 1994 robbery and murder in Houston, Harris County, Texas. Helen Phillips is Burnett Clay's sister. In Video 1, Ms. Clay and Ms. Phillips discuss Keith Clay's background; his life and ministry on Texas' Death Row; and his execution and funeral in 2003. They also discuss their relationship with Johnny Ray Johnson, another inmate and friend of Keith Clay's, to whom they ministered. In Video 2, Ms. Clay and Ms. Phillips describe growing up in their Church; their religious ministry; and their visits to Death Row. This interview took place on May 16, 2009 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Carolyn Mosley Samuel

Carolyn Mosley Samuel is the mother of Ortralla LuWone Mosley, who was fifteen years old on March 28, 2003 when she was stabbed to death at Reagan High School by her sixteen-year-old ex-boyfriend. In Video 1, Ms. Mosley describes the history of abuse in her family; her struggle to interrupt those patterns as a parent; and the circumstances leading up to the death of her daughter. In Video 2, Ms. Mosley discusses the aftermath of the murder in the high school, in the courts, and in her decision to start a foundation to prevent teen dating violence and to become a correctional officer. In Video 3, Ms. Mosley describes reconciling with her mother before her mother's death. The interview took place on October 1, 2009 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Donna Hogan

Donna Hogan is the mother of LeDuke Woodard, who was murdered in 2004 in Houston. As of July 2011, Woodard's murdered has not yet been identified. In Video 1, Donna Hogan describes how she and her husband learned of their son's death; the Houston Police Department investigation of her son's murder; her activities with Houston-based organizations Parents of Murdered Children and Unsolved Violent Crime Alert; her efforts to keep her son's memory alive; and the emotional and psychological after-effects of the murder. In Video 2, Donna Hogan describes her opposition to the death penalty and her wish that her son's killer be apprehended. She provides additional information about her son's murder and describes the similarities and differences between the Parents of Murdered Children and the Unsolved Violent Crime Alert. Hogan compares the grief she felt at the death of her husband from cancer to that caused by the sudden killing of her son. Hogan tells of her efforts to remain connected with her son's children and advises people who lose loved ones to homicide to make sure to they find strong support systems, including support groups and counseling as necessary. This interview took place in Houston, Harris County, Texas on December 10, 2009.

 

Interview with Ms. Iliana López

Iliana López was a high school student in 1996, when her close friend Brandon Shanks was murdered. In the beginning of Video 1, Ms. López describes growing up in San Antonio, Texas, and recalls the events leading up to Brandon's murder, including the trip she and her friends took to their usual hangout, the North Star Mall, where they met the young man who would later murder Brandon. Ms. López describes how Brandon went home with the man and how she came to find out that her best friend was dead. In Video 1, Ms. López also discusses the effects of the murder, the criminal justice process, and the 1999 trial on her life; her reactions toward the defense team's strategies at trial; and her attitudes toward the death penalty. In Video 2, Ms. López talks further about her memories of Brandon; the effects of Brandon's murder among his peers; her experiences during the trial, including her reactions toward the defense team's interrogation of Brandon's sexuality; and shares what she's learned in the aftermath of the murder. This interview took place on June 26, 2008 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Lee Greenwood

Lee Greenwood is the mother of Joseph Nichols, who was executed on March 7th, 2007, for a murder committed on October 13th, 1980. In Video 1, Ms. Greenwood recounts their life together, her son's activities as he was growing up, and her surprise upon hearing of his conviction. She then reflects on how she feels his trial was "grossly mishandled" and how he was found guilty under the "law of parties," although the punishment phase ended as a mistrial. She speaks about her regrets, what she would have done had she known certain laws, and then goes on to describe what she witnessed throughout his trials, and how she felt they were unfair. She then talks about Joseph's attitudes in jail, how he continued to be kind and giving while on Death Row, and what she learned from the letters he sent, including Joseph's relationship with Kenneth Foster and pen pals in Europe. Greenwood shifts to the night of the incident and describes her interaction with her son that night. Continuing with the trial, we hear about Nichols' family's reactions to the court proceedings, a detailed account of those proceedings, and the mistakes she felt were made. Ms. Greenwood concludes with a description of her son's execution day and her peceptions of the criminal justice system. This interview took place on August 27, 2009 at the Walter Branch neighborhood library in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Ruth Marín-Eason

Ruth Marín-Eason is the mother of Raúl Marín, who was murdered on August 5, 1998. In the beginning of Video 1, Ms. Marín-Eason briefly relates her family and background and then describes the last time she saw her son before he was murdered. Later in Video 1, Ms. Marín-Eason describes how Arnulfo Díaz Anaya, an employee of Raúl Marín and his wife, Dianna Boatman-Marín, was about to go on trial for the murder, when Dianna Boatman-Marín was also arrested for her role in the murder. Towards the end of Video 1 and in the beginning of Video 2, Ms. Marín-Eason speaks about her experiences in the court room; her perceptions of the criminal justice system; and the roles she believes Dianna Boatman-Marín and Arnulfo Díaz Anaya played in the murder of her son. They were both convicted, but when Boatman's conviction was later overturned, as Ms. Marín-Eason explains, the Bexar County prosecutors did not re-prosecute. In Video 2, Ms. Marín-Eason relates the pain of being cut off from her grandchildren due to the hostile relationship between herself and Dianna Boatman and discusses her involvement with the organization Parents of Murdered Children. In Video 3, Ms. Marín-Eason describes the emotional turmoil associated with losing a son and ends by sharing her outlook on forgiveness. This interview took place on June 20, 2009 in Spring, Harris County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Tammy Anderson

Tammy Anderson is the mother of Anthony Guy Fuentes, who was executed by the State of Texas on November 17, 2004 at the age of thirty for a 1994 robbery and murder at a Houston convenience store. In Video 1, Ms. Anderson shares early memories of her eldest son and discusses Anthony's childhood, his experiences with family and in school, his first job and his relationship with his fiancée. She also discusses the beginnings of Anthony's troubles with the law, his arrest for capital murder when he was nineteen, his trial and death sentence in 1996, the resulting years on Death Row, his claims of innocence of the murder charge, and the effects of these events on Anthony and his family. In Video 1, she further describes Anthony's time in prison, their writing practice and correspondence, the friendships he developed, his relationship with his spiritual advisor and his deepening Christianity, as well as Anthony's execution day, his funeral, his cremation, and the family's activities and coping after his death. In Video 2, Ms. Anderson continues to describe Anthony's relationship with his family and his experiences in school, discusses her ongoing efforts to prove Anthony's innocence of the murder charge, and elaborates on the aftermath of his execution, her memories and her methods for coping with her son's death. This interview took place on July 28, 2009 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

 

Interview with Ms. Tina Duroy

Ms. Tina Duroy is the sister of James Blake Colburn, who was executed on March 26, 2003 for the 1994 murder of Peggy Murphy. In the beginning of Video 1, Ms. Duroy discusses her childhood, her early family life, and growing up with James; she then narrates the events that she believes contributed to the triggering of her brother's schizophrenia and describes perceived changes in his personality and his experiences as his condition worsened. Ms. Duroy then discusses the capital murder trial and her family's responses to James' conviction and sentence. In Video 2, Ms. Duroy describes the effects of the execution and the process leading up to it on her immediate family members. She also continues to reflect on how the broader community responded to James' situation, as well as the social stigma surrounding mental illness. She then describes her activities during James' last days, including her stay at the Hospitality House in Huntsville, her last interaction with James, her witnessing of James' execution, and her experience at the funeral home. Ms. Duroy concludes by offering her thoughts on society's responses to mental illness, and the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system. Throughout this interview, Ms. Duroy shares photographs taken by Fabian Biasio, which document her life during James' last days and were compiled as part of a 2005 exhibit "Diary of an Execution." This interview took place on August 11, 2008, at Tina's home in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas.