From this morning's Houston Chronicle.
Man gets death in murder over car rimsNow here is the fun part
Gang member admitted killing driver in 2009
Teddrick Batiste’s head slumped forward, his thumbs in the pockets of his gray slacks, as a judge Thursday sentenced him to death after three weeks of trial.
“May God have mercy on your soul,” state District Judge Ruben Guerrero said.
The 23-year-old’s mother could be heard screaming and shouting just outside the courtroom, “I’m sorry for what my baby did, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Jurors deliberated about 2 ½ hours before sending Batiste to death row for the capital murder of Horace Holiday, who was gunned down for the rims on his white Cadillac in April 2009...
...He said he was a member of the Crips street gang. He acknowledged that he and other Crips robbed and killed Black Widow tattoo parlor owner Steve Robbins on April 8, 2009...
...Batiste confessed to shooting Holiday as he and another gang member drove south on the Eastex Freeway about 3 a.m. April 19, 2009. The pair had trailed the 26-yearold from a club, intending to steal the Cadillac to take the chrome spinning rims.
After Holiday was shot in the arm and leg, he exited the highway and careened into a gas pump at a convenience store. A bloodied Holiday tried to crawl to safety.
Batiste followed him to the store, got out of his car and shot him several more times. Batiste’s accomplice has never been identified.
Police nearby heard the gunshots and arrived to see Batiuste fleeing in Holiday’s car. After a high-speed chase that went more than eight miles, Batiste was captured.
Batiste’s attorneys said they were disappointed.No Mr Cornelius if your client thinks spinning rims are worth killing a man than the people of Texas think it's worth killing him. And if you wonder about the deterrence value it's great. He will never kill another person again.
“I just didn’t see it as a death penalty case,” said attorney Gerald Bourque, noting several high-profile death penalty trials.
“I’m so disappointed I can’t even comment,” attorney Skip Cornelius said.
Prosecutors disagreed.You mean he's not the president of his class and waiting for admission to Harvard. Wait, the way the Ivy League has gone down they may be waiting for him.
“He committed two capital murders 11 days apart, and he committed paggravated robbery,” said Assistant Harris County District Attorney Traci Bennett. “He has never shown any remorse for what he has done.”
Suffice to say good riddance to bad garbage.
This post is disgusting. Now two men will die over car rims, and this cruel and sarcastic article doesn't respect the victim's family, or the weight of the situation in any way. Shame on you for thinking this dehumanizing material was acceptable for public consumption.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteI have a lot of sympathy for the victims of the incident, the man who was killed over some rims and his family and friends. Believe it or no, I do feel for the turd’s mother. I can’t think for a greater horror than having to bury a child.
That being said, Teddrick Batiste being put down like the animal he is will only cleanse the human gene pool. If little Teddrick hadn’t made the decision he to first try a rob Mr. Holiday, then after he tried to get away, shoot him multiple times. Again, for what, a set of rims worth a few thousand dollars? He decided to murder a man in cold blood while robbing him and in Texas we call that Capital Murder. The penalty for that can be as high as your life. Don’t want to die in the Texas execution chamber, don’t commit the crime.
Last January I was in Huntsville for the execution of the murderer of a cop killer. I won’t go up for it when this human waste is disposed of, but I won’t shed a tear for him or loose any sleep. The fact you are offended by how Texas handles capital murderers is your shortcoming, not mine. Again, he committed the crime, now little Teddrick will do the time until he is strapped down and injected, put down so he will never kill another woman’s child.
Did you miss that the car rims was the 2nd man this person killed? He also kill the store owner as well!?! I'm against the death penalty, but I think it was a good call. How many needed to die before you think its a good idea?
DeleteIt's not uncommon for a gang member to falsely confess to protect the gang. His co-accused was never found, and there was ammo found at the scene proving his confession false. I think the death penalty is unwarranted in this case, since the case was essentially built on a confession that has already been forensically disproven.
DeleteAnon, if he's stupid enough to take the fall for another piece of human excitement, that's his problem. Also, how did some ammo prove his confession false?
DeleteI've studied this case. The DNA on the ski mask didn't match, nor did the ammo, and the video surveillance from Exxon showed another man as the shooter. They never bothered to look for the other guy once Teddrick Batiste confessed, especially since Batiste was found in the victim's car. The other man was also present during the other robberies in question, and was pointed out as being the most aggressive in the group by witnesses of the first robbery. Teddrick Batiste was present for the robberies, but evidence suggests that the real shooter is still free.
DeleteAnon, where did you get the update on the DNA, ammo and "other shooter" BTY, what do you mean the ammo din't match, Was it 9mm when the gun was 38? Please explain.
DeleteHey Mike, I am the previous poster from above (and of the longer comment posted today). There was DNA found on the mask and gun, but that DNA did not belong to Teddrick Batiste. There was another man involved who was never identified, and once Batiste confessed to everything when questioned, the investigation was closed. I'm having trouble finding it now, but there was a motion filed leading up to the trial that stated there was ammo found at the scene that did not match Batiste's weapon, but I can't remember the specific ammo type.
DeleteI was in the tattoo parlor and not only watched the first murder but I was also shot at. The jury got this sentence correct in every way.
ReplyDeleteAnon, great to hear you're alright. This won't bring back the dead, but the dead can rest a little easier.
Deletesteve was one of my best friends...this guy will burn in hell for what he did...
ReplyDeletethere is absolutely no DNA on gun or ski mask. They said he showed no remorse, but yet everyone grieves differently. I have the documents saying there was DNA of a "black man" but not specifically him.
ReplyDeleteSteve is and was my brother. I sat through the trial. My family has not and will never be the same. It has been 7 years and does not get easier. I firmly believe Teddrick is where he belongs. I also feel he has been allowed to take more breaths then deserved. The fact that he still gets to see his family is devastating to me. I didn't get to say goodbye. Unless you sat through both the trail and the sentencing or read the thousands of pages of trail transcripts you are clueless.
ReplyDeleteSherry, I am truly sorry for your loss. This won't bring his victims back, and God knows my words won't come close to comforting you and your family, but at at least he won't murder again. God be with you during the future. Execution, even in Texas, is a long process.
DeleteIn no way am I here to downplay the tragedy of what has happened, but as someone who has read the thousands of pages of trial transcripts, along with every other available piece of evidence in this case, Teddrick Batiste does not deserve to die. I am very sorry for the terrible loss that everyone involved has had to suffer, it truly is a tragedy that affects so many people in such profound ways. I understand that when someone is lost in grief, it's difficult to watch the perpetrator continue to live his life. What we fail to recognize is that we are hurting another person's mother, and robbing another two children of their father. Your anger is with this man, but this penalty takes that anger out on innocent women and children, who will also suffer for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteLife without parole is the more common sentence for similar crimes, and would be the more fitting sentence for this case, especially considering Batiste's age and lack of violent criminal record at the time. You must consider the quality of the life these men have in prison. When a man is incarcerated, he loses his identity, becomes a number, and is essentially kidnapped and held against his will. They may be able to see their family, but they cannot touch them. Many of the men on death row were involved in crimes that lasted a few minutes, and ended someone's life. In return, these men are held against their will for years, degraded on a daily basis, tortured with gas, tasers, and physical violence, left alone 23/7 in a tiny room without any human contact, and then forced to walk to their own death. The only case wherein this punishment would fit the crime, would be if the perpetrator had kidnapped someone, tortured them for years in isolation, then killed them.
I understand that families have been broken apart over this, and the friends and families of the victims may never fully recover from their loss. My heart truly goes out to you. Many families who lost a loved one and later watched their tormenter executed, have stated that it did not give them the relief or peace the prosecutor had promised, even haunting some as they went on with their lives, and came to see the immense value of a life...even one that was not being lived to it's full potential. To err is human, and to forgive is divine. I know the man in question, these crimes are not in his character, and he does feel a great deal of remorse. There is nothing that can be done to change the circumstances of the loved ones you lost, but I truly believe that the closure and peace you seek would be more effectively found by speaking to him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvN6se3Yug
Teddrick Batiste does not deserve to die.
DeleteThat is your opinion. Fine, it’s not mine and more to the point, it’s not the opinion of the12 members of jury.
What we fail to recognize is that we are hurting another person's mother, and robbing another two children of their father. Your anger is with this man, but this penalty takes that anger out on innocent women and children, who will also suffer for the rest of their lives.
Maybe the soon to be executed should have thought of that before he committed Capital Murder in the capital punishment capital of the US.
Life without parole is the more common sentence for similar crimes, and would be the more fitting sentence for this case, especially considering Batiste's age and lack of violent criminal record at the time.
Actually 30-40 years without parole is more often the plea bargain in Harris County. But he and his attorney’s went for a trial. And the jury first determined he was guilty and then set his penalty as death. The only reason he is there is because Teddrick Batiste committed a capital offense. He has had due process of law, found guilty, has had more than one appeal, his time is up.
With all due respect, I think if someone were to look into the information below, it would become quite clear that the value of this man's life is not just a matter of opinion. The State of Texas took a man's false confession and sentenced him, despite there being a plethora of evidence to prove he was lying. The actual evidence in this case has not been investigated, because apparently the State of Texas is willing to kill someone without a shred of hard evidence to prove his actual guilt.
DeleteI would also like to add that Mr. Batiste was never offered a plea bargain of any kind, it was not his choice to go to trial. He made a false confession upon his arrest, and took responsibility for everything he was questioned about, so a plea bargain never entered the equation. They took his word for it and closed the case. This case is an embarrassment to the State of Texas, as are the many other wrongful convictions that have been brought about by the negligence of officers and legal professionals who care more about closing the case than they do about justice.
DeleteThe State of Texas took a man's false confession and sentenced him, despite there being a plethora of evidence to prove he was lying. The actual evidence in this case has not been investigated, because apparently the State of Texas is willing to kill someone without a shred of hard evidence to prove his actual guilt.
DeleteNo, actually the jury sentenced this male to death. In Texas (and most states with capital punishment) only a jury can sentence a defendant to death. And if there was no evidence, he would not have been convicted. A lawyer just passing the bar could stop that.
Last year I wrote a column for the American Thinker and you may find the quotes of a Harris County district judge enlightening:
…I booked a suspect for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and five months later I was subpoenaed. After the jury was selected, the judge spoke to them for a few minutes. After thanking them for doing their civic duty (Truthfully, a lot of people do dodge it), he explained masterfully to the jury of laypersons (and a rookie cop) how justice works. (From an almost 15 year old memory and the names have been changed to protect the guilty!):
“Ladies and gentlemen, the defendant, Mr. Smith, sits behind the table, he sits there innocent and only you can make him guilty in the eyes of the law. Mr. Smith has the absolute presumption of innocence. He is under no obligation to speak and none of us here, including myself, can force him to answer a question. Mr. Smith is under no obligation to present a defense, although he has hired one. And I am instructing you that you cannot make any inference of his guilt or innocence because of his not speaking or presenting a defense. Those are his rights.
The burden of proof in this matter falls completely on the shoulders of the prosecution, Mr.Jones. He must prove every element of his case to you, individually and in full. Mr. Jones must prove all elements of his case, in your mind, beyond a reasonable doubt (emphasis his). If he fails in doing that, or the defense successfully raises a reasonable doubt in just one element of the prosecution's case, you must acquit the defendant. Mr. Jones doesn’t have to prove beyond all doubt; that is an impossibility. And the prosecution is further at a disadvantage because he must present all of his evidence to the defense prior to trial so they can prepare for it. Mr. Jones cannot give the defense any surprises. However the defense is under no obligation to present any evidence to the prosecution until the trial…”
I would also like to add that Mr. Batiste was never offered a plea bargain of any kind, it was not his choice to go to trial. He made a false confession upon his arrest, and took responsibility for everything he was questioned about, so a plea bargain never entered the equation.
One, the state is under no obligation to offer a plea bargain. In the case of a murder case (FYI, in Harris County, 3/4s of all capital murder trials are plea bargained), a plea bargain is generally offered to insure a conviction when the case is weak, of at the request of the family. Often the next of kin would rather see a guaranteed 30-40 years than have to endure a trail themselves and not knowing the results of the case.
You are about to kill the WRONG MAN. The man you want is still free, and his name is Roderick Brooks. To the witness above, you allowed the DA to sway you into identifying the wrong man; they were anxious to close the case. Your story about what Teddrick was wearing changed. To the members of the jury, you allowed an unrelated gang encounter to sway your decision, when your experience had nothing to do with Teddrick Batiste. The person you are about to kill has never killed anyone. His only prior charges were unathorized use of a motor vehicle and possession of under 1oz of marijuana. He took the fall for his friend, and sacrificed his life.
ReplyDeleteThis case deserves a retrial, the evidence needs to be investigated (It's downright negligent that there was never a thorough investigation in a DEATH PENALTY CASE), and Teddrick needs to have his sentence commuted. This has gone on for long enough. If you kill Teddrick Batiste, you are no better than the man who committed these crimes. How many innocent men need to die? Everyone involved in this case who sees this - jury members, witnesses - please rethink this case and contact Teddrick's lawyers when you remember the truth. It is within your power to spare an innocent man's life. Anyone who was at the trial heard that Teddrick worked 16 hour days at a metal factory to provide for his family, adopting his eldest son because he knew the biological father wouldn't stick around. Teddrick was a live-in father, the sole provider of his household, and he was contributing to society in a positive way. He was not a hardcore gangster and did not live that lifestyle. He wasn't a saint; he had no business being involved in any of this, but the only life he has taken will be his own. If this State is too lazy to properly assess the evidence in cases before killing someone, then the death penalty should be abolished. Justice is one thing; what's happening here is something entirely different.