💔💀🙏 Da “Jurors” Sen’ Missouri Man to Death! Now, Some Get Second Thoughts. 😳💭
Michael Tisius wen get convict fo’ killin’ two jail guards. He set fo’ get executed on Tuesday. 💀⏳
Da murdahs was so bold, so brutal, dey wen shock da people of Missouri. 😱💔
Just aftah midnight on June 22, 2000, Michael Tisius an’ Tracie Bulington wen step inside one county jail, all ready fo’ forcefully free one friend locked up. Mr. Tisius, only 19 years old an’ packin’ one gun, wen shoot an’ kill two guards during da rescue mission, den make his getaway.
When da jury wen get asked fo’ decide on Mr. Tisius’ punishment, dey take several hours fo’ deliberate in July 2010 before comin’ to one decision: da death penalty.
Now, wit’ Mr. Tisius’ execution scheduled fo’ Tuesday, dat jury stay under scrutiny dat could cast doubt on da whole process.
In one unusual move, six jurors, including two alternates, wen state in sworn affidavits dat get included in one clemency petition dat dey would support or have no objections if da governor of Missouri step in an’ commute da sentence to life imprisonment instead of death. Dat rare, experts say, fo’ see so many jurors take such one stand in one death penalty case. 👥📜
Anothah juror, when recently contacted by Mr. Tisius’ legal representatives, wen tell dem dat he no can read English, one requirement in Missouri courts fo’ jury service. One federal judge wen order last week fo’ stop da execution while dey investigate da claim of illiteracy, but on Friday, one appeals court wen o’errule dat decision. 🛑📚
In one 56-page petition dat wen send to Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri, da jurors wen explain in statements dat dey get from Mr. Tisius’ defense team why dey change dey mind since da sentencin’ 13 years ago.
Dey still believe he guilty, da jurors say, an’ dey believe he should nevah be released from prison. But dey talk ’bout new details dey learn from Mr. Tisius’ legal team an’ what dey remember from da trial: da heartbreakin’ backstory of Mr. Tisius’ childhood, wit’ all da abuse an’ neglect; his mental challenges; an’ ’bout his good behavior in prison since he get convict.
“I believe dat people can change an’ deserve second chances,” one juror say in one affidavit.
“At dis time, based on what I wen learn since da trial, I no goin’ object if Mr. Tisius’ sentence wen get reduced to life wit’out parole,” anothah juror say.
No legal recourse fo’ jurors who change dey mind ’bout one death sentence, say Juandalynn Taylor, one visiting professor at Gonzaga University School of Law who teach ’bout da death penalty, even though lawyers often find examples of it in interviews wit’ jurors during da appeals process.
“Jurors change dey mind all da time,” she say. “But if nobody go an’ ask dem an’ find out, den we no goin’ know ’bout it in public.”
In interviews wit’ The New York Times, two jurors say dey been haunted by da experience. One woman who serve as one alternate juror say she been strugglin’ wit’ anxiety, sleepless nights, an’ guilt. If she had one vote, she say she nevah would have chosen da death sentence.
Anothah juror, Jason Smith of Republic, Mo., say dat in da 13 years since da sentencin’, his views on Mr. Tisius, who now 42, done change. 💭💔
During da deliberations, Mr. Smith say he believe it was one crucial fact dat Mr. Tisius wen kill more dan one person. Mr. Tisius had one chance fo’ stop before shootin’ da second jail employee, Mr. Smith recall thinkin’, so da death penalty was one fair punishment.
But now he say he know, based on what he recently wen hear from Mr. Tisius’ legal team, dat doctors who wen examine him conclude he get mental deficiencies dat could have affected his decision-makin’. Mr. Smith also wen learn ’bout medical research showin’ dat da frontal lobe of da brain no fully develop durin’ da teenage years.
Mr. Smith, 49, say he still support da death penalty in certain cases an’ feel dat Mr. Tisius should spend da rest of his life in prison. But he no longer believe Mr. Tisius deserve to die.
“I feel angry an’ remorseful,” he say. “I feel like I wronged Michael.”
Public support fo’ da death penalty in da United States been decreasin’ ova da decades, an’ Missouri on’y one of four states dat done carry out an execution in 2023, alongside Florida, Oklahoma, an’ Texas, according to da Death Penalty Information Center.
Dis year, Missouri wen execute Amber McLaughlin, one transgender woman found guilty of killin’ her ex-girlfriend, an’ Leonard Taylor, convict in 2008 of one quadruple murdah. Two mo’ executions, includin’ Mr. Tisius’, are scheduled in Missouri dis year.
When da jury in 2010 wen get asked to decide on Mr. Tisius’ sentence, dey get told ’bout da failed escape attempt dat led to da murdahs of Jason Acton an’ Leon Egley: Mr. Tisius wen try free one inmate, Roy Vance, who wen be his former cellmate. Mr. Vance, currently servin’ life in prison fo’ his role in da murdahs, wen say dat he wen manipulate Mr. Tisius fo’ carry out da escape plan.
Da otha person who wen try free Mr. Vance was his girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. She get sentenced to two consecutive life sentences fo’ her role in da killings.
Durin’ da resentencin’ hearin’ in 2010—called aftah da court find evidence of misconduct by da prosecutors in da first hearin’—da jurors get told ’bout Mr. Tisius’ difficult life, includin’ da abuse he suffer from his older bruddah. One juror, Ginny Young, wen tell The Columbia Daily Tribune in 2010 dat as soon as da group wen leave da courtroom, several jurors wen start cryin’.
“Dey feel bad dat dey had fo’ put dis man to death,” Ms. Young wen say at da time. “One of dem wen say, ‘You wouldn’t be human unless you feel bad.’ I guess I no human den, ’cause I no feel bad. Maybe I need therapy. I tink da punishment justified by da crime.”
Some jurors dat get contacted by Mr. Tisius’ legal team stick wit’ dey original decision dat Mr. Tisius should get da death sentence, or dey refuse to sign da affidavits, say Keith O’Connor, one lawyer fo’ Mr. Tisius.
One alternate juror interviewed by The Times wen remember ridin’ in one van wit’ otha jurors aftah leavin’ da courthouse. Da juror, who no like give her name ’cause she get concerns ’bout privacy, recall cryin’, feelin’ like da jury make one mistake.
Mr. Smith say it was quiet fo’ most of da long ride.
“A lot of people probably was reflectin’ on it,” he say. “We all was ready fo’ go home.”
Aftah da sentencin’, he go back to his regular life. He talk ’bout da case wit’ his parents. At least one time, he look up Mr. Tisius’ mugshot on da Missouri Department of Corrections website.
In da dinin’ room of his house, Mr. Smith pick up da affidavit dat he sign supportin’ da commutation of Mr. Tisius’ sentence, one document dat been sittin’ on da table since last year. Wit’ da execution date gettin’ closer, Mr. Smith been thinkin’ ’bout Mr. Tisius an’ da trial often, he say.
“I no get all emotional ’bout my decision,” say Mr. Smith, who work in food distribution. But it still weigh on him.
“I hate havin’ one part in somebody dyin’,” he say.
Fo’ Linda Arena of Rocheport, Mo., da sister of Jason Acton, one of da slain jail employees, da death sentence bring relief. Da years since den been one long wait fo’ what she see as justice.
Ms. Arena, 73, remember her bruddah as one boy, lovin’ an’ funny, wit’ one deep love fo’ da outdoors. As one adult, she say, he get one job at da jail ’cause he hope it goin’ be one step toward becomin’ one park ranger.
It hard fo’ Ms. Arena fo’ even say Mr. Tisius’ name.
“He one nobody to me,” she say. “One nobody who take my bruddah.”
Da Missouri Supreme Court wen deny one appeal from Mr. Tisius an’, in March, schedule his execution.
Since den, opponents of da death penalty been rampin’ up da efforts fo’ persuade Mr. Parson, da Republican governor, fo’ commute da sentence.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, da Pope’s representative to da United States, appeal to Mr. Parson fo’ clemency. Da American Bar Association argue in one letter dat capital punishment should be banned in cases where da person commit da crime at 21 years old or younger.
Mary Fox, director of da Missouri State Public Defender system, ask Mr. Parson fo’ commute da sentence, sayin’ dat Mr. Tisius nevah get effective representation durin’ da trial. (Christopher Slusher, one lawyer who defend Mr. Tisius durin’ da sentencin’ in 2010, no respond to one message.)
Ms. Fox say da process of capital punishment can be troublin’ fo’ jurors, prison employees who get to know inmates, an’ da lawyers who defend deir clients.
“One of my jobs fo’ take care of da people who work fo’ me, an’ one thing I see is da trauma dat my folks go through,” she say. “It traumatic fo’ everybody involved.”
In da final days befo’ Mr. Tisius’ scheduled execution, da clemency petition—an’ statements from several jurors supportin’ da commutation of his sentence—leave Ms. Arena confused an’ angry. 😡😢
“It kinda makes me mad, ’cause dey listened to all da evidence,” she say. “Dey knew dat dis guy planned to do dat. Dey brought a gun on purpose. He killed Jason an’ he killed Leon.”
All da years dat her bruddah has been gone, Ms. Arena been thinkin’ ’bout Mr. Tisius spendin’ his days in prison. Why was he free to be alive, she has asked, eatin’ meals, havin’ conversations wit’ otha people, when Jason was not?
Ms. Arena is determined to drive on Tuesday mornin’ to Bonne Terre, where da execution is scheduled to take place.
She plans to bring one photo of Jason an’ hold it close. But she no sure how da execution will leave her feelin’, or whetha she goin’ be able to look Mr. Tisius in da eye.
“It goin’ be hard,” Ms. Arena say. “I’m not sure how it’s goin’ affect me, watchin’ someone die.”
Through one spokeswoman, da Missouri attorney general declined to comment, citin’ pending litigation.
In one statement from prison, Mr. Tisius say he still believe dere was one chance dat Mr. Parson would commute his sentence. “My only hope is dat da Governor makes his decision based on me, my remorse, my life, an’ my rehabilitation ova da last 23 years,” he say. “I feel like I’ve changed, I hope he can see dat in me too.”
Mr. Parson has not yet issued one statement on his decision regardin’ Mr. Tisius’ clemency petition. 🤔📜
NOW IN ENGLISH
💔💀🙏 The “Jurors” Sentence Missouri Man to Death! Now, Some Get Second Thoughts. 😳💭
Michael Tisius was convicted for killing two jail guards. He is set to be executed on Tuesday. 💀⏳
The murders were so bold, so brutal, they shocked the people of Missouri. 😱💔
Just after midnight on June 22, 2000, Michael Tisius and Tracie Bulington stepped inside a county jail, all ready to forcefully free a friend locked up. Mr. Tisius, only 19 years old and packing a gun, shot and killed two guards during the rescue mission, then made his getaway.
When the jury was asked to decide on Mr. Tisius’ punishment, they took several hours to deliberate in July 2010 before coming to one decision: the death penalty.
Now, with Mr. Tisius’ execution scheduled for Tuesday, that jury stays under scrutiny that could cast doubt on the whole process.
In an unusual move, six jurors, including two alternates, stated in sworn affidavits that were included in a clemency petition that they would support or have no objections if the governor of Missouri stepped in and commuted the sentence to life imprisonment instead of death. That’s rare, experts say, to see so many jurors take such a stand in a death penalty case. 👥📜
Another juror, when recently contacted by Mr. Tisius’ legal representatives, said that he cannot read English, a requirement in Missouri courts for jury service. A federal judge ordered last week to stop the execution while they investigate the claim of illiteracy, but on Friday, an appeals court overruled that decision. 🛑📚
In a 56-page petition that was sent to Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri, the jurors explained in statements that they received from Mr. Tisius’ defense team why they changed their minds since the sentencing 13 years ago.
They still believe he is guilty, the jurors say, and they believe he should never be released from prison. But they talk about new details they learned from Mr. Tisius’ legal team and what they remember from the trial: the heartbreaking backstory of Mr. Tisius’ childhood, with all the abuse and neglect; his mental challenges; and his good behavior in prison since he was convicted.
“I believe that people can change and deserve second chances,” one juror said in one affidavit.
“At this time, based on what I’ve learned since the trial, I’m not going to object if Mr. Tisius’ sentence is reduced to life without parole,” another juror said.
No legal recourse for jurors who change their minds about a death sentence, says Juandalynn Taylor, a visiting professor at Gonzaga University School of Law who teaches about the death penalty, even though lawyers often find examples of it in interviews with jurors during the appeals process.
“Jurors change their minds all the time,” she said. “But if nobody goes and asks them and finds out, then we’re not going to know about it in public.”
In interviews with The New York Times, two jurors said they have been haunted by the experience. One woman who served as an alternate juror said she has been struggling with anxiety, sleepless nights, and guilt. If she had a vote, she said she would never have chosen the death sentence.
Another juror, Jason Smith of Republic, Mo., said that in the 13 years since the sentencing, his views on Mr. Tisius, who is now 42, have changed. 💭💔
During the deliberations, Mr. Smith said he believed it was a crucial fact that Mr. Tisius killed more than one person. Mr. Tisius had a chance to stop before shooting the second jail employee, Mr. Smith recalled thinking, so the death penalty was a fair punishment.
But now he says he knows, based on what he recently heard from Mr. Tisius’ legal team, that doctors who examined him concluded he has mental deficiencies that could have affected his decision-making. Mr. Smith also learned about medical research showing that the frontal lobe of the brain is not fully developed during the teenage years.
Mr. Smith, 49, said he still supports the death penalty in certain cases and feels that Mr. Tisius should spend the rest of his life in prison. But he no longer believes Mr. Tisius deserves to die.
“I feel angry and remorseful,” he said. “I feel like I wronged Michael.”
Public support for the death penalty in the United States has been decreasing over the decades, and Missouri is only one of four states that have carried out an execution in 2023, alongside Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
This year, Missouri executed Amber McLaughlin, a transgender woman found guilty of killing her ex-girlfriend, and Leonard Taylor, convicted in 2008 of a quadruple murder. Two more executions, including Mr. Tisius’, are scheduled in Missouri this year.
When the jury in 2010 was asked to decide on Mr. Tisius’ sentence, they were told about the failed escape attempt that led to the murders of Jason Acton and Leon Egley: Mr. Tisius tried to free an inmate, Roy Vance, who was his former cellmate. Mr. Vance, currently serving life in prison for his role in the murders, said that he manipulated Mr. Tisius to carry out the escape plan.
The other person who tried to free Mr. Vance was his girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for her role in the killings.
During the resentencing hearing in 2010—called after the court found evidence of misconduct by the prosecutors in the first hearing—the jurors were told about Mr. Tisius’ difficult life, including the abuse he suffered from his older brother. One juror, Ginny Young, told The Columbia Daily Tribune in 2010 that as soon as the group left the courtroom, several jurors started crying.
“They feel bad that they had to put this man to death,” Ms. Young said at the time. “One of them said, ‘You wouldn’t be human unless you feel bad.’ I guess I’m not human then, because I don’t feel bad. Maybe I need therapy. I think the punishment justified by the crime.”
Some jurors who were contacted by Mr. Tisius’ legal team stick with their original decision that Mr. Tisius should get the death sentence, or they refuse to sign the affidavits, says Keith O’Connor, a lawyer for Mr. Tisius.
An alternate juror interviewed by The Times remembered riding in a van with other jurors after leaving the courthouse. The juror, who doesn’t want to give her name because she has concerns about privacy, recalled crying, feeling like the jury made a mistake.
Mr. Smith said it was quiet for most of the long ride.
“A lot of people probably were reflecting on it,” he said. “We all were ready to go home.”
After the sentencing, he went back to his regular life. He talked about the case with his parents. At least one time, he looked up Mr. Tisius’ mugshot on the Missouri Department of Corrections website.
In the dining room of his house, Mr. Smith picked up the affidavit that he signed supporting the commutation of Mr. Tisius’ sentence, a document that has been sitting on the table since last year. With the execution date getting closer, Mr. Smith has been thinking about Mr. Tisius and the trial often, he said.
“I don’t get all emotional about my decision,” said Mr. Smith, who works in food distribution. But it still weighs on him.
“I hate having a part in somebody dying,” he said.
For Linda Arena of Rocheport, Mo., the sister of Jason Acton, one of the slain jail employees, the death sentence brings relief. The years since then have been a long wait for what she sees as justice.
Ms. Arena, 73, remembers her brother as a boy, loving and funny, with a deep love for the outdoors. As an adult, she said, he got a job at the jail because he hoped it would be a step toward becoming a park ranger.
It’s hard for Ms. Arena to even say Mr. Tisius’ name.
“He’s a nobody to me,” she said. “A nobody who took my brother.”
The Missouri Supreme Court denied an appeal from Mr. Tisius and, in March, scheduled his execution.
Since then, opponents of the death penalty have been ramping up their efforts to persuade Mr. Parson, the Republican governor, to commute the sentence.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Pope’s representative to the United States, appealed to Mr. Parson for clemency. The American Bar Association argued in a letter that capital punishment should be banned in cases where the person committed the crime at 21 years old or younger.
Mary Fox, director of the Missouri State Public Defender system, asked Mr. Parson to commute the sentence, saying that Mr. Tisius never received effective representation during the trial. (Christopher Slusher, a lawyer who defended Mr. Tisius during the sentencing in 2010, did not respond to a message.)
Ms. Fox said the process of capital punishment can be troubling for jurors, prison employees who get to know inmates, and the lawyers who defend their clients.
“One of my jobs is to take care of the people who work for me, and one thing I see is the trauma that my folks go through,” she said. “It’s traumatic for everybody involved.”
In the final days before Mr. Tisius’ scheduled execution, the clemency petition—and statements from several jurors supporting the commutation of his sentence—leave Ms. Arena confused and angry. 😡😢
“It kinda makes me mad, ’cause they listened to all the evidence,” she says. “They knew that this guy planned to do that. They brought a gun on purpose. He killed Jason and he killed Leon.”
All the years that her brother has been gone, Ms. Arena has been thinking about Mr. Tisius spending his days in prison. Why was he free to be alive, she has asked, eating meals, having conversations with other people, when Jason was not?
Ms. Arena is determined to drive on Tuesday morning to Bonne Terre, where the execution is scheduled to take place.
She plans to bring a photo of Jason and hold it close. But she is not sure how the execution will leave her feeling, or whether she will be able to look Mr. Tisius in the eye.
“It’s going to be hard,” Ms. Arena says. “I’m not sure how it’s going to affect me, watching someone die.”
Through a spokeswoman, the Missouri attorney general declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
In a statement from prison, Mr. Tisius says he still believes there was a chance that Mr. Parson would commute his sentence. “My only hope is that the Governor makes his decision based on me, my remorse, my life, and my rehabilitation over the last 23 years,” he says. “I feel like I’ve changed, I hope he can see that in me too.”
Mr. Parson has not yet issued a statement on his decision regarding Mr. Tisius’ clemency petition. 🤔📜
