John Battaglia and his two daughters, Liberty (left) and Faith, who he murdered on May 1, 2001. The officer asked him to turn himself in so that police would not have to take him into custody while he was with his daughters, court documents showed. Go ahead please," said John Battaglia, 62, as he prepared for Thursday night's lethal injection. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Man executed for killing daughters while mom listened February 1, 2018 HUNTSVILLE, Texas A former Dallas accountant condemned for fatally shooting his two young daughters while their mother listened helplessly on the phone was put to death Thursday night in Texas. There were more gunshots. [34] On April 30, 2002, the same jury sentenced Battaglia to death. 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. View the profiles of people named John Battaglia. As he drew his last breaths, 17 years after Battaglia had killed her two children, Pearle was heard to say "I've seen enough of him" as she walked away from his motionless body, separated by a glass window. "I had two ex-wives that hated me having a good time because I walked out on the stupid (expletive), stupid lying little (expletive), and they just (expletive)plotted every day to make my life miserable," Battaglia said. "There's nothing to corroborate her story. Stay of execution granted for dad who murdered kids. admits guilt in ex-wife's shooting in front of daughter. [14][15] At one point Ghetti, an attorney, filed a request for Battaglia to be arrested on grounds of harassment. HUNTSVILLE, TX A former Dallas accountant was executed around 9:40 p.m. in Huntsville Thursday night, according to a report from KDFW. Mary Jean Pearle married John Battaglia in 1991. Battaglia's execution was the nation's third this year, all in Texas. 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. It would be the third execution this . The 62-year-old Dallas man was sentenced to death in 2002 for fatally shooting his two daughters while their mother listened on the phone. After his state and federal appeals were denied, he was set for execution in March 2016. joined. . Liberty was shot four times and had a graze wound. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. John was 62 years of age. "Well, hi, Mary Jean," he said, looking and smiling at his ex-wife. Ohhh weee, I can feel that it does burn, Houston serial killer Anthony Shore said after being injected with a lethal dose of compounded pentobarbital on Jan. 18, according to the filing. No other state in the country has held an execution this year. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. "First of all, who said that? John David Battaglia was set for lethal injection Wednesday evening for the May 2001 shooting deaths of his daughters, Faith, 9, and Liberty, 6, in his apartment. [13] He told Pearle, "Merry Fucking Christmas",[28] in reference to the Christmas 1999 assault. He smiled and grinned before finally saying, "Oh, here, I feel it.". When asked. [4] As a child, he moved across the country and to Germany. John David Battaglia was executed for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. Circuit Court of Appeals. Police also found the murder weapon at the scene, along with several other weapons and ammunition. I just want to tell you how very, very brave you were, and I hope you are resting in a better place now. N.J. police sgt. A batch was previously set to expire on Jan. 22, but a month ago, the drugs were re-tested and given a new expiration date of November, according to the appeal. Pearle turned away from an execution-viewing window after Battaglia stopped breathing and walked to the back of the witness area. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . But, the ruling said, any lack of understanding must be because of a psychotic disorder, not a callous, amoral character. Don't do it!" I'll see y'all later. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. 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. 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. 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 wanted a federal court to stop his execution due to the substantial risk of cruel and unusual punishment.. Pearle yelled into the phone for the children to run, then heard gunshots. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP/AVNphotola/Getty Images), tap here to see other videos from our team. Battaglia saved his last words for his ex-wife, Mary Jean Pearle, The Dallas Morning News reported. By the time police arrived, Battaglia had fled. 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. The jury nevertheless voted for the death penalty. Battaglia called Pearle from the apartment. "Dallas man who killed daughters set to die Thursday - Story | KSAZ", "Defense to present psychological testimony in Battaglia trial", "Battaglia sentenced to die for killing girls", "Battaglia sentenced to death for killing two daughters", "Bill to eliminate death penalty in Louisiana advances past committee", Execution postponed for John Battaglia, Dallas man who murdered his 'little babies', "John David Battaglia Execution Again Halted Over Competency Questions", "Deep Ellum Child Killer John Battaglia Found Competent for Execution", "John Battaglia found competent to be executed for killing his daughters", "Feb. 1 execution date for Texas man who killed daughters", "Appeals won't stop Battaglia's execution", "John Battaglia: 16 years after killing his daughters, Deep Ellum man put to death", "One Of Dallas' Most Notorious Killers To Be Executed Tonight", "Texas man executed for killing his daughters". Pearle, who had gone to dinner, returned a call from one of her daughters and heard Faith pleading with her father, who put the call on speakerphone. Amplify your impact and donate now. [14] Texas authorities stated that Battaglia killed his daughters out of retaliation because Pearle had complained to his probation officer. En mayo de 2001 asesin a sus dos pequeas hijas, Faith y Liberty, de 9 y 6 aos Siempre se mostr sonriente. But he never had threatened his two girls and even doted on them. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. His lawyers alleged that the execution drugs being used are more than a year expired. Dont do it.. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. Battaglia and his wife had separated, and he shot the. A grown-up daughter from a previous marriage said he was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Well, hi, Mary Jean, he said, looking and smiling at his ex-wife. HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A former Dallas accountant condemned for fatally shooting his two young daughters while their mother listened helplessly on the phone was put to death Thursday night in Texas. "[29], Battaglia then visited a tattoo parlor and got two roses, representing his daughters, on his left biceps. The punishment was delayed more than three hours until the U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals from his lawyers to review his case. One shot was immediately fatal, while another resulted in significant blood loss. After 14 years on death row, John Battaglia, 60, is scheduled to die by injection shortly after 6 p.m. in the nation's busiest death chamber. Oh, I feel it, he said. He then instructed Faith in ask her. Faith asked, Mommy, why do you want Daddy to go to jail? Mary tried to talk to Battaglia, telling him not to do this when she heard Faith say, No, Daddy, please dont, dont do it. Mary told her children to run for the door and then she heard gunshots. Faith received three gunshot wounds, two of which would have been fatal almost immediately. she asked before she was heard begging for her life. Their mother, Mary Jean Pearle of Highland Park, Texas, hung up the phone when she heard the shots, eight in all, to call 911. Cases of filicide attributed to revenge against an ex-spouse: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. 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. 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. He seemed jovial, strapped to a gurney while witnesses arrived to watch his execution at the states Huntsville Unit. CTV reporter struck by vehicle while covering crash in Guelph, Ont. Hours later, Battaglia was arrested outside at a tattoo shop where he had two large red roses inked on his left arm to commemorate his daughters. 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. Join Facebook to connect with John Battaglia and others you may know. 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. [18] His two daughters with Pearle, Mary Faith and Liberty Mae Battaglia,[19][20] were students at John S. Bradfield Elementary School in Highland Park. Before her death, she cried, "No, Daddy! Please don't! Don't do it!" Attorneys for Battaglia contended he didnt have that understanding and that the states highest court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, misapplied the Supreme Courts guidance when it ruled that Battaglia was competent. [38] John David Battaglia has been executed. [7] Pearle terminated the call and dialed 9-1-1. A father who killed his two daughters as their mother listened helplessly on speaker phone has been given the lethal injection. by Jolie McCullough [35], After he received his sentence, Battaglia was held at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston. !The Journey Begins January 1, 2023 Every year, we, Sunday, February 26, 2023 "[36] Pearle changed her mind and witnessed the execution nearly sixteen years later. John David Battaglia with his two young daughters, Mary Faith and Liberty. Battaglia has numerous citations in Dallas County for assault on both of the women who are now his ex-wives. . He said someone suffering from delusionswould stick to his irrational story no matter what. "No, Daddy! He learned earlier that day that a warrant was out for his arrest for violating that probation and he could face jail time because he also had convictions forhitting his first wife. John Battaglia sat stone-faced Tuesday as photographs of his daughters' bullet-riddled bodies flashed on the screen a few feet away during the second day of his capital murder trial. In the end, Battaglia lost, with the U.S. Supreme Court issuing the final denial just before 9 p.m. John Battaglia 1 Affiliation 1 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA. Pearle called 911. Please pray for peace and healing for the family of Faith and Liberty. Faith pleaded, seconds before he pulled the trigger. His execution brought an end to a lengthy legal battle to spare his life. John David Battaglia (born August 2, 1955 [2]) is a convicted murderer on Texas death row. Shortly after receiving the injection, Battaglia continued to speak. 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. But as Battaglias execution neared, his appeals were struck down one after another: The 5th U.S. Battaglia received national attention in May 2001 after he gunned down his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and 6-year-old Liberty at his Deep Ellum loft while their mother listened helplessly on the phone. Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark said the claims arent true. [13] During the penalty phase of the trial, Battaglia's lawyers argued that their client should not receive the death penalty because he had bipolar disorder. John David Battaglia . Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. 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. 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. "My story is that the Dallas D.A's Office, some lawyers and judges in Dallas, are trying to kill me to cover up their crimes," Battaglia said of the district attorney. Ive seen enough of him, Pearle said as she walked away. John Battaglia. Sarah Mervosh. John was executed for the murders of his two daughters nine-year-old Faith and 6-year-old Liberty, on May 2, 2001, in Dallas, Texas. : A Father's Murderous Act of Revenge, a 2003 nonfiction book by Irene Pence, is about the murders.