True Crime Page #8

Testing black.

We're in San Quentin 's

gas chamber...

... now converted

for lethal injection.

The first syringe delivers five grams

of sodium Pentothal...

... and that will put him to sleep

within a few seconds.

Then the injection line is flushed

with 20 cc's of saline solution...

... and then he'll be given 50 cc's

of pancuronium bromide.

Now that is a muscle paralyzer,

and at that point...

... he won 't be able to breathe.

And finally, 50 cc's

of potassium chloride.

And that'll stop his heart.

Yes, this is...

This is Steve's wife. Why?

What's the matter?

Something happen to him?

Already, the vultures come...

So steal. Go ahead.

Mr. Ziegler?

I'm not a thief.

I'm a friend of Michelle's,

a colleague at the paper.

My friends, most of them knock.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry about Michelle.

She was really topnotch.

A really fine reporter.

So you came to give the eulogy?

Michelle was on a story.

A man will be executed tonight.

I think he's innocent.

I think the answer may be in

Michelle's papers.

Something Michelle did?

Something she was onto, yeah.

So look!

Great.

I've been going through her things too.

See this?

Gave her this when she was 9.

She loved it.

She saved everything.

Look at this.

I don't know when she did it.

Must have been 4 or 5.

Where'd this come from? Over here?

This anything?

"Warren Russel, 17 years old.

July 7th at own request."

"Says he bought a soda and left.

Saw nothing.

Something fishy here."

Mr. Ziegler, that Michelle, she was

really on top of things.

Great!

Sorry, Frank.

We'll have to ask Mrs. Beechum

to leave now.

Give us a minute, okay?

Sure.

I don't think I can do this.

I won't get a chance

to say goodbye later on.

So I need you to take care

of yourself and our little girl.

You know I will, baby.

- I will.

- And give her this.

And don't forget.

It ain't much, but it's...

It'll be precious to her.

It will be her most precious thing.

I really hate that

you have to go through this.

I know.

Okay, I love you.

I love you.

I wanted to be there for you.

God knows I wanted to see

my little girl grow up.

If we just had more time...

We have to be thankful

for the time we had.

It's that it was short.

At least we made Gail.

We made Gail together.

We made something beautiful

in this world.

You look at her and remember

how much I love you.

Can you do that?

God, Frank, I'm so scared.

If I can see your face...

I'll talk to you every day.

- Lf I can see you at the end.

- Come with me!

You going to be talking to me?

If I could see your face!

How did this ever happen to us?

The only thing in my life...

...that made it worth anything.

God bless you for that.

God bless you for that.

Who's there?

I'm Steve Everett. I'm a reporter

for the Tribune.

Go home!

And quit casing that man's car.

It's almost your dinnertime.

Go home!

- Sorry about them kids.

- That's all right.

I'm just glad to find you here.

What, you thought I moved

to the suburbs?

Come on in.

And you are...?

Angela Russel.

And Warren?

My grandson.

Is this Warren here?

It is.

Want to tell me why you're here?

Mrs. Russel, it's important

that I talk to Warren.

It's important I talk to him tonight.

It is? And what could be so important,

if you don't mind my asking?

There's a man on death row, and

they're gonna execute him tonight.

They say he killed

a store clerk...

...six years ago. An Amy Wilson.

I think he's innocent.

I think Warren knows

something about it.

Why would you

think a thing like that?

He's the only other person

that was there.

And how do we know that?

The witnesses didn't see anyone else.

Wait a minute. There were witnesses,

even though nobody else was there?

- Yes, that's right...

- No, wait. Help me out here.

I am getting confused.

There was an accountant

and a housewife.

White people?

And I bet...

...that girl that got killed,

that Amy Wilson...

...she was white too, wasn't she?

That's right. But I don't think...

You don't think those nice

white people...

...would kill that nice white girl.

But they all looked around...

...and what do you know?

There was a black boy.

Look, it isn't like that.

Will you just think back

in your mind? Six years ago.

Was Warren using drugs

or anything like that?

He was into drugs.

Did he own a gun?

They all own guns, Mr. Everett.

Don't you know that?

All those black dope-fiend boys,

they all own guns.

Can I just talk to him?

Do you know where he is?

Yes, I do.

And no, you can't.

Look, an innocent man

is gonna die tonight.

I have seen a lot of innocent folk...

...die in this part of town,

Mr. Everett.

But it's funny.

I ain't never seen you

around here before.

Mrs. Russel, you're making this into

a racial thing, and it isn't.

The man on death row,

he's a black man too.

Did you know that?

They'll kill him at midnight.

I can't help unless I have the facts.

The only fact I know, Mr. Everett...

...is that my grandson, Warren...

...he's been in his grave now

going on three years.

Stabbed out there in the park.

My Warren...

...was a loving child.

But I don't remember you

coming around...

...Iooking for the facts

when he was killed.

Nobody came around here

looking for the facts then.

F***ing loser!

Goddamn it!

We're told he's having

the last meal he requested...

... steak and french fries.

Oddly enough...

... he also requested two

six-packs of Coke.

If you're just tuning in,

we'll repeat our top story.

Convicted killer Frank Beechum has,

for the first time, confessed his crime.

The confession was made

to the chaplain...

... as an expression of remorse...

... for the murder of Amy Wilson

and her unborn child six years ago.

A source in the governor's office

says despite this...

... the execution will proceed

at one minute after midnight tonight.

And in other news, the market

slumped badly...

I am tired.

Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?

Why are you here, Daddy?

I'm here to see you, you little goon.

Where did you go?

A wild-goose chase.

You went chasing?

Chasing salvation.

Never did find it.

Just disappeared.

Let me tell you...

About today, I'm sorry.

Maybe this weekend we'II...

...go and spend the whole day?

Play Slow Zoo.

And this time, could we see...

...the hippopotamus?

I've already talked to him.

We have an appointment.

My little Daddy.

I'll go to sleep now.

Okay, I think that's a good idea.

Close them, now.

If this were a bullet...

...you'd be dead.

Bob call you?

What difference does

it make who called me?

I know you're going to apologize.

I know you will try to do better.

But I don't want this anymore.

Because I'm tired.

I just think this'll be hard on her.

Barbara, I can change.

Can't we just erase all this?

I just had a terribly

ridiculous day.

It isn't just today.

But today is the end of it.

Today I understand.

Hell, I know I've been...

...tempted a lot, but...

But I love you, baby.

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