It is heartbreaking for any parent to witness their child go down the wrong path. For Kent Whitaker, the pain was worse because his son did more than go down the wrong path, he murdered his own mother and brother in an attempt to claim his $1 million inheritance.
Kent shared his heartbreaking story in the book entitled "Murder by Family," according to the Daily Mail. In it, he detailed how he survived the slaughter orchestrated by his son Thomas "Bart" Whitaker back in 2003. Kent barely survived, but his 51-year-old wife Tricia and 19-year-old son Keith tragically died.
Because of what he did, Thomas was set to be put to death this month by lethal injection. Despite the pain caused by Thomas, the Christian father still pushed the state to grant clemency and spare him from death row.
He even attended a 30-minute meeting with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in Austin on whether Thomas should serve a lifetime in prison or be executed.
At that meeting, he begged the parole board not to go ahead with the execution.
"I am going to be thrown into a deeper grief at the hands of the state of Texas, in the name of justice," he pleaded with them.
Kent argued that his son has been a model inmate, and prison guards even backed him up with letters for clemency.
As for Kent, he relied on his faith to help him come to terms with the tragedy and betrayal within his own family.
"Kent looked to God... He found the answer early in his tragedy, as he can explain to each member of this Board,' the letter goes on to say," one of the letters for clemency read. "While laying in his hospital bed, Kent considered whether he should slip into bitterness and despair. His faith rescued him from that fate."
Kent got his wish, according to USA Today. Just minutes before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection last Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spared Thomas' life. In a statement, Thomas said that he deserved what was due to him, but he was thankful for his father's sake.
"I'm thankful not for me but for my dad," he told prison officials. "Any punishment that I would have or will receive is just, but my dad did nothing wrong. The system worked for him today. And I will do my best to uphold my role in the system."
