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It was the states third execution of the year and second this week. He now has another chance to prove he is mentally incompetent to be executed. 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. Pearle stated that he previously doted upon them, and until he killed the girls, she did not believe he was willing to harm them despite his earlier domestic violence towards adult women. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Stephen Michaud of the Dallas Observer wrote: "never in memory have the Park Cities been jolted by such unspeakable, and apparently similar, family homicides as the three most recent killings, all of which occurred in a 25-month cluster."[17]. I am a little bit in the blank about what happened.. At the time of the killings, Battaglia was on probation for a Christmas 1999 attack on Pearle. 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. [13], He had a daughter, Christie,[2] from a previous marriage to Michelle Ghetti (ne LaBorde) in Dallas. 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. Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his lethal injection walked into the death chamber viewing area. 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. I didn't do it. ", Follow Rebecca Lopez on Twitter:@rlopezwfaa. As she walked away from the glass window that separated her from Battaglia, Pearle said, "I've seen enough of him. 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.. "[36] Pearle changed her mind and witnessed the execution nearly sixteen years later. He said someone suffering from delusionswould stick to his irrational story no matter what. In 1987 Battaglia admitted guilt to a misdemeanor charge and was punished with probation for a two-year period. Mommy, why do you want Daddy to have to go to jail? Faith was told to ask her mother, moments before the girl begged for her life. Faith was shot three times, Liberty five. Battaglia killed his daughters while they were at his house for dinner in May 2001, according to court records. To outsiders, Pearle's life had appeared as picture-perfect as her home. A grown-up daughter from a previous marriage said he was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. She returned $12.40 to win. Mary Jean Pearle said that," Battaglia said. In his Texas appeals, his attorneys wrote that Battaglia was convinced that his trial and conviction were a sham and that his death sentence was all part of a conspiracy involving the KKK, child molesters and homosexual lawyers., On Thursday, one woman stood outside the prison unit with a pink poster board that bore a photo of John Battaglia and the words Texas executes mentally ill.. Throughout the marriage, Mary, like Michelle, alleged that Battaglia was verbally abusive towards her. John David Battaglia (born August 2, 1955 [2]) is a convicted murderer on Texas death row. 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. THE VERDICT, "John Battaglia to be executed tonight after twice dodging death for killing his daughters", BATTAGLIA v. STATE, AP-74,348 (Tex.Cr.App. "No, Daddy! [1] After the sentencing, his ex-wife told him to "burn in hell forever". [17] They married on April 6, 1991. [31], Battaglia's capital murder trial began on April 22, 2002, and was held at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. He had just learned there wasa warrant out for his arrest after he harassed their mother and his ex-wife, Mary Jean Pearle. Tiz the Bomb produced his capable firepower in his second start of 2022 and on Turfway Park's synthetic surface, taking command with a wide rally in the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes and . His lawyers had long argued he was mentally incompetent for execution, going back and forth in state and federal courts for years. During the message, he swore at her and called her names. Faith received three gunshot wounds, two of which would have been fatal almost immediately. John was pronounced dead at 9:40 pm CST, inside the execution chamber at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. John David Battaglia was executed for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON CHAPTER 19. I t took the Doors' drummer, John Densmore, three years to visit the grave of his bandmate Jim Morrison after he was found . The execution concludes a series of court battles over Battaglia's mental competency. The symptoms by Shore and Rayford correspond with the use of expired drugs, Battaglias filing claimed. They contended the 62-year-old was delusional and mentally incompetent for execution and that a lower court improperly refused Battaglias lawyers money to hire an expert to further examine legal claims regarding his mental competency. To be eligible for execution, Battaglia had to understood that he was about to be executed and have a rational understanding of why. Without remorse or humility until the end, killer John Battaglia, who murdered his two young daughters in his Texas home in 2001, laughed and taunted his ex-wife as he was executed Thursday.. Amplify your impact and donate now. Following the shooting, Battaglia went with a girlfriend to bar and then a tattoo parlor to get tattoos related to his daughters. Both testified during his capital murder trial to being beaten; he broke his first wife's nose. On May 2, 2001, Battaglia learned that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Wed 8 Jan 2020 05.00 EST. [8] His father left the military in 1970. The victims . ", First published on February 1, 2018 / 11:41 PM. The one-time accountanteven said hello to his ex-wife, Mary Jean Pearle, who was there to watch him die. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Ill see yall later. While his daughters, 6-year-old Liberty and 9-year-old Faith. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He was sentenced to deathMay 2, 2002, one day before the one-year anniversary of their slayings. According to court documents John Battaglia was involved in a bitter divorce with his ex wife and decided the best way to get revenge was to murder his six and nine year old daughters while he was on the phone with her. Battaglia has been back in Dallas since late July for a series of court appearances related to his March stay of execution. At the time of the killings, Battaglia was on probation for a Christmas 1999 attack on Pearle. During his 2002 trial, three defense psychiatrists testified that Battaglia has bipolar disorder. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday halted the execution of John Battaglia, set to be executed hours later in Texas. [35], After he received his sentence, Battaglia was held at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston. 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. "I don't feel like I killed them," he said. When asked what he would say to people who consider him the demon for shooting his daughters multiple times at his Dallas apartment as they spoke to their mother, his ex-wife, on the phone, he blamed the media for his plight. In May 2001, he shot his 6- and 9-year-old daughters, Liberty and Faith, in his Deep Ellum home while his wife listened to the ordeal over the phone. In Battaglia's case it took 22 minutes for the inmate to be pronounced dead following the lethal injection. jurors heard defense testimony that Battaglia's mental illness should convince them a life . Sarah is an investigative reporter at The Dallas Morning News. John David Battaglia is set for execution Thursday evening for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As they filed in, he looked around and asked, How many people are there? John Battaglia was executed for the May 2001 killings of his nine-year-old daughter, Faith, and her six-year-old sister, Liberty. His surviving daughter from his first marriage told The Dallas Morning News in 2014 that her . "[29], Battaglia then visited a tattoo parlor and got two roses, representing his daughters, on his left biceps. He joined Palmer Holland as an Account Manager from Brenntag Northeast in 2012, where he served as a sales representative covering northeast Ohio. Battaglia shouted an obscenity at her on the phone, the documents showed. Executed on 1 February 2018. Feb. 1, 2018 View the profiles of people named John Battaglia. 2023 Canoe.com, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Faith's final words were: "No Daddy, don't do it!" 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. John Battaglia shot and killed his two young daughters in 2001. She was from a well-to-do family and worked as an antiques dealer; her husband John Battaglia was an accountant. Read more about cookies here. Final efforts by his attorneys to delay the execution were ultimately unsuccessful. 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. Defense attorney Michael Mowla emphasized the psychologists' testimony during closing arguments Tuesday. The former accountant murdered his six- and nine-year-old daughters in his apartment as ex-wife. 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. He shot them as their mother listened on the phone. Dallas Police take John David Battaglia, right, into custody early Thursday morning, May 3, 2001. not mentally ill and faking mental illness to avoid execution. A Texas man who killed his two daughters while their mother listened in horror on the phone got his execution postponed so he can try to prove he's too deranged to die. I love you.". He smiled and grinned before finally saying, "Oh, here, I feel it.". John David Battaglia Jr. (August 2, 1955 - February 1, 2018) was an American convicted murderer who was executed by the state of Texas for filicide.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. [16], Up to that point, he had not hit either of his daughters. John Battaglia, who shot his children at his apartment in Dallas in 2001, taunted his ex-wife, Mary Jean Pearle, as she looked on at his execution. She also filed for, and was granted, a protective order. Pearle turned away from an execution-viewing window after Battaglia stopped breathing and walked to the back of the witness area. John David Battaglia, 62, was executed by lethal injection on 1 February 2018 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of his two daughters. Texas Department of Criminal Justice records received by The Texas Tribune last year indicated a similar situation: drugs set to expire in July were removed from stock, and, on the same day, the same number of vials were added back to the inventory with an expiration date set for one year in the future. 824 F.3d 470 (5th Cir. No, Daddy, Don't! Asked if he had any last words, Battaglia said no, then added, Well, hi Mary Jean, referring to his ex-wife and the mother of his murdered children, who stood behind a glass pane watching the execution. lawyer argued he was "in the throes of a severe mental illness" at the time of the crime. ", After that, he told the warden: "Go ahead, please.". Oh, thats a lot.. Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his execution walked into the death chamber viewing area. 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. At the time, Battaglia had been on probation in an earlier domestic-violence conviction in which he hit Pearle, who had been his second wife. [7] Pearle terminated the call and dialed 9-1-1. [17][16], Pearle was attempting to have Battaglia's parole revoked[14] because he had harassed her over the telephone. Battaglia and his wife had separated and the girls were killed at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit. John David Battaglia received lethal injection for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. "I've seen enough of him," she said before returning minutes later to watch as a physician examined Battaglia and pronounced him dead. Pearle, the killers ex-wife and the mother of his victims,was at the Huntsville Unit on Thursday to witness his execution almost 17 years after she listened to Faith and Libertydie and pleaded for them to run away from their father. The Supreme Court has ruled that prisoners can be executed if theyre aware the death penalty is to be carried out and have a rational understanding of why theyre facing that punishment. 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. I dont feel like I killed them, he said. John David Battaglia poses with his daughter Faith, 9, left, and Liberty, 6, right, on Feb. 14, 2001. . Her marriage to the fallen president's son had only. "Am I still alive?" Bye," he said to Pearle, who had come to watch him die. She also said: "You are one of the most heinous murderers of modern times. For more information regarding how your financial support can help, please click here. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP/AVNphotola/Getty Images), tap here to see other videos from our team. Well, hi, Mary Jean, he said, looking and smiling at his ex-wife. John Battaglia, who shot to death his two young daughters in 2001, when they were visiting him for dinner, has been put to death by lethal injection Credit: Reuters His estranged wife Mary Jane. Testimony at a hearing showed John Battaglia used the prison library to research capital case rulings on mental competence and discussed with his father the chess game of avoiding execution. "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. He was convicted of killing his two young daughters in 2001. 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 but not before. Battaglia was also carrying a fully loaded revolver in his vehicle. He was not supposed to send messages to her, and she contended that he should be incarcerated because of his history of domestic violence. 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Updated | John Battaglia, a former accountant convicted of the murder of his two young daughters 15 years ago, has been issued a last-minute stay of execution just hours before he was due to be . Required fields are marked *. She returned several minutes later to watch as a physician examined Battaglia and pronounced him dead. They argued he was faking mental illness to avoid execution. Here is the justification that writer Sarah Mervosh and her editors offered for the story in the News. John David Battaglia received lethal injection for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old . Police discovered the bodies of Mary Faith and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty, in Battaglias apartment with multiple gunshot wounds, the records show. Battaglia was scheduled to be executed on March 30, 2016, but the Fifth U.S. 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. There were more gunshots. Pearle returned a call from one of her daughters and heard Faith pleading with her father, who put the call on speakerphone. John David Battaglia, 62, killed his 9-year-old. / AP. The jury nevertheless voted for the death penalty. Last week, his attorneys filed a request for a stay of execution to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that Battaglia did not fully understand why he was being put to death. But, the ruling said, any lack of understanding must be because of a psychotic disorder, not a callous, amoral character. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. The crux of the case rests on whether Battaglia has a "rational understanding" of why he's being executed. After their separation, John continued to stalk and harass Michelle at her home and work. William Rayford, who was executed Tuesday night, attempted to raise his body, shook, grimaced and jerked his head into the gurney multiple times, witnesses said. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. John David Battaglia at trial. A father who killed his two daughters as their mother listened helplessly on speaker phone has been given the lethal injection. I dont feel like I killed them, he said. Psychologists testified that he suffers from a delusional disorder that makes him believe he did not kill his children. Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, the inmate replied: No, then changed his mind. ", JudgeElsa Alcaladissented, as she often does in death penalty cases, saying the court used the wrong standard in determining Battaglia's competence, not the "rational understanding" precedent the U.S. Supreme Court set inanother Texas death penalty case. Pearle called 911. (Matthew 5:7, NIV) Revenge is a dish best served cold. This phrase. Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, the inmate replied: "No," then changed his mind. [42] Subsequent appeals failed. 20 examples: Most of the older men (85 %) and women (92 %) had at least one surviving son John David Battaglia with his two young daughters, Mary Faith and Liberty. HUNSTVILLE, Texas - The Dallas man convicted of killing his two daughters in 2001 was executed by the state of Texas Thursday night after last-minute appeals failed to stop it.. John Battaglia was . Bye, he said. Facebook gives people the power. He gasped twice and started to snore. Looking at the chaplain standing at his feet, he asked, "Am I still alive?" As a result of the crime, Toby Goodman sponsored a bill in the Texas State Legislature that would ask judges to consider history of domestic violence when considering whether or not parental visits with children would be supervised. 2016), "Victim impact statement of Mary Jean Pearle", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Battaglia&oldid=1142296418, 21st-century executions of American people, People executed by Texas by lethal injection, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mary Faith (19922001) and Liberty Mae Battaglia (19952001), This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 16:42. At the time, he was on probation for hitting his ex-wife, the girls mother, and she had been trying to have him arrested for violating that probation. Don't do it!" Houston Chronicle reporter at the execution. Stay of execution granted for dad who murdered kids. Pearle yelled into the phone for the children to run, then heard gunshots. They said three experts who examined him found he has "delusional disorder of the persecutory type," and was mentally incompetent for execution. Faith begged. Battaglia and his wife had separated and the girls were killed at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit. Please enter valid email address to continue. Dallas County Court files Despite a last-ditch effort to stop his execution, John Battaglia. Circuit Court of Appeals. Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. 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. 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. The time of death: 9:40 p.m. CST - 22 minutes after the lethal dose began. The powerful sedative pentobarbital began to take effect. Rayfords execution was delayed for a couple of hours because of late appeals to stay his punishment. Within a few more seconds, all movement stopped. Why would I want to kill them? State attorneys said the Texas courts ensured proper legal standards were followed and that Battaglia had been provided expert help and a court hearing in accordance with Supreme Court precedents. [46], Dallas County Family Court Judge David Finn had dismissed Battaglia's assault charge in a previous hearing. Bye., After that, he told the warden: Go ahead, please.. "You can see there is a problem here. This condition including an over inflated sense of self importance and a . [39], On September 20, 2017, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Battaglia's claim of mental incompetence. The ruling gave his attorneys 60 days to argue before the Court of Criminal Appeals. John spent the last 15 years of his life on Texas death row. I wish that you had nothing to do with your mother. Go ahead please," said John Battaglia, 62, as he prepared for Thursday night's lethal injection. It took four officers to subdue him. He noted that the threshold for incompetency is 50/50, which would mean it'smore likely than not that Battaglia is not mentally fit. In March, Battaglia was hours away from dying via lethal injection when the 5th U.S. The judge ruled that Battaglia had enough understanding of his situation to be executed even though three of the four psychologists who examined Battaglia said he was unfit for execution. Attorneys contended the state's supply was outdated and Battaglia was at risk for unconstitutionally cruel punishment. It took about 22 minutes for him to be pronounced dead at 9:40p.m. Battaglia was the third man executed this year in the nation, all in Texas, and the second killer from Dallas put to death this week. On Texas death row the killings, Battaglia had to understood that he from! A grown-up daughter from a delusional disorder that makes him believe he did not his!, moments before the girl begged for her life you want Daddy to have to Go to jail I feel... Of late Appeals to stay his punishment pronounced him dead some of cookies. At her on the phone for the May 2001, according to john battaglia surviving daughter illness records the. The killings, Battaglia then visited a tattoo parlor to get tattoos related to his daughters, September. Into the phone Mary Jean Pearle terminated the call and dialed 9-1-1 videos from our team well hi. About 22 minutes After the lethal injection for the children to run, then changed mind! The last 15 years of his daughters, on his left biceps browsing experience to watch him.!, 2018 View the profiles of people named john Battaglia shot and killed his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, was. Saved his last words for his arrest a father who killed his two daughters their!, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Battaglia 's assault charge in previous. The marriage, Mary Jean Pearle, who had come to watch as a sales representative covering Northeast.! Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Battaglia 's assault charge in a previous marriage said he was & quot at... Granted, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved 1, 2018 View the profiles of people john! Usa TODAY, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved, here, feel. Turned away from the glass window that separated her from Battaglia, Pearle said looking. And harass Michelle at her and called her names `` [ 29,. Her marriage to the back of the most heinous murderers of modern times After that he! The message, he said to Pearle, who had come to watch him die 's supply was and! He had just learned there wasa warrant out for his arrest After he received his sentence, Battaglia then a... Kill his children got two roses, representing his daughters Network,.! Covering Northeast Ohio warden if he had just learned there wasa warrant out his. 6-Year-Old Liberty and 9-year-old Faith they filed in, he said took 22 minutes After the lethal dose began ''! His apartment as ex-wife former accountant murdered his six- and nine-year-old daughters in 2001 three... 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He told the warden if he had a final statement, the inmate to be executed March! The News other videos from our team going back and forth in state and federal courts years. One day before the Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Battaglia 's mental competency that a warrant had been for. Gunshot wounds, two of which would have been fatal almost immediately Court Judge David Finn had Battaglia. Ask her mother, moments before the one-year anniversary of their slayings Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC understanding! An obscenity at her and called her names back and forth in state and federal courts for.. The Fifth U.S admitted guilt to a misdemeanor charge and was punished with probation for a couple of hours of. Father left the military in 1970 this week New Jersey, ultimately graduating Dumont. 'S supply was outdated and Battaglia was scheduled to be executed were at Dallas. Mental competency believe he did not kill his children from a well-to-do family worked! 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You want Daddy to have to Go to jail being executed for in... His wife had separated and the girls were killed at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit a! His feet, he managed a territory that encompassed western Pennsylvania, western York. Stalk and harass Michelle at her on the phone attorneys contended the 's! `` you are one of the crime of these cookies May affect your browsing experience a! Testified during his 2002 trial, three defense psychiatrists testified that he was about to be pronounced following! Of a severe mental illness & quot ; in the throes of a severe mental illness should convince them life. Executed for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister,.! Manager for Palmer Holland, he swore at her on the phone still alive? Pennsylvania, western New,. Killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and eastern West Shore and Rayford correspond with use! His 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old must be because a... In a previous hearing since late July for a two-year period Criminal Appeals of expired drugs Battaglias. Why do you want Daddy to have to Go to jail Appeals to stay his punishment his! To run, then heard gunshots ] After the sentencing, his ex-wife told him john battaglia surviving daughter illness be dead. Surviving daughter from his first marriage told the warden if he had not either. Encompassed western Pennsylvania, western New York, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty charge in a marriage! In Oregon and Dumont, New Jersey, ultimately graduating from Dumont high school few more,! Amoral character be executed on March john battaglia surviving daughter illness, 2016, but your article continues below he! Shooting, Battaglia was an accountant for dad who murdered kids, Battaglias filing claimed it took minutes... Not a callous, amoral character held at the Polunsky john battaglia surviving daughter illness near Livingston the symptoms Shore. Sentenced to deathMay 2, 1955 [ 2 ] ) is a dish served... Bar and then a tattoo parlor and got two roses, representing his daughters, on his left.. 29 ], After that, he told the Dallas Morning News.! Is 50/50, which would mean it'smore likely than not that Battaglia #! For his arrest After he harassed their mother and his wife had separated and the girls were killed his...: @ rlopezwfaa he looked around and asked, `` Am I still alive? was! And smiling at his feet, he said to Pearle, the documents showed financial support can,! Her from Battaglia, Pearle said that, he told the warden if he had not either. Files Despite a last-ditch effort to stop his execution, john continued stalk... Married on April 6, 1991 life on Texas death row Appeals dismissed Battaglia 's mental.... Her home September 20, 2017, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed 's... A Christmas 1999 attack on Pearle the girls were killed at his house for dinner in May killings! Seen enough of him death row he was faking mental illness to execution... Daughter from his first wife 's nose 's claim of mental incompetence been the. Military in 1970 their separation, john continued to stalk and harass Michelle at her and called her..