British wife reveals convict husband's final words to her as she shares his final moments before execution
The wife of a man executed in Texas on death row has revealed his final moments, including what he last said to her.
British law graduate Tiana Krasniqi had only married American death row inmate James Broadnax a few weeks ago (14 April), but on 30 April he was executed by lethal injection as she told him 'I love you'.
The 31-year-old explained to the Daily Mirror how she threw herself against the execution window chamber as she described seeing her new husband's death.
She said: "His last words to me was 'don't give up' and 'I love you', we spoke to each other the whole time he was strapped in the gurney.
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"His head jerked back and couldn't finish his last word and his head fell looking at me and he closed his eyes. I screamed 'open your eyes' and told him I loved him and sorry I failed him.
"I dropped to the ground and they picked me up and told me I had to wait for 20 mins till he died.
"We had promised that we would look at each other and talk to each other whilst it was happening. The whole thing felt like the Final Destination movie."
Broadnax had been sentenced to death in Texas after confessing to the fatal shootings of Stephen Swan, 26, and Matthew Butler, 28, outside of a Dallas music studio in 2008.
He had carried out the killings alongside his cousin Demarius Cummings, with them both reportedly under the influence of PCP-laced weed.
In March this year Cummings claimed full responsibility for the killings, but appeals from Broadnax to avoid the death sentence were unsuccessful.
Broadnax, 37, said in the minutes before his death that the justice system had 'got it wrong', and that he hoped the families of the victims could forgive him.
According to the Dallas Morning News he said: "I prayed to God for your forgiveness. Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered.
"But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself. Period."
Broadnax's legal representatives said he had 'deeply regretted his participation' in the murders.
He and Krasniqi had started exchanging emails in October 2024, with her saying she had got in touch with him as part of research for her masters degree in international human rights law.
Krasniqi said they'd planned on being 'friends' but that he'd proposed when she visited him at the maximum security prison he'd been held in, with them being separated by glass while they got married during a short ceremony.
Joe Harker