25 March 2026 :
March 23, 2026 - Texas. Advocacy on the case of James Broadnax
Broadnax, now 37 years old, Black, was sentenced to death in 2009 (see HoC 21/08/2009) after confessing to the murder of two people during a robbery.
On 15 June 2008, in Garland, outside the ‘Zion Gate’ recording studio, Matthew Butler, a 28-year-old white man, and Stephen Swan, a 26-year-old white man, were killed during a robbery.
Shortly afterwards, two 19-year-old cousins were arrested: James Broadnax and Demarius Cummings.
Broadnax confessed immediately, in detail and even on camera, saying that he had fired the shots.
Cummings also confessed, but only to the robbery, not to the shooting.
This led to Broadnax being sentenced to death, whilst Cummings was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Today, 17 years later, the Court of Appeal has agreed to review the case because Demarius Cummings, interviewed in prison by journalist Steve Pickett of ‘CBS News Texas’ and in a sworn statement, confessed that he was the actual shooter. In his statement, Cummings claims he persuaded Broadnax to take the blame, thinking that, as he had no previous convictions, he would receive a lighter sentence.
A contentious point is that, according to the original trial, Broadnax’s DNA was found on the murder weapon, whereas Cummings now claims the DNA is his.
Over the years, Broadnax’s lawyers had filed several appeals, arguing that the jury in the original trial had been selected in a discriminatory manner: seven Black jurors were excluded, and the final jury consisted of 11 white people and one Black person. They also argued that the 2008 confession was not entirely credible as it had been influenced by psychological pressure and a desire to protect his cousin. They further argued that the trial had been compromised by the improper use of rap lyrics as evidence of the defendant’s character.
All these arguments were rejected.
Following Cummings’ confession, public opinion mobilised around the case, with an online petition and the involvement of several well-known hip-hop artists (Fat Joe, Killer Mike, Travis Scott, Young Thug, T.I.).
Between February and March 2026, Broadnax’s lawyers filed a request with the Texas Court of Appeals to stay the execution and review the case. The Court agreed to review the case, a rare occurrence so close to the execution date.
The Texas Court of Appeals must now decide whether to:
- Halt the execution scheduled for 30 April 2026.
- Order a new trial or an evidentiary hearing after assessing the credibility of the new confession and its potential impact on the original evidence.
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/17-years-after-garland-double-murder-new-court-petition-claims-confessed-killer-james-broadnax-is-innocent/
https://www.inquisitr.com/texas-death-row-case-reopened-after-cousin-confesses-to-killings
