Bio

William E. Wyatt Jr. was born on December 20, 1964, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a challenging environment, which has not been thoroughly documented. Wyatt eventually joined the United States Marine Corps, where he was honorably discharged. After his military service, he became a corrections officer.

By the mid-1990s, Wyatt was living in Texarkana, Texas, with his girlfriend, Renee Porter, and her three-year-old son, Damien. Wyatt and Porter shared a domestic life, where he was involved in caring for Damien while Porter worked outside the home.

In the early days of February 1997, Wyatt was watching Damien on February 4, while Porter was at work. The circumstances of Wyatt's life during this period were marked by personal struggles and his reported manipulation of others, including his girlfriend. Porter's relationship with Wyatt was troubled, with earlier incidents of abuse that she had experienced.

Despite the difficulties in their lives, he appeared to take on a parental role for Damien. However, the events that unfolded during that month would lead to tragic consequences.

Murder Story

On February 4, 1997, William E. Wyatt Jr. was caring for his girlfriend's three-year-old son, Damien Willis, while she was at work. Around 6:07 p.m., Wyatt called 911, claiming that Damien had accidentally drowned in the bathtub. When emergency responders arrived, they found Damien unresponsive and without a pulse. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:24 p.m.

The medical examiner determined that Damien had been smothered to death, not drowned as Wyatt claimed. During questioning by the police, Wyatt gave several statements over three days. In his initial account, he said he found Damien underwater in the tub. The next day, he admitted that he had not fully disclosed what happened and confessed to sexually assaulting the boy.

On February 6, Wyatt changed his story again, detailing how he had hit Damien with a belt and smothered him with a plastic bag when the child started to scream. He claimed he did this to stop Damien from making noise, believing the boy had done something wrong. After this confession, Wyatt was arrested and charged with capital murder.

In 1998, Wyatt was convicted of the murder of Damien Willis and sentenced to death. He spent several years on death row while his appeals were reviewed. Wyatt maintained his innocence throughout this time, asserting that his statements to police had been coerced. He argued that he only left Damien unattended in the bathtub, which led to an accidental drowning.

Wyatt was executed by lethal injection on August 3, 2006, in Texas. In his final words, he repeatedly proclaimed his innocence, addressing the family of his victim and asking for their forgiveness. He was pronounced dead shortly after the execution began.