Results tagged “bart”

After about a day and a half of deliberation, the jury in the Bart Whitaker trial sentenced Whitaker to death for planning the 2003 murders of his mother, Patricia, and brother, Kevin. There was no comment from Whitaker, who reportedly didn't change expression when the sentence was handed down; his father, who had said he opposed the death sentence for his son, called it God's will: "This was not the verdict that I would have wanted. I believe that the Lord is soverign so I am trusting that what happened today is his will," Kent Whitaker, who was also targeted in the murder plot, told reporters.

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Bart Whitaker took the stand in the punishment phase of his trial yesterday, saying that he was "100 percent guilty" of plotting to have his family killed so he could inherit their $1.5 million fortune. "I put the plan in motion," Whitaker testified. "If I had not done that, it wouldn't have happened." Jurors found the 27-year-old Whitaker guilty Monday of capital murder for masterminding the plan to...

Jurors in the trial of Bart Whitaker, the Fort Bend County man accused of arranging the murders of his mother and brother so he could get the family inheritance for himself, found Whitaker guilty of capital murder yesterday — meaning that, beginning today, jurors will begin deciding whether Whitaker should die. Whitaker's mother, Patricia, and his brother, Kevin, were killed the evening of Dec. 10, 2003, at home as the family returned from dinner. Whitaker...

Good morning, Houston. Have you ever looked at your pet gerbil and thought, "Y'know, Nibbles really looks like an ibex?" If so, you might consider seeing an eye doctor — or entering the Houston Zoo's Naturally Wild photo contest. The zoo and KTRK are looking for photos of pets that look like wild animals; if yours makes the cut, you could win a family membership to the zoo and a gift card from Petco....

Let's think back to last year for a minute. We had an unusually mild winter, if you'll remember, and around the beginning of February local azaleas decided, "To hell with it. It's nice out; let's go ahead and bloom." Problem was that the azalea tourist season wasn't due for another few weeks, so gardeners at Bayou Bend — azalea central — had to cover their plants with four tons of ice to try to fool...

Good morning, Houston. In these days of strange diseases, air and water pollution, global warming and assorted health warnings, we sometimes begin to wonder if anything's safe anymore. And the answer? No, nothing. Example: Today, nearly a million Easy-Bake Ovens are being recalled because one can get one's fingers or hand stuck inside — and slowly nuked. Of course, Houstonist understands the need for safety, but now we're afraid to make dessert tonight. Life...

Photograph of Rick Santorum conceding defeat with his family by Gene J. Puskar/AP The -ists this week had politics on the brain. And what goes better with politics? Partying-- that's two great tastes in one. Oh, and Kevin Federline...can't forget about Kevin Federline. That's three great tastes in one. -Bostonist discussed two big state issues-- what sort of math constitutes a marriage and what kind of alcohol can be sold in most grocery stores....

Here's some good news for those of us interested in keeping some of Houston's past around: In a couple of weeks, the Magnolia Ballroom building downtown will become the first commercial building in Houston to be a protected city landmark. City Council created the protected landmark designation last year; under it, protected properties may never be relocated, unsympathetically altered or demolished. Property owners have to apply and meet certain criteria to have their structures named...

Suppose you curate a garden renowned for its springtime displays of azaleas, but the winter weather has been so screwed up that the plants are trying to bloom a few weeks early. You might not care, but the people at Bayou Bend do — and that's why they're putting their azaleas on four tons of ice. Tuesday, crews spread 40-pound bags of ice cubes around 600-700 azaleas. An insulating layer of mulch was then...