Odell Barnes

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Odell Barnes, Jr. (March 22, 1968 – March 1, 2000) was convicted of the murder of Helen Bass, his friend and lover. He was sentenced to death by the state of Texas. The murder occurred on November 29, 1989 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Bass, 42, was beaten and stabbed with a kitchen knife, then killed with a gunshot to the head.

Appeals based on the post-conviction evidence were unsuccessful and Barnes was executed on March 1, 2000. For his last meal, he requested "Justice, Equality, World Peace". His final statement was:

“ I'd like to send great love to all my family members, my supporters, my attorneys. They have all supported me throughout this. I thank you for proving my innocence, although it has not been acknowledged by the courts. May you continue in the struggle and may you change all that's being done here today and in the past. Life has not been that good to me, but I believe that now, after meeting so many people who support me in this, that all things will come to an end, and may this be fruit of better judgements for the future. That's all I have to say. ”

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