Brandon Bernard

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Brandon Anthony Micah Bernard (July 3, 1980 – December 10, 2020) was an American man convicted and executed for the 1999 robbery, kidnapping, and murder of Todd Bagley, 26, and Stacie Bagley, 28. He was sentenced to death for the murders and remained on death row until his execution in December 2020. Bernard's conviction and execution attracted controversy due to questions about the extent of his culpability in the murders. In the time leading to his execution, prominent politicians, public figures, and five surviving jurors who convicted him advocated for his sentence to be commuted. Bernard spent most of his childhood in Killeen, Texas. In his early teens, he began committing crimes such as burglary and joined a neighborhood gang. His crimes and rebellious behaviors led him to being kicked out of several schools and prosecuted in the juvenile criminal justice system. In 1999, Bernard and four teenaged accomplices robbed, kidnapped, and murdered two youth pastors—Todd and Stacie Bagley. After forcing the pastors into the trunk of their car, the ringleader, Christopher Andre Vialva, shot both in the head before Bernard set the car on fire. Todd died instantly from the gunshot, and Stacie's cause of death is disputed. A last minute request for stay of execution was rejected by the United States Supreme Court, and Bernard was executed hours later on December 10, 2020.