Robert Jean Hudson

Case record: Robert Jean Hudson

Overview

Robert Jean Hudson was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in Texas for the May 7, 1999 stabbing death of Edith Kendrick and the attempted murder of her son. Hudson was executed by lethal injection in Texas on November 20, 2008.

People

• Robert Jean Hudson — defendant
• Edith Kendrick — victim; ex-girlfriend
• Colby — Edith Kendrick’s eight-year-old son
• Michael Spearman — the man who was in the apartment with Kendrick when Hudson arrived
• Michael Munoz — witness who saw the attack from a vehicle in the apartment parking lot
• Maurie Levin — Hudson’s lawyer in a petition seeking a Supreme Court reprieve and review
• Greg Abbott — Texas Attorney General
• John Roberts — Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (not participating)
• John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — U.S. Supreme Court justices who would have granted a reprieve
• Rod Rohrich — Dallas surgeon who treated Colby

Timeline

• May 6, 1999 — Hudson telephoned Edith Kendrick and became upset after hearing a man’s voice in the background.
• May 7, 1999 — Hudson kicked the door open to Edith Kendrick’s apartment and began stabbing her with a knife; he severely cut Colby’s throat, neck, and fingers; Kendrick fled to the stairs at the front balcony and Hudson stabbed her repeatedly; Hudson was arrested at a neighborhood convenience store.
• Jun. 14, 1999 — A Dallas County grand jury indicted Robert Hudson for capital murder.
• Mar. 1, 2000 — Judgment was entered after a jury found Hudson guilty of capital murder; following a separate punishment hearing, the court assessed a sentence of death.
• Feb. 28, 2000 — Hudson’s trial began.
• Mar. 6, 2002 — Hudson’s conviction and sentence were affirmed on direct appeal.
• Jul. 2, 2003 — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied state habeas corpus.
• Jun. 30, 2004 — Hudson filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in a federal court.
• Sep. 20, 2007 — The federal district court denied Hudson’s habeas petition.
• Apr. 9, 2008 — The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Hudson’s request for a certificate of appealability.
• Jun. 10, 2008 — The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Hudson’s motion for rehearing.
• Jul. 22, 2008 — The trial court signed the order setting Hudson’s execution date for November 20, 2008.
• Nov. 20, 2008 — Hudson was executed by lethal injection in Texas; he was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. CST.

The offence

Hudson telephoned Edith Kendrick, his ex-girlfriend, and heard a man’s voice in the background. Hudson became angered when he heard a man’s voice in the background and went to Kendrick’s apartment. He kicked the door open and saw Kendrick standing next to the bed and Michael Spearman getting up from the couch while pulling his pants up.

Kendrick attempted to intervene between Spearman and Hudson. Hudson began swinging a knife at Kendrick. Spearman ran out of a second exit and called 911 from a pay telephone.

As Hudson was slashing Kendrick, Kendrick’s eight-year-old son Colby got between Hudson and his mother. Hudson inflicted severe cuts on Colby’s throat, neck, and fingers. Colby ran bleeding from the apartment.

Kendrick fled to the stairs at the front balcony where Hudson stabbed her repeatedly. Witness Michael Munoz testified that he saw Kendrick come crashing out of the apartment onto the balcony, fall to her knees, and hit her head on the guardrail. Munoz testified that Hudson immediately followed, grabbed Kendrick’s hair, and pulled her backwards. Munoz testified that while Kendrick was on her back Hudson stabbed her six to eight times, raising his arm as high as he could before stabbing her. Kendrick was left in a large pool of blood and died from multiple stab wounds, including three wounds that penetrated her heart; each stab wound would have been separately fatal. Kendrick was killed, and Colby was seriously wounded.

Police arrived quickly and found Hudson at a nearby convenience store. They took him back to Kendrick’s apartment where witnesses identified him.

Investigation and evidence

Police found blood splattered all over the apartment and an open purse on the couch. Spearman told police that Kendrick’s purse had contained cash and a new watch and that it was not on the couch before Hudson arrived.

At the police station, police found a ladies’ watch and $275 with blood on it in Hudson’s pocket. Police recovered the knife on the ground outside the apartment. A witness who worked with Hudson testified that he had seen Hudson carrying a similar knife at work.

Hudson was arrested at the scene. After being given Miranda warnings, Hudson signed a written statement confessing to Kendrick’s killing.

Hudson’s confession included:

• “I loved Edith”
• “I am sorry for what happened and have told the truth about the incident.”

Arrest

Hudson was arrested at a nearby convenience store and was taken back to Kendrick’s apartment where witnesses identified him.

Trial

A Dallas County grand jury indicted Hudson for capital murder on Jun. 14, 1999.

A jury found Hudson guilty of capital murder. After a separate punishment hearing, the court assessed a sentence of death on Mar. 1, 2000.

In the guilt/innocence phase, the defense called no witnesses. In the punishment phase, the defense called no witnesses while prosecutors called:

• A fingerprint technician who introduced evidence of Hudson’s prior convictions, including burglary and a previous murder.
• A woman who worked at the jail commissary who testified that Hudson had exposed himself and masturbated in front of her while he was being held pending trial.

Hudson did not testify at his capital murder trial.

During voir dire and trial proceedings, the appellate discussion recorded a colloquy between Hudson and defense counsel showing that Hudson was consulted and participated in decisions about excusing prospective jurors, including discussion about defense strategy and the process for selecting jurors. Hudson indicated agreement with defense counsel’s strategy not to call defensive witnesses at the guilt/innocence and punishment phases and agreed to give up his right to testify in his own behalf.

Sentencing

After the jury found Hudson guilty of capital murder, the court assessed a sentence of death following a separate punishment hearing.

Prior criminal history

Hudson had prior felony convictions and prior prison record including:

• TDC #413666 — received 3/31/86; sentenced on a 5-year term from Dallas County for 1 count of Burglary of a Habitation, Burglary of a Building and Forgery; released on parole to Dallas County on 12/18/87.
• TDC #496636 — received 12/28/88; sentenced on a 6-year term from Dallas County for 1 count of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle; released on parole to Dallas County on 4/6/89.
• TDC #611273 — received 3/31/92; sentenced on a 20-year term from Taylor County for Forgery by Passing; released on parole to Dallas County on 10/28/98.

The incident leading to the capital conviction involved Hudson being on parole for only about six months after serving less than seven years of a 20-year term for check forgery when he was arrested for the murder.

The material described a prior murder conviction:

• In 1987, Hudson pled guilty to first-degree murder.
• State records also showed a conviction for murder in 1987, and Hudson’s lawyer argued in later proceedings that jurors were not informed of mitigating circumstances related to the earlier murder case.

Appeals

State and federal habeas proceedings (procedural history)

• **Mar.
• **Jul.
• Jun. 30, 2004 — Hudson filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court.
• **Sep.
• Apr. 9, 2008 — The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Hudson’s request for COA.
• Jun. 10, 2008 — The Fifth Circuit denied Hudson’s motion for rehearing.
• **Jul.

U.S. Supreme Court denial of appeal

Hours before the execution, the nine-member U.S. Supreme Court denied Hudson’s appeal. Chief Justice John Roberts did not participate. Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have granted a reprieve.

Outcome

The material recorded that he was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. CST.

Final words and final meal

Hudson repeatedly expressed love to his wife and a friend who watched through a window and ignored four relatives of his victim who attended and watched through another window into the death chamber.

Hudson’s final words included:

• “I will take you to heaven with me, I will always be with you.”
• “Now pray with this young man down here and we'll go,” he said, nodding to the chaplain who stood at his feet.
• He prayed the Lord's Prayer and concluded by again expressing love.
• “I love you, Chantal, I love you baby. I am yours and we are one. Let's go, warden,” he said.

The final meal consisted of:

• Fried chicken legs and thighs
• Sirloin steak
• Corn on the cob
• Banana pudding
• Peach cobbler
• Chocolate chip ice cream
• Grape soda and milk

Other details

• Case citation referenced: Hudson v. Quarterman, 273 Fed.Appx. 331 (5th Cir. 2008) (Habeas).
• Hudson’s personal details recorded:
  • Name: Hudson, Robert Jean
  • TDCJ number: 999353
  • Date of birth: 03/04/63
  • Age when received: 37 (education level: 12 years)
  • County: Dallas
  • Date of offense: 05/07/99
  • Age at the offense: 36
  • Race: Native: County Native State Dallas Texas; race: black; gender: male
  • Height: 5-11
  • Weight: 229
  • Hair color: Black
  • Eye color: Brown
  • Prior occupation: Laborer
• Victim details recorded:
  • Edith Kendrick was 35 years old and Black female.
• Colby’s age was recorded as eight years old.
• Spearman was present in the apartment when Hudson arrived and ran out of a second exit to call 911 from a pay telephone.
• Rod Rohrich, a Dallas surgeon who treated the boy, stated: “We fixed his scar. It had restricted his range of motion in his neck. ... I think it looks almost normal but, of course, there were the psychological scars.”
• Maurie Levin wrote: “that this was a crime of passion, and significantly reduced Mr. Hudson's moral culpability,” in the petition seeking a Supreme Court reprieve and review.
• The materials included references to:
  • Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s media advisory describing Hudson as scheduled for execution on November 20, 2008.
  • Amnesty International’s urgent appeal to save the life of Robert Jean Hudson.
  • A letter attributed to Robert Jean Hudson via MySpace.com in which Hudson addressed the death penalty and wrote, among other statements, “The large number of DNA exonerations that have emerged in Dallas and elsewhere in the state suggest that Texas should be more cautious and careful about carrying out the ultimate irreversible punishment.” (as part of a cited appeal text)
  • Robert Jean Hudson’s own closing statements in the MySpace.com letter included: “So if there are friends out there who want to help me I'd appreciate it very much and I'll answer any and all letters honestly and in good faith.”