www.JusticeForTerenceMcArdle.com
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Seventeen years ago -- Williamson County District Attorney, John Bradley, repeatedly said in court that on the night of October 6, 2001:
“It was not a fight. It was not an accident. It was an ambush.” He wanted the jury to understand, as much as Threet and his friends tried to hide it, that this was no fight; this was an ambush.
According to witnesses, Threet hounded Terence throughout the night. He was planning his attack. Three times he persistently requested that Terence trade punches to the chest, one at a time, with him. Three times Terence told him, “I don't want to do that.”
Finally, in the backyard, Terence relented so Threet would leave him alone. The attack was videotaped and replayed in court as evidence. In the video, Terence faced Threet, smiling. Terence showed Threet where he would hit him and said, “Dude, don't break my ribs or anything.” Terence then punched Threet in the chest as they had agreed to do. In an instant, Threet recoiled, lunged forward and landed a punch to Terence's face, knocked him to the ground, and continued punching him. A bystander tried to pull Threet off Terence, but retreated when Threet began throwing punches at the bystander, pushing him up against the fence. Threet took three steps and kicked Terence in the side of the head with steel toed work boots while Terence was on the ground.
The sound of that heavy kick will never be forgotten. It will follow us to our own graves.
Brandon Threet was indicted of first-degree murder but convicted of manslaughter with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced on July 22nd, 2002 to twenty years in prison and fined $10,000.
Brandon Threet has shown no remorse, making four appeals while protesting his guilt over the last seventeen years. Even the United States Supreme Court found no grounds for an appeal.
Brandon Threet's continued failure to show any remorse is a danger no one should ignore. We, as a community, believe that if he is granted parole, Threet will harm or kill another person. Threet should serve the full sentence of twenty years for killing Terence McArdle because Threet is a threat to our community.On November 14, 2017, CBS Austin aired an interview with Brandon Threet. In the interview article, Threet misrepresents the attack as “a fistfight turned bad,” and Threet blames alcohol and immaturity for bullying, attacking, kicking Terence in the head and killing him. Threet neither apologized nor admitted wrongdoing for killing Terence. Indeed, Threet did not even mention Terence’s name.
Every letter is a voice the Parole Board listens to and considers. The Parole Board needs to hear from you so they understand our community stands behind justice.
Parole Protest letters will be kept in strict confidentiality. Brandon Threet and his attorneys are NOT allowed to read the letters.
Click on the following link for helpful points in writing a parole protest letter and/or sign a parole petition:
Sign a Parole Protest Petition...
Writing a Parole Protest letter...
About Terence...
Letter to Friends...
Letter to Friends (in Chinese) 親愛的朋友們...
Brandon Threet Crime
What Brandon Threet said at trial:- "I just wanted to give him a concussion"
- "I am pretty sure I kicked him like in the side of his head"
- Sgt Hughie asked, "Did you kick him pretty hard?" Threet answered, "Yeah, I imagine, I was pretty angry"
- "I wasn't angry or anything after I kicked him"
Closing statement of DA John Bradley:
- "It was not a fight, it was not an accident, it was an ambush."
- Three times Terence declined to trade punches with Brandon Threet on the chest, Terence finally agreed, but Brandon Threet struck him in the head instead.
- A bystander tried to pull Brandon Threet off Terence while Terence was on the ground.
- Brandon Threet broke away and charged the bystander and then returned to kick Terence in the head.
- The sound and the image of the kick was caught on the video.
- Brandon Threet left Terence on the ground, headed out the door, went directly to his car and ran away to hide.
Read the Trial Closing Statement ...
Read the full Trial Closing Statement transcript here...
Brandon Threet Trial
The following excerpt of Williamson County Prosecutor, Mr. Bradley's closing statements were taken from the court proceedings given on July 19th, 2002 in the District Court of Williamson County, Texas 368th Judicial District for trial court cause number: 01-1096-K368, Threet vs the State of Texas, Trial of Merits volume 8 of 10.Closing Statement
Fifteen years ago -- Williamson County District Attorney, John Bradley, repeatedly said in court that on the night of October 6, 2001:
It was not a fight. How many times have you heard Brandon Threet throughout this trial or his friendly witnesses talk about a fight? Yet when Brandon finally testified and was asked the question as to what "fight" really is, even he couldn't lie about that. He had to admit that this was not a fight. There was nothing fair about it. There was no exchange of anything in a fair way.
This was an ambush. It was an ambush that started far earlier than the bit of videotape that you saw. It was an ambush that was not an accident. It was not something we could not have predicted. It was not something that we could not have seen coming earlier in the evening if we'd been there. I certainly hope that you won't hear this called a fight again.
Read the Trial Closing Statement ...
Read the full Trial Closing Statement transcript here...
Brandon Threet Conviction
Court document of his conviction (signed document by Brandon Threet)- Brandon Threet was indicted of first-degree murder but convicted of manslaughter with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced on July 22nd, 2002 to twenty years in prison and fined $10,000.
- court document -- signed Judgement of Conviction Order
Newspaper clippings:
- Austin American Statesman -- July 20, 2002
- Austin American Statesman -- July 23, 2002
- Austin American Statesman -- July 29, 2002
Brandon Threet Appeals
Brandon Threet has spent the past thirteen years appealing his conviction four times, ultimately even up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and each time his conviction was affirmed.
Date Name of Appeals Court Status
May 2003 Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District at Austin DENIED
August 2008 Texas 368th District Court of Williamson County DENIED
September 2009 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals DENIED
January 2010 US Supreme Court DENIED
Date Name of Appeals Court Status
May 2003 Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District at Austin DENIED
August 2008 Texas 368th District Court of Williamson County DENIED
September 2009 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals DENIED
January 2010 US Supreme Court DENIED
Read the full Appeals Timeline here...
Parole Protest
Click on the following link for helpful points in writing a parole protest letter and/or sign a parole petition:
Writing a Parole Protest letter...
Sign a Parole Protest Petition...
Click on the following link for helpful points in writing a parole protest letter and/or sign a parole petition:
Sign a Parole Protest Petition...
Writing a Parole Protest letter...
