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Amy Robach
This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. If audiobooks are your thing or you've been meaning to listen to more of them, you should check out a podcast called earsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club. Hosted by Cal Penn.
Cal Penn
Each episode spotlights standout audiobooks on Audible across all kinds of genres. Sci fi, comedy, romance, thrillers and more. With Cal talking to guests who help break down what makes each story worth listening to.
Amy Robach
It's a fun, easy way to discover your next great, great audiobook.
Cal Penn
Check out Earsay on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
T.J. Holmes
Where does your group perform?
Robert Smigel
We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Rider Strong
Hey everyone, it's Rider Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of Survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just gonna remind you.
Robert Smigel
Aha.
Amy Robach
Who ah who.
Rider Strong
Again, we are Experts. Listen to Podmeets twirled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
David Eagleman
There are times when the mind becomes a difficult place to live. This is David Eagleman with the Inner Cosmos podcast. And for Mental Health Awareness Month, we'll talk with singer songwriter Jewel about anxiety.
Leigh Ann
I started living in my car and then my car got stolen. I was having panic attacks. I was agoraphobic.
David Eagleman
This is a month of deeply personal and honest conversations about what what happens when the brain goes off course. Listen to intercosmos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
T.J. Holmes
Hey there folks.
Cal Penn
It is Friday, May 15, and the Supreme Court stepped in, intervened in a Texas execution last night. But their intervention didn't stop an execution. In fact, it did exactly the opposite.
T.J. Holmes
And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Edward Busby is dead. Declared dead at 8:11 Central Time last night in Texas and robes. Up to the last couple of hours, we didn't know if this would go through.
Amy Robach
Yeah, I have to say I was shocked because we reported on this, we had a whole episode on this yesterday, this on again, off again execution. And normally when there is an intervention from a high court, it's usually, as you pointed out, to stop an execution, to put a stay on an execution. But the Texas Attorney General was incensed that last week an appellate court actually put a stay on the planned execution of Edward Busby because there were questions around his intellectual capabilities. But the Attorney General quickly asked the Supreme Court to intervene on Monday and sure enough, I, I haven't seen anything like this before. They made a decision in, in the 11th hour to clear the way to lift the stay and to allow the state of Texas to carry out its scheduled execution, albeit a few hours post when it was scheduled.
T.J. Holmes
We hear all this, we hear all the time. Robes on so many sweet. I don't even know what the percentage would be. But just by the ones we've covered, I would say 90%. Plus anytime there's an execution, they make an appeal to the Supreme Court to stay the execution. And the Supreme Court usually just doesn't say a word, doesn't do anything one
Cal Penn
way or the other.
T.J. Holmes
And the executions go through robes. If they just left this one alone, he'd still be alive.
Amy Robach
Correct? Correct. So we, I mean we, when we looked at each other and saw, because we. You kept refreshing the search for Edward Busby. And it was, we go to bed early. So he actually was executed after we were already asleep around nine something here on the East Coast. But when we went to bed we saw, we saw that the Supreme Court had allow or lifted the stay and allowed Texas to go through with this. And we were shocked. I was shocked.
T.J. Holmes
I was shocked. I can remember a case in which the Supreme Court's intervention allowed for the execution to go through instead of stopping it. So it was a fascinating day, entire day yesterday, watching the clock, waiting to see what the Supreme Court might do. But the other thing, robes and you, you threw this out as a hey, it's Texas scenario. Is it possible they would say we don't give a damn and we're going to go through with this no matter if the stay is in place or not.
Amy Robach
There were local reporters saying that there were plans in place for the state of Texas to potentially go through with the execution despite not hearing from the Supreme Court. So we were wondering, are they, are they getting Mr. Busby ready? Are they giving him his last meal? Are they preparing him as they would any other prisoner on death row for his execution, Even though they didn't know what the Supreme Court was going to do, if anything at all. So yes, there was talk that Texas was going through with this or planning to go through with this regardless. Now, given the fact that it was a couple hours after it's scheduled time, it sounds like they were waiting. But who knows what they would have done had they not heard from the Supreme Court. It's anyone's guess at this point.
T.J. Holmes
Well, they didn't have to wait, didn't have to make that decision because the Supreme Court did it for them. In a 6 to 3 decision, they did lift that stay of execution which did allow for this execution to go forward. Now, we mentioned Edward Busby. He did have final words. Some of the. No, no, without question, as we've been covering executions here, robes and final words. This was the longest final that I have seen, that we have seen. We are going to let you hear every word of that in just a moment. But robes, the, the question and the issue here and it, and I'll say it now and maybe folks can hear it for themselves, but in his final statement you were even saying he was, he was speaking in such a manner that called into question or at least went along with what people were saying about him. And this whole case was about his intellectual ability and having an IQ of around 70 and he shouldn't be executed because of that. It, I'm just mentioning and saying it, remembering you were saying now after reading his final statement, it sounded like it was coming from someone that maybe was childlike.
Amy Robach
It was childlike. And look what he, the crime he committed and the details. And we went over it in our other episode, but even there were even more details that I, I heard in terms of how this 77 year old retired professor who actually was in service of folks who had learning disabilities. That's oh the irony. It's despicable and horrific how she died. The fact that she was murdered the way she was, it's horrific. So I'm not taking away any of the cruel and heinous acts that Edward Buzzy Busby committed and was convicted of and admitted to. But when you hear his final words, I, I got emotional because it was as if I was listening to a child saying I'm sorry. And it just, it, it stuck with me and he needs to be punished. He needed to be kept away from society. But I think there is a sincere question as to whether or not he should have been executed, given his intellectual capabilities.
T.J. Holmes
And again, the rule there. This is not just a matter of one's opinion walking down the street. This is a matter of precedent. This is a matter of legal precedent. Been established for decades now. That 8th amendment is thrown in there, cruel and unusual punishment. And there has been. There have been cases which essentially said, you cannot execute someone with a certain level of mental disability. And they do this, Robes. That's the measure they use. It's the intelligent quotient test and IQ test. The question here before the Supreme Court has been and continues to be, what's the number? What's the score? And do you do a cumulative score, or is it just based on one score? If they ever get a. That's the question they're trying to decide life or death on some of these guys.
Amy Robach
It's. It's. It's. Yeah, it's what's the number? And how did you get to the number? Those are the two big questions. The how and the what. And there is another case out of Alabama that the Supreme Court is considering. And based on their ruling on that case, this is what the appellate court had suggested or said, that Busby's execution should be put on hold until the Supreme Court rules on this other case, which could then pave the way for what Texas should or should not do with Edward Busby. So they wanted to wait until the Supreme Court decided the other case. Instead, the Supreme Court lifted this stay and said, go ahead. Why wait?
T.J. Holmes
And we should mention they lifted the stay without explaining themselves. There was a dissent that they did explain themselves, although. Let you hear that in just a moment. But, Robes, the Supreme Court is going to give a decision on that Alabama case. Now, what if that decision would have had an impact and kept Busby alive?
Amy Robach
Look, I know obviously that the justices were aware of what this lower court's ruling was. So to me, that would be an indication that ruling the way they're probably going to rule would have allowed for the execution to have gone forward anyway. Yeah, I would think that's my logic behind their decision to live this day.
T.J. Holmes
So Busby, that was a part of his argument that he should not have been executed. He made the argument that. I mean, I think the state and his defense. I think there was agreement from others on the ground there that, yes, in fact, he did have this disability, a mental disability, that he did not qualify for being executed. And here we are. Anyway, six to three was the Supreme Court decision. Um, the three dissenters were kagan Sotomayor and Jackson. Justice Jackson is the one. This quote is from Robes and she wrapped it up right there. I was like, wow, good point.
Amy Robach
It's a powerful two sentences. And the dissent goes like this. In capital cases, we rarely intervene to preserve life. I cannot understand the court's rush to extinguish it, much less in the circumstances of, of this case.
T.J. Holmes
That is fascinating, babe. That is. She's right. We don't ever step in when we have the option to save somebody. So why are we stepping in to kill somebody, Romes?
Cal Penn
Why?
T.J. Holmes
And they didn't explain themselves. They did not have an opinion. They did not have to say anything. They just voted and that's that.
Amy Robach
Yeah, because the whole point was this other decision that could affect, man, this case is expected in the coming weeks. So that was the lower court's ruling. Like, hey, just wait a couple weeks, see what the Supreme Court says about this Alabama case and then we can make a decision. I just feel like for the Supreme Court, without giving any indication as to why, the fact that they lifted this day to me would just suggest that they weren't going to rule in his favor or it wouldn't have led to a favorable ruling for him based on what they see in the Alabama case.
T.J. Holmes
All right, well, stay with us, folks. It is a, again, is the lengthiest final words we have seen in our time covering executions. But stay here. We will let you hear the final words. Not just last words. It was a final statement from Edward Busby last night. Stay here.
Amy Robach
If you're always on the lookout for a great audiobook or just want help figuring out what to listen to next, there's a podcast you should know about.
Cal Penn
It's called earsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club.
Amy Robach
Hosted by Cal Penn, each episode takes a closer look at some of the most talked about new audiobooks on Audible, spanning a wide range of genres, from sci fi and literary fiction to rom coms, thrillers and comedy.
Cal Penn
Kyle is joined by guests who dig into what these stories are about, what makes them stand out as audiobooks, and why they're connecting with listeners right now.
Amy Robach
If you're looking for your next listen, this is a great place to start.
Cal Penn
Listen to Hearsay, the Audible and I Heart Aud Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Robert Smigel
today, another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. The worst singer in the group. The worst. Yeah, me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation
T.J. Holmes
to the group the Yardbirds. Right. That's the name.
Robert Smigel
The Harvard Yard. But they're open.
T.J. Holmes
Do you have a name suggestion? We're open.
Robert Smigel
Since you guys are middle aged, one
David Eagleman
erection,
Robert Smigel
listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dish Network Representative
Humor me.
T.J. Holmes
I need some jokes to make me seem funny.
Amy Robach
Will Ferrell's big Money players and iHeart podcast presents soccer Moms.
Leigh Ann
So I'm Leigh Ann.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah.
Leigh Ann
This is my best friend Janet. And we have been joined at the hip since high school.
Amy Robach
Absolutely.
Leigh Ann
Now, a redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip.
Amy Robach
A little bit bigger, hips wider.
Leigh Ann
This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of
Amy Robach
my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drinks.
Leigh Ann
Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer?
Amy Robach
Well, they had a bogo. Well, then you got them. Do you want a white collar sub here?
Leigh Ann
Just.
Rider Strong
So what are y' all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album?
Amy Robach
Oh, I wish. You believe I would buy it Cuts
Robert Smigel
through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake.
Leigh Ann
That sounds delicious.
Rider Strong
Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict.
Amy Robach
You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are lucky I'm not a killer.
Rider Strong
I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on.
T.J. Holmes
Oh,
Amy Robach
listen to soccer moms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
T.J. Holmes
All right, we continue here on this Friday on Amy and tj Want you to hear now the final words of Edward Busby, who was executed last night in Texas for the 2004 murder of 77 year old Laura Lee Crane, a former TCU professor that he attacked. Sounds like robed randomly, right? At a grocery store.
Amy Robach
Yeah, a grocery store parking lot. And it was all for money. He and a co conspirator who is also serving. Well, she is serving life in prison, but they attacked her. And what they did to her in the parking lot, they. This was tough. 7ft of duct tape. They basically wrapped her entire face with duct tape, threw her in the trunk of her own car and she died by asphyxiation, literally. She was not able to breathe through the duct tape. Her face, like her mouth, her nose. I mean, it was horrific how she died. And I think they ended up getting like less than a thousand dollars from her. They took her ATM card, they had a bank check and. And then just threw her body in an embankment. It was horrific.
T.J. Holmes
So again, there was no question here. Nobody was fighting to save his life because of his innocence, but because of what they say was a disability. So we're going to start here, Rose. I'm going to split this up a little bit because there is a lot here to kind of take in. But he starts with this. Sir, ma', am, I am so sorry. I ask that you please, please don't hate me and that you find it in your heart to forgive me for the part that I played in what happened to her. Ms. Crane was a lovely woman. I never meant anything bad to happen to her. I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry. But I fell asleep and I don't know what happened. Please forgive me, please. If not for me, for yourself. Because the father said if we don't forgive those who wrong us, he will not forgive us. The part that jumped out there for me robes was. Ms. Crane was a lovely woman. Ms. Crane was a lovely woman. I don't know if he meant like he learned things about her afterwards or whatever it may be, but that he was a love. He obviously didn't know her and the time he spent with her was awful. So.
Amy Robach
Right. We don't know how much time there was between them somehow abducting her and then wrapping the duct tape around her. I'm imagining not long at all. So certainly I'm sure it's what he learned about his victim after the fact, that she spent her life dedicated to her students and that she was there to help people learn through disability. So, yeah, that would probably sting knowing especially his claim to being intellectually disabled. Right. That that had to be tough. He goes on to say, and I know that you are Angry. I know you're angry. And I'm sorry. I. I'm not happy about what happened. I've hurt your family. I've hurt my family. And I wish I could take it all back. With all my heart, I wish I could take it back. My sister has to live without me now to become a victim. I had no right to even get in that car. But I will take the blame. I will take the blame if it will help. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah. And I'm curious of how this was being said, like how he was expressing this. And I believe he was. He was strapped to the gurney at this point.
Amy Robach
Yes.
T.J. Holmes
Is when they ask. So if that helps you put this in some kind of context, where the right. I mean, just kind of visualize Ropes. He's striped in. To be killed, to be given a lethal dose. Robes. He's restrained.
Amy Robach
So.
T.J. Holmes
And all he can do is lift his head up and say all this.
Amy Robach
I don't know how they do it there. When I've seen one execution and there. But when they gave him the time, the opportunity to give his final words, they actually were able to tilt the bed up so it was almost as if he were standing and facing the folks. I don't know if where that was in South Carolina.
T.J. Holmes
They described this as his head.
Amy Robach
So his head lifted up.
T.J. Holmes
So to get an angle, to get a view and to speak to the folks in the room.
Amy Robach
Yeah. Because it was eerie. I remember having this convicted murderer about to die, staring right at the folks about to watch him die. It's a somber. It's a somber scene in there. So just his begging for forgiveness and please don't hate me.
T.J. Holmes
That's repeatedly.
Amy Robach
Repeatedly. And we're not done. We're halfway through. He went on to say, please find it in your heart to forgive me, for I know Jesus loves you like he loves me. He loves us all. He wants us all to turn to him, to surrender our lives. I surrender. Surrendered my life to him. My father, God. I have changed my life. I just ask that you please don't hate me. Please, sir. Please. Please forgive me. Sis. I love you, man. Please surrender your life to God and change. Please find you a good church. Surrender your life to God and live for God. That is the only way we don't have to follow the church. For Jesus said, follow me. Pick up your cross and follow him. Like I did. I had at least 10 years of following God and then a good three years of surrendering I surrendered my life to God. But I'm here now because this is the will of God. And I'm going home to be with Jesus. I will see you on the other side. Glory be the God. All praises be to my Father. God. I'm ready, Warden.
T.J. Holmes
I thought that was something he added that it was almost a matter of fact. Chills turn back to him. I'm ready. That is something. Look Horrific. Horrific crime. This is not a death penalty debate. But robes is just. There is something about end of life and there is something to a ceremony and a process of killing someone that just. We should all be uncomfortable with when we hear this stuff. The family was in support of this. Yes.
Amy Robach
So.
T.J. Holmes
So this is justice they've been looking for for a long, long time. When was that? 2004 was the 2000. 22 years. That's 22. No, 20. Yeah, right. 22 years. These folks have been waiting. So that's just something. And again longer statement that we have seen in robes. This was the second execution of the day reminder in the United States.
Amy Robach
Yeah, we actually didn't think it was going to happen like that. But yes, Oklahoma in the morning executed a man and then Texas finished out the evening by doing so as well. It was, it was a hell of a day with a lot of unknowns in between.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah, we were kind of shocked when we first saw he's executed. We thought Texas did it anyway, but no Supreme Court actually cleared the way. We should mention. So much emphasis has been on Florida certainly last year and their up with the pace again if you will this year in the number of executions. Texas only had it was single digits last year. But Texas historically has led the way. A lot was made robes of the headline of the big round number for what this execution was. And it, it's a round number, it's a milestone and it happened to be a pretty significant case.
Amy Robach
Yes, Edward Busby was the 600th inmate executed in the state of Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s. And if you just for some perspective, the next two states to follow, Texas. So again Texas 600. Oklahoma 131. Florida 131. Virginia 113. So there's a big difference. And then Missouri 102. Those are your top five states in terms of numbers of execution since the 70s. But Texas is what, what is that? Four times as many as any other state.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah. So even though Florida's went on that record pace they had last year that nobody's catching Texas anytime soon. But yeah, I just wanted to give you that update this morning, folks, about what happened to Mr. Busby yesterday and what was another extraordinary double execution day in the United States. We always appreciate you spending some time with us. From our dear Amy Robach, I am T.J. holmes. We'll talk soon.
Amy Robach
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
This episode centers on the execution of Edward Busby in Texas after a dramatic, prolonged legal process culminating in a late-night Supreme Court decision. Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes provide in-depth analysis of the judicial back-and-forth, ethical debates around the execution of intellectually disabled inmates, details of the crime, and the charged atmosphere surrounding Busby’s final hours and words. The episode also positions this event within the broader context of the death penalty in America.
"In capital cases, we rarely intervene to preserve life. I cannot understand the court's rush to extinguish it, much less in the circumstances of, of this case." (Amy Robach quoting Jackson at 10:34)
"Please, please don't hate me and that you find it in your heart to forgive me..." (16:00)
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me." (18:20)
"Jesus loves you like he loves me. He loves us all. He wants us all to turn to him, to surrender our lives." (19:37)
"I'm ready, Warden." (20:36)
“If they just left this one alone, he'd still be alive.” (03:58)
“I got emotional because it was as if I was listening to a child saying I'm sorry. And it just, it stuck with me... I think there is a sincere question as to whether or not he should have been executed, given his intellectual capabilities.” (07:12–07:52)
“In capital cases, we rarely intervene to preserve life. I cannot understand the court's rush to extinguish it, much less in the circumstances of, of this case.” (10:34)
“There is something about end of life and there is something to a ceremony and a process of killing someone that just... We should all be uncomfortable with when we hear this stuff.” (20:48)
| Timestamp | Segment | |----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:12–04:34 | Supreme Court’s 11th-hour intervention permitting execution | | 06:52–09:19 | Debate on intellectual disability & relevant legal standards | | 09:39–10:50 | Justice Jackson’s dissent and its significance | | 15:28–16:35 | Discussion of the crime and victim’s background | | 16:35–20:36 | Busby’s final words and reactions | | 22:18–22:58 | Texas's death penalty record and context |
Robach and Holmes’ tone is empathetic, contemplative, and at times emotionally charged, especially regarding the ethical questions raised by cases involving intellectual disability and the lasting impact on victims’ families.
This summary captures the essential details, context, and major themes from the episode—providing a valuable recap for those who haven’t listened.