Who is Raphael Holiday?
Raphael is the son of Angella, who became his mum at age 15. Raphael was taking responsibility for his siblings from a very young age.
Raphael became a father at a young age too, just like his mum and later became the father of Justice, a baby girl he had with Tamy, already mother of two separate daughters.
Raphael is the son of Angella, who became his mum at age 15. Raphael was taking responsibility for his siblings from a very young age.
Raphael became a father at a young age too, just like his mum and later became the father of Justice, a baby girl he had with Tamy, already mother of two separate daughters.
I make no excuses for my irresponsible acts that put things in motion to create
that tragic night that took the lives of
my innocent angels. I still cry their deaths even to this day, because I never, ever intended nor conceived
to hurt the ones I truly loved.
Raphael Deon Holiday
Case summary
Tamy LW and Holiday lived together in a log house with Tamy's 2 daughters, 7 years-old Tierra and 5 years old Jasmine, as well as with Tamy and Raphael Holiday's daughter, baby justice. On September 5, 2000, Tamy and Raphael Holiday have a fight. Holiday poured gasoline around the house. Thereafter, the gas caught on fire and the three children died. He maintains he did not intentionally or knowingly caused the death of the three children.
Tamy LW and Holiday lived together in a log house with Tamy's 2 daughters, 7 years-old Tierra and 5 years old Jasmine, as well as with Tamy and Raphael Holiday's daughter, baby justice. On September 5, 2000, Tamy and Raphael Holiday have a fight. Holiday poured gasoline around the house. Thereafter, the gas caught on fire and the three children died. He maintains he did not intentionally or knowingly caused the death of the three children.
Victims: Tierra, Jasmine and Justice all died in the fire to the house in 2000
TIMELINE OF THE TRAGEDY
March 2000
Tamy files charges against Raphael Holiday for an alleged sexual assault on Tierra.
To this date, the family has never seen the DNA report confirming the charges of the sexual assault, nor do they believe any sexual assault happened.
Raphael Holiday maintains his complete innocence of any sexual charge.
Father day June 2000
Raphael and Tamy visited Raphael's mother announcing they were going to get married. (Source: Phone conversation)
Raphael and Tamy visited Raphael's mother announcing they were going to get married. (Source: Phone conversation)
August 2000
Holiday came to the restaurant where Tamy was working. Tamy locked herself in the office. When R. Holiday tried to pick the lock on the office door, Tamy called the police, who came and removed Holiday from the premises (Source: 5th Circuit document filed 10/14/2014)
1 week before the tragedy happens
R. Holiday called Tamy and asked for her help in jumping his car.
When she arrived to assist him, R. Holiday took her keys, forced her into the car and threatened to crash the car and kill them both.
Holiday came to the restaurant where Tamy was working. Tamy locked herself in the office. When R. Holiday tried to pick the lock on the office door, Tamy called the police, who came and removed Holiday from the premises (Source: 5th Circuit document filed 10/14/2014)
1 week before the tragedy happens
R. Holiday called Tamy and asked for her help in jumping his car.
When she arrived to assist him, R. Holiday took her keys, forced her into the car and threatened to crash the car and kill them both.
September 5, 2000
Tamy and Raphael Holiday have a fight. Holiday poured gasoline around the house. Thereafter, the gas caught on fire and the three children died.
Holiday maintains he did not intentionally or knowingly caused the death of the three children.
Tamy and Raphael Holiday have a fight. Holiday poured gasoline around the house. Thereafter, the gas caught on fire and the three children died.
Holiday maintains he did not intentionally or knowingly caused the death of the three children.
What Raphael Holiday says
I was so in love with her [Tamy] that all I wanted was go back to her and our kids.
I was like a big kid when she and the kids came over or when I went to visit them. They were my joy. My heart. The very beat of it.
All I wanted was my family back. That drama that took place was not supposed to happen.
(...)
Without them I could not sleep. I couldn't eat. Feeling like I couldn't live without them. Crying almost every day. If one would be honest with oneself and experienced love for a person which caused them to feel ache and pain of being without that person. I was never filed with anger towards my ex. I was hurt true. I was confused as to why this guy she was seeing, was going to kill me when I didn't even know him.
(...)
I was going there to spend time with them that night like I did almost every night. I had been drinking that day (an habit that I had picked up trying to hide my pains and problems in a bottle of booze) when my cousin Steven and his girlfriend drove up in my car telling me that I better not go there because the guy that my ex was having an affair with had said he was going to kill me if he saw me over there again.
This never came out at trial because I never got to tell my side.People think I went there in a rage, when the truth is that I went there to spend time with my family.
Honestly I would like to give the advice to others that if they are having problems in their relationships, to not try to solve them in a bottle of booze. To go to a trusted friend or church, or someone who wants to see you make it
and gives you sound advice.
I should have tried to talk to my mom and my ex on trying to find some professional help.
(...)
To be honest I still have love for my ex. No I am not in love with her. I have love for her as a person and because she borned our kids. I never wished any harm. I want so bad to give her my heart apologies of the stupid and bone headed decisions I did make that day. I am sorry, I will have to write more later because I am becoming emotional.
RAPHAEL'S MOTHER APPEALS
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Angella mother, and grand mother
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Raphael Junior
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I know my son.
There is no way he would have had it into his heart. He loved the kids. We all loved them.
My son Raphael Junior was born on March 26, 1997,
seven months before I turned 17 years old.
My son is my joy. All of my kids were (understand when I say all my kids, I mean my daughter and big sisters as well).
I love them all the same. Raphael Holiday
RAPHAEL HOLIDAY AND HIS CHILDREN: SWEET MEMORIES
I remember this one time when my daughters and I
were in the front yard washing the car, listening to music (This was Tierra, Jasmine and I), justice was playing in the door way of the front of the house (...). Gosh I miss those days. I reflect on all those precious memories a lot. And my heart aches. Not a day goes by that I do not think about my babies and shed tears in the silence of the night for the loss that we all endured. I love them very much. No, there has not been any reconciliation done with my daughters mother. (I know we both need that). She has spoken to my mom/brother, but not to me personally.(...) It was not supposed to happen. I never meant for this accident to happen.
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Is this case a filicide?
Over the last three decades American parents have committed filicide—the killing of one's child—about 3,000 times every year.
A paper in the March 2014 edition of the journal Forensic Science International provides the first comprehensive statistical analysis of filicide in the US, drawing on 32 years of data on more than 94,000 arrests. Filicides represent 15 % of all homicides. The horrifying instances are often poorly understood. Researchers say that instances in which parents kill their children may seem so tragic that they defy explanation. The data in the study comes from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) database. Read more
Raphael Holiday may represent a unique opportunity for experts to better understand the issue. Executing him may deprive the medical community of an important piece of research to help save the life of future innocent victims.
Read more on how to save Innocent victims
Over the last three decades American parents have committed filicide—the killing of one's child—about 3,000 times every year.
A paper in the March 2014 edition of the journal Forensic Science International provides the first comprehensive statistical analysis of filicide in the US, drawing on 32 years of data on more than 94,000 arrests. Filicides represent 15 % of all homicides. The horrifying instances are often poorly understood. Researchers say that instances in which parents kill their children may seem so tragic that they defy explanation. The data in the study comes from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) database. Read more
Raphael Holiday may represent a unique opportunity for experts to better understand the issue. Executing him may deprive the medical community of an important piece of research to help save the life of future innocent victims.
Read more on how to save Innocent victims
What experts say
M. Holiday has a reported history of "black out" periods. These "black outs"are corroborated by a recorded statement made by one of M. Holiday's associates, Robert Lowery, to police shortly after the offense. This recorded statement was disclosed to the defense prior to trial and was located in the mitigation expert's case file [Where is it?] (...) This combination of factors, most predominantly the existence of "black outs" raises possible concern about possible brain damage. From my review of the information provided to me as well as independently learned by me, it appears M. Holiday was not specifically evaluated for brain damage by defense counsel during their investigation of this case.For this reason, the possibility of brain damage cannot be ruled out.
2017: Case review by Dr Craig Beyler
A Case Study and New Junk Science in Fire Investigation: The Raphael holiday Case
A Case Study and New Junk Science in Fire Investigation: The Raphael holiday Case
| 2017_01_05_holiday_case_review_craig_beyler.pdf |
Affidavit from arson expert G. Hurst (same as in Cameron Todd Willingham case. G. Hurst is now deceased), 16 June 2005
| ccf03292015.pdf |
