Suspects say Garland recording studio killings netted them 'just $2'

[CactusCarlos]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062408dnmetgarslayings.329e7ca2.html

Two dollars.

That's how much Demarius Cummings said he found in the pockets of two Christian-music producers whom his cousin James Broadnax, speaking in a separate jailhouse interview, admitted gunning down early Thursday in Garland.

The 19-year-old suspects gave interviews Monday at the Dallas County Jail, where each is being held on $1 million bail.

Both are charged with capital murder.

"I murdered both of them," said Mr. Broadnax, of Texarkana, Ark., referring to Matthew Butler, 28, and Stephen Swan, 26. "No hesitation or nothing."

Mr. Cummings, of Dallas, said he would not be surprised to get the death penalty.

"If that's what it is, justice has to be served," he said. "It wasn't the plan to kill them; it was just to rob them.

"I feel regretful. I feel for the family, or whatever."

The motive, both men said, was money.

On Wednesday evening, the cousins took a train from Dallas to downtown Garland looking for people to rob, they said.

"Let's just say, I was in a bind," Mr. Broadnax said. "I needed money. I needed a car.

"They were in the wrong spot at the wrong [expletive] time," he said of the victims. "They should have had their [expletive] at home."

After watching Mr. Broadnax speak on the TV news Monday evening, David Colunga, stepfather of Mr. Butler's wife, said he was "at a loss for words."

"Two dollars. It's heartbreaking," Mr. Colunga said. "All I can say is that hopefully Mr. Broadnax realizes he took a father away from his kids. Hopefully, he can find some kind of peace within himself."

Mr. Butler left a 2-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter. Mr. Swan was single and had no children.

A bicyclist found their bodies just after 1 a.m. Thursday outside Mr. Butler's studio in the 800 block of State Street in downtown Garland.

The day after the slayings, the two suspects visited the Dallas apartment of Mr. Cummings' aunt, who overheard them bragging about "hitting a lick," or committing a robbery.

She wrote down the license plate of Mr. Swan's 1995 Crown Victoria, which they were driving.

She also picked up Mr. Swan's driver's license, which the men tossed as they were leaving her apartment.

A few hours later, police in Texarkana, Texas, pulled over the Crown Victoria for a traffic offense.

When they ran the car's tags, police realized that it belonged to a murder victim.

Mr. Cummings has prior arrests on charges of vehicle and home burglary. Public records show no criminal history for Mr. Broadnax.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Broadnax and Mr. Cummings were about to abandon their hunt for someone to rob when they struck up a conversation with Mr. Butler, owner of Zion Gate Records, and Mr. Swan, his sound engineer, outside the studio.

The two victims talked for a half-hour or more about their studio and the fact that they were Christians.

Finally, the cousins made their move. Mr. Broadnax said he asked one of the men for a cigarette, then pulled out a gun.

Initially during Monday's interview, Mr. Broadnax said he "blanked out" when he began shooting.

Later, he described the shootings in profanity-laced detail, recalling how he fired multiple times to make "sure they were dead."

After driving off in Mr. Swan's car, Mr. Cummings said, he and his cousin were disappointed in the small amount of money they had gotten.

"Like, 'Man, just $2!' " Mr. Cummings recalled Mr. Broadnax saying. "I said the same thing: 'Two dollars!' "

Mr. Cummings said they hoped to fetch more by taking the car to a chop shop in Texarkana.

Mr. Broadnax said he began the night expecting to take a life.

"Somebody was going to get hit any way it went," he said.

He scoffed when asked if he was sorry. "Do it look like I got remorse?" he said.

Elizabeth Colunga, Mr. Butler's mother-in-law, said she had no opinion on whether the two suspects should face the death penalty.

"I'm hurting right now," she said. "My daughter is hurting right now. My grandbabies are hurting. They cry every night for Daddy.

"I cannot take one ounce of energy in my body and waste it on thoughts on these two men."

[Rebel]

They should be f'n beheaded in the town square. 

THIS is why we NEED our Damn handguns, Barack, you ignorant moron! 

[Flame]

And that is why "rehabilitation" can't and won't work. 

They have no remorse, and they never will.   Unfortunately there are many more punks out there, just like these 2.  Why a trial is even needed in cases like this is beyond me.  Take them out back and shoot the bastards.

[Willow]

The men arrested in the slayings of an aspiring Christian singer and his colleague at a Texas recording studio said in a chilling jailhouse interview the victims were killed at random in a robbery that netted only $2.

Cousins James Broadnax and Demarius Dwight Cummings, both 19, face capital murder charges in the deaths of singer Matthew Butler, a father of two, and Stephen Swan, his employee, outside Butler's Christian recording studio, Zion Gate Records in Garland, Texas.

Broadnax and Cummings, speaking to MyFOXDFW.com from the Dallas County Jail, told the station of their plans to rob somebody the night of June 18. They traveled by train from Dallas to the suburb of Garland because "that's where all the rich white folks stay at," Broadnax said.

Their targets turned out to be Butler, 28, and Swan, 26.

"I made sure they was dead," Broadnax told MyFOXDFW.com

His voice wavering, Broadnax recounted in blood-curdling detail how he shot the men to death in a parking lot outside the recording studio after Cummings asked for a cigarette.

"I just blanked the f--- out," Broadnax said. "I shot him [Butler] and he stumbled back. I shot the driver [Swan]. He hit the ground, you know what I'm saying, but he leaned up like he was going to try to get back up, so I shot him in the head.

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Christian Musician Murdered "Then his homeboy, I shot his a-- again, you know what I'm saying, but he was still trying to run off," he continued. "I knew he was going to die anyway, but just to make sure — pop, pop."

Broadnax said he shot Butler twice in the head.

Cummings told the station that he and his cousin had traded an AK-47 as collateral for a pistol to use during what he thought would just be a robbery.

"We didn't plan to shoot nobody and nothing like that," Cummings told MyFOXDFW.com. "No, I take that back. I did tell him we'd probably have to pop them a few times or whatever. I did. But still, I didn't think he was going to do it."

After the men were shot, Cummings said he took car keys and a wallet from Swan, but the wallet contained only $2.

"I ain't never seen nobody die like that, you know," Cummings said. "It kind of shocked me, you know what I'm saying. I was shook."

The men fled to an aunt's house, where they changed clothes, then stashed the pistol at Cummings' girlfriend's place, according to the interviews.

The cousins pawned some tools in Swan's vehicle and changed the car's plates before moving on, they said.

Authorities caught up with Broadnax and Cummings on June 20 in Texarkana in one of the victims' vehicles. A third man was in the car and but later was cleared of any involvement in the murders by Garland police.

Cummings, who insisted "I didn't kill anyone," appeared to have some remorse when asked about the crime.

"I feel real bad, you know," he told MyFOXDFW.com. "I feel it was wrong what we did."

But Broadnax, who described his life as "hell," showed little remorse.

"I kind of regret what I did, but things can't change so no use crying over it," Broadnax said.

When asked about what he would say to the victims' families, Broadnax replied, "f--- 'em."

A joint memorial service for Butler and Swan was held Monday.

Click here to read MyFOXDFW.com's interview with James Broadnax.

Click here to read MyFOXDFW.com's interview with Demarius Cummings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report




http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371101,00.html

[Chris_]

When asked about what he would say to the victims' families, Broadnax replied, "f--- 'em."

He won't be quite so "tough" in a few years when he's strapped to a table with a needle in his arm.

[Chris_]

When asked about what he would say to the victims' families, Broadnax replied, "f--- 'em."

He won't be quite so "tough" in a few years when he's strapped to a table with a needle in his arm.

I am sure his new g/f Bubba will soften him up in the meantime.

[THA HOUSTON PIMP IS IN DA HOUZ!]

When asked about what he would say to the victims' families, Broadnax replied, "f--- 'em."

He won't be quite so "tough" in a few years when he's strapped to a table with a needle in his arm.

I am sure his new g/f Bubba will soften him up in the meantime.

they'll go straight to Texas Death Row; no contact with "Bubba". 

Sorry bastages; they need killing.   

I pray that Butler and Swan are in Heaven looking down over their famiilies.

[Texacon]

I have a nice cozy place for both of them here in Huntsville.  I'll try to get some pictures uploaded for y'all when this goes down.  These scum buckets picked the wrong state to commit their crime.

KC

[Chris_]

I have a nice cozy place for both of them here in Huntsville.  I'll try to get some pictures uploaded for y'all when this goes down.  These scum buckets picked the wrong state to commit their crime.

KC

I hope it happens quickly.  These people should not sit around for a couple of decades to be coddled by the state.

[Texacon]

I have a nice cozy place for both of them here in Huntsville.  I'll try to get some pictures uploaded for y'all when this goes down.  These scum buckets picked the wrong state to commit their crime.

KC

I hope it happens quickly.  These people should not sit around for a couple of decades to be coddled by the state.

Average time on death row in Texas is 10 years and we're working hard to reduce that number.  In this case I hope I can bring you pictures in less than a year.

KC