Attorneys for death row inmate James Broadnax filed an emergency appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals this week, citing a new confession from a co-defendant that identifies Broadnax as innocent of the 2008 fatal shootings of two men in Garland.
The filing comes less than a month before Broadnax’s scheduled execution on April 30, 2026. His cousin, Demarius Cummings, who is currently serving life without parole for the same crime, submitted a written confession stating he was the sole shooter in the killings of Matt Butler and Steve Swan.
The confession reads, “I was the one who shot the victims.” Cummings alleged that he convinced a then-19-year-old Broadnax to take the blame while both were under the influence of PCP and marijuana.
The Broadnax legal team is also preparing a clemency application for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. A spokesman for the defense stated they are seeking a new trial to present the confession alongside forensic evidence, noting that the only DNA recovered from the murder weapon belonged to Cummings.
According to Action Network, Broadnax’s DNA was not found on the murder weapon. Furthermore, the DNA found on the victim’s clothes and the victim himself point to other individuals.
🚨NEW: The cousin of a Dallas County death row inmate, who is scheduled to be executed next month, now claims he was the one who killed two innocent people for $2 in 2008
Attorneys for James Broadnax, scheduled for execution on April 13, are seeking to halt it based on a new… pic.twitter.com/yRC3eNsSxc
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) March 20, 2026
James Broadnax’s Case Background
While Broadnax confessed to the killings in 2008 media interviews, his current counsel argues those statements were made under psychological duress and dr*g inducement. Defense filings highlight that the DNA found on the murder weapon belonged only to Cummings.
The defense has also raised allegations of racial bias, noting that Broadnax, who is Black, was convicted by a jury consisting of 11 white members and one Black member. Lawyers questioned the prosecution’s use of Broadnax’s rap lyrics as evidence to secure a death sentence.
A statement from Broadnax’s legal team said, “James’ lawyers will continue to do everything we can to stop his execution and to seek a new trial at which all of the evidence is fairly presented. At the same time, the team is preparing a clemency application to be submitted to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles next week. We remain optimistic that the courts and Texas authorities will recognize the injustices in this case and take action to stop his execution.”
The case arrives amid shifting public sentiment and fluctuating execution rates. While 25 inmates were executed nationwide in 2024, that number rose to 47 by November 2025. Texas remains the national leader in capital punishment, accounting for 596 executions since 1977.
- U.S. Executions (2024) – 25
- U.S. Executions (through November 2025) – 47
- Total Texas Executions (1977-2025) – 596
- Public Support for Death 52% (Gallup, 2025)
The above-mentioned numbers are according to the Death Penalty Information Center and TCADP.
Public support for the death penalty has hit a 50-year low, dropping from 80% in 1994 to 52% today. Broadnax’s cause has gained cultural momentum, earning public support from high-profile figures like Travis Scott and Killer Mike, among others.
Houston rapper Travis Scott and Young Thug are among 30 artists, activists and actors asking the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the state’s death row execution next month for James Broadnax, a man convicted of capital murder in Dallas County.https://t.co/LovW1KAgm2
— Houston Public Media (@HoustonPubMedia) March 11, 2026
Furthermore, the online petition has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
Legal experts suggest the path to a stay remains difficult. Jeffrey Fagan, who is a professor at Columbia Law School, stated, “Between the Texas courts and the Supreme Court’s sense of urgency to reach ‘closure’ and ‘finality,’ and the fact that the new confession has not been subjected to an adversarial process, Mr. Broadnax faces substantial obstacles to the halting of his execution. But perhaps, the specter of executing an innocent person has more salience today than in the past.”
However, the recent precedents offer the defense some hope.
In October 2025, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the execution of Robert Roberson under the state’s “junk science” law, according to BBC. Multiple governors have recently commuted death sentences following new evidence or shifts in state policy.
As of now, neither the Governor’s office nor the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has issued a formal comment on the pending execution.
