Texas Death Row inmate spared hours before scheduled execution talks exclusively to FOX 26
I've interviewed many inmates over the past 30 years. Some here on death row, and inmate William Speer is one of only a few that openly admits his guilt.
He was just a few hours away from receiving the lethal injection when he learned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had stopped it.
"It was shocking. I was just in awe," he said.
Was he prepared to die?
"I absolutely was," Speer said.
The 49-year-old death row inmate says it was faith in God that prepared him to die.
"I knew that when I went to sleep and woke up that I was going to be waking up to the trumpet sound, and I was going to be hearing holy God lord almighty," said Speer.
When he was 16, he murdered his friend's father. Speer was sentenced to life for fatally shooting Jerry Collins, a Navy veteran, in his Houston-area home in 1991.
In a statement, his son Mike told us, "My father was a great man, and he was shot at point-blank range. My dad missed grandchildren and great-grandchildren being born. He missed my sister becoming a teacher and my brother saving my life from cancer."
Speer admitted to us to murdering Collins and took responsibility for his actions. He's on death row for murdering fellow inmate Gary Dickerson in July 1997 in a bid to join The Texas Mafia Prison Gang.
"When you're involved in gang life, you're doing things in this life. There's always the unwritten rule when you're told to do something, if you don't do it, it could happen to you," Speer said.
"It was a big shock and my family was devastated over it," said Kristina Harris.
She is Sammie Martin's daughter Sammie was Gary Dickerson's sister.
Kristina says the last conversation she had with her mother was Thursday October 26, the day of Speer's scheduled execution.
"We received a text message letting us know that he received a last-minute stay, and I think her reply was, I think, that's awesome."
Sammie Martin unexpectedly died the next day. A week before her death, she spoke to Will Speer on the phone.
"She said that he had expressed to her how her forgiveness was something that was weighing on him, so she was really glad she was able to give that to him," Kristina said.
As far as Speer is concerned, God had a hand in stopping his execution.
"There's no doubt in my mind," he said.
Speer's appeal is based on allegations that prosecutors in his 2001 trial failed to present evidence about his troubled childhood, which included physical and sexual abuse.
It's an allegation prosecutors deny.
"Regardless of where a man is, he can find change." Speer said.
If his appeal is successful, Speer will live the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole.
"I owe that to these victims' families,"he said. "If God can change this guy right here, God can change anybody."