Texas Man Sentenced to Death Over Rap Lyrics He Never Used in Trial—Last Chance Before Execution

James Broadnax, a 37-year-old man who spent more than 16 years on death row, was executed by lethal injection on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. His execution followed a series of failed legal challenges centered on the use of his teenage rap lyrics to secure the death penalty and a last-minute confession from his co-defendant.

Broadnax was convicted for the 2008 robbery and shooting deaths of Stephen Swan, 26, and Matthew Butler, 28, outside a recording studio in Garland, Texas. While he was found guilty of capital murder, the legal battle leading up to his execution focused heavily on the sentencing phase of his 2009 trial, where prosecutors introduced more than 40 pages of Broadnax’s handwritten lyrics to convince a nearly all-white jury that he posed a threat of future dangerousness.

Art as Evidence of Criminality

The use of rap lyrics in the Broadnax case became a focal point for critics of the American judicial system. According to court filings, prosecutors did not use the lyrics during the guilt phase of the trial to prove Broadnax committed the murders. Instead, they introduced the writings during the sentencing phase to portray his gangster mentality. Prosecutors argued that the lyrics, which contained violent imagery, were a self-admission of his criminal nature.

The root word of gangsta rap is gangster.

Lead Prosecutor, 2009 trial

Defense attorneys argued that this tactic exploited racial stereotypes to transform artistic expression into a death warrant. They noted that the jury, from which seven Black prospective jurors had been struck during voir dire, was encouraged to view the lyrics as literal autobiographical accounts rather than creative metaphors. Legal scholars and advocates argued that treating rap lyrics as diary entries denies the genre the status of art and targets young men of color.

Conflicting Confessions and DNA Evidence

In the months preceding the execution, the case was complicated by a new confession from Broadnax’s cousin and co-defendant, Demarius Cummings, who is serving a life sentence. In a sworn statement and a video recorded from prison in March 2026, Cummings claimed that he, not Broadnax, was the shooter in the 2008 killings. Cummings asserted that he had convinced the then-19-year-old Broadnax to take the blame because Broadnax had a less extensive criminal record.

Broadnax’s legal team pointed to forensic evidence to support Cummings’ claim, stating that only Cummings’ DNA was found on the murder weapon and on one of the victims. Broadnax had previously confessed to the murders in jailhouse interviews and media appearances shortly after the crime, but he later recanted those statements, claiming he was under the influence of PCP and marijuana at the time and was indifferent to his own life.

High-Profile Appeals and Final Denial

The controversy drew significant attention from the music industry. Several prominent artists, including Travis Scott, T.I., and Killer Mike, filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court. The rappers argued that using lyrics to impose capital punishment was unconstitutional and served as a penalty against the genre of rap music itself.

Despite these efforts, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Governor Greg Abbott all denied requests for stays of execution and clemency. The courts noted that Broadnax had failed to recant his initial confessions for 16 years and that his claims regarding jury bias had been rejected in previous state and federal appeals.

In his final statement before his death, Broadnax maintained his innocence and criticized the judicial outcome.

But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself period.

James Broadnax, final statement

Broadnax was pronounced dead minutes before 7 p.m. On April 30, becoming the third person executed in Texas in 2026.