The final moments of James Broadnax were marked by emotional scenes as his British wife, Tiana Krasniqi, cried out her love while witnessing his execution through a glass partition. Broadnax, 37, was put to death by lethal injection at a prison in Texas after being convicted of the 2008 killings of two Christian music producers. As the procedure was carried out, Krasniqi, 31, reportedly pressed herself against the viewing window, repeatedly shouting “I love you” in distress.

The couple had married only days earlier in a ceremony held inside the Allan B. Polunsky Unit, where Broadnax had been incarcerated. Krasniqi, who is from Lewisham in London, had previously spoken publicly about their relationship, explaining that it began when she contacted him as part of academic research into death row inmates in the United States.

Their connection quickly evolved into a romantic relationship, sustained through letters and long daily conversations. Krasniqi later described Broadnax as intelligent, articulate, and respectful, insisting he possessed a moral sense despite his conviction. Her relationship with him, however, divided opinion among friends and acquaintances back home.

Broadnax had been found guilty of robbing and fatally shooting Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in a recording studio car park in Garland, near Dallas, nearly two decades ago. Prosecutors said he carried out the attack alongside his cousin, Demarius Cummings, who received a life sentence without parole.

In a dramatic development, Cummings later claimed responsibility for pulling the trigger. Despite this assertion, authorities dismissed the statement as unreliable and proceeded with the execution.

Shortly before his death, Broadnax maintained his innocence in a final statement, expressing a desire for forgiveness from the victims’ families while insisting the justice system had failed him. He was given a lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began. Broadnax urged his supporters to keep fighting but was stopped in another mid-sentence by a gasp. He shook his head briefly and all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead 21 minutes later, at 6.47pm CDT.

Following the execution, Krasniqi shared her anguish publicly, alleging that her husband suffered visibly during the lethal injection process and questioning whether justice had truly been served.