John Battaglia to Be Executed Thursday After Twice Dodging Death for Murdering His Daughters

John David Battaglia is set to be executed Thursday — a punishment the Dallas man has twice postponed. Battaglia, 62, murdered his daughters, 9-year-old Faith and 6-year-old Liberty, in 2001 at his Deep Ellum loft while their mother listened on the phone. He was on probation for hitting his ex-wife, and she had been trying to have him arrested for violating his probation before. "Mommy, why do you want Daddy to have to go to jail?" Faith was told to ask her mother, moments before the girl begged for her life. "No, Daddy. Don't do it." Battaglia fired on both girls while their mother was still on the phone. Afterward, he went to a tattoo parlor to get ink on his left bicep in honor of his slain daughters. He also left a message on their answering machine. "Good night, my little babies," he said. "I hope you are resting in a different place. I love you. I wish you had nothing to do with your mother." Attorneys for Battaglia have appealed his sentence, saying he is mentally ill and not competent to be executed. He was granted two stays of execution so he could be evaluated for mental competency.  Continue reading...