Inside An Execution: Watching Notorious Crips Leader Stanley 'Tookie' Williams Die

SAN QUENTIN (CBS13) — One of the last men to be executed in California was the notorious leader of the Crips gang, Stanley "Tookie" Williams in 2005.

As a randomly chosen media witness, CBS13's Tony Lopez watched it happen.

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With the rusty doors to the execution chamber creaking open, Stanley "Tookie" Williams shuffled in, shackled and cuffed, wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, no shoes — just socks.

It was the end of the road for this convicted killer, a man who formed the notorious Crips gang in Los Angeles, on death row for killing four people.

His execution did not go smoothly. At one point, he asked the technician if he was putting in the IV correctly because they couldn't find a vein.

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As William's torso heaved, all Tony could hear was the weeping sounds from his victim's family. The reaction of the stepmother of veteran Albert Owens has stayed with Tony.

"She was just looking straight at Williams the entire time--did not move whatsoever," Tony said.

From the time Williams walked into the chamber to the moment he took his last breath, 36 minutes had passed.