Death Watch Diary [Kindle Edition]

Robert Towery (Author)

Book Description

Robert Towery was executed by the State of Arizona on March 8, 2012.
For the last 35 days of his life, Robert was placed on “Death Watch” where
his every move was recorded and chronicled by prison officials.
Robert also kept a diary which he gave or mailed to his attorneys as installments.
He detailed the ironies and absurdities of life in prison. He
reveled in simple pleasures, such as a good meal or a sports event on
television. He longed for human contact from his last visitors,
and he touchingly tried to comfort his pod-mate, who doesn’t really
understand that he was going to his death.

Product Details

• File Size: 226 KB
• Print Length: 37 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007JD3LUM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,500 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #54 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Sociology > Death

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Story of One's Journey to His Final Destination March 15, 2012

By Alan and Kyoko Tavassoli

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Death Watch Diary is the story of one man's journey to his final destination. In these pages, Robert Towery has accomplished something that has not been attempted before; and his efforts are very successful. As a storyteller, Mr. Towery allows us glimpses of his day to day life facing an execution that he hopes will not come. He shows bravery, contrition, and humor in the face of death, and by the end of the story, one cannot help but hope that the story will end happily. Sadly, it does not, which makes it the more profound. Towery, as the unlikely protagonist, points out the rigidity and insensitivity of the rules and some of the staff that watch him on a 24 hour basis, but also acknowledges the compassion of other staff, who go out of their way to try to provide comfort in a comfortless environment. One feels as if they are actually spending their final moments with him as he prepares himself for his death. The end result is a balanced account of what he has been asked to do; provide a window into the life of an inmate awaiting his death. Importantly, he shows regret for his actions of decades ago that put him in this situation, even though that was not the stated purpose of the diary. For those that are undecided about their belief in the death penalty, this is a compelling account which will affect those that read it. For those who strongly believe in the death penalty, this account will offer the knowledge that Robert Towery's last days on earth brought him the humiliation that they may feel he deserved, but truly he shows by his character, through these pages, that he is not the same man who was first sentenced to die for his crimes; that although he did take life, he is capable of deep compassion for his fellow inmate, Robert Moorman, who 9 days earlier shared the same fate. Mr. Towery's execution was a tragedy; one that can be avoided in the future if more people get to know him better through his words.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Privilege to Witness What is Seldom Seen March 17, 2012

By Tonia Jenny

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm grateful for this opportunity of a rare glimpse into the last days of one on death row. Robert Towery's words reminded me that those individuals on death row (and incarcerated in general) are not faceless entities, they are fellow humans trying to get through each day just as I am.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book and tell your friends!! March 13, 2012

By Elizabeth Lipham

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

In the days before his execution, Robert Towery kept a diary of his life on death watch. His view from within the machine of the death penalty is expressed in simple, strong writing. Robert describes the events of his day, his feelings and observations, and the impact is profound. He expressed great remorse, asked forgiveness for the tragedy he caused and could never change, and lived a life of redemption in confinement. Life without parole is an option in Arizona, but the Arizona Clemency board denied Robert clemency. This is the kind of book that will make you grab a friend and say "You have to read this!!" and then keep you talking and discussing the book for hours. Add this voice to the many reasons that the time to end the death penalty has arrived.