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Who is Christopher Vialva? Death row inmate's mom begs Trump to pardon son who killed a couple when he was 19

During Vialva's trial which occurred in 2000, the court revealed that the then-teenager had killed Todd Bagley and his wife Stacie before burned the bodies

The mother of an inmate who is currently on death row for a crime he had committed as a teenager is begging President Donald Trump to spare her son's life. Christopher Vialva is set to be put to death on Thursday, September 24. He had been sentenced to death for shooting Todd Bagley in the head close by near Ft Hood, Texas, in 1999, and was 19 at the time of the incident.

According to Indiana Public Media, during Vialva's trial which occurred in 2000, the court revealed that the then-teenager had also killed Bagley's wife Stacie and then burned the bodies in the couple's car. Court records revealed that the Bagley's had prayed for their attackers and had begged for mercy. One of Vialva's co-defendants, Brandon Bernard, had also been sentenced to life in prison for carjacking the pair. Bernard's sentence, however, was reduced. Around two other teenagers had also been given a 20-year long sentence for their involvement in the crimes, while a 15-year-old had received a five-year sentence.

Vialva's mother, Lisa Brown, said, "The only thing my son has said is that he’s deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused to the family, and me with his actions that day." As his execution date approaches, Brown is hoping that Trump will consider pardoning her son. "I’m still holding onto my faith and praying for a miracle that somehow the President will see that he’s not the same person," Brown added. Ever since he was imprisoned, Vialva became a Messianic Jew and then spent around two years trying to convince staff to let him conduct weekly services.

He is now a regular minister to his fellow prisoners. While speaking to The Intercept via email, Vialva said, "They brought me out of my cell and took me to the Unit Team office, where the Warden was waiting. I sat down at the table. There was a piece of paper in front of me. The Warden then tells me that I have been scheduled for execution September 24." "I spent the rest of the night thinking about my mother’s heartbreaking, and what this was going to do to her," he added. Vialva will be the seventh person to be executed this year and the first Black inmate to be executed during Trump's presidency.

The Bureau of Prisons even pays for airfare as well as hotel stays for members of the victims' families who want to attend the execution but does not pay for families of the condemned prisoner. Brown said, "I really wasn’t surprised because through this process the family of the condemned is not looked at as victims." She is directly appealing to Trump to spare Vialva's life. "I’m still holding onto my faith and praying for a miracle that somehow the President will see that he’s not the same person," she shared.

Social media did not seem to be in agreement with Brown's pleas and believe that Vialva should pay for his crime. One such user shared, "19 is definitely old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Kidnapping and murdering by fire definitely falls into the category of wrong. It is called consequences of ones actions."

Another added, "He kidnapped a couple, locked them in the trunk of his car, drove them outside of town and executed them. He was 19 at the time, I'm pretty sure the brain has developed considerably by that point already."

Vialva is currently being kept at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute.