Death Watch Diary

by Robert Towery

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.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 2012

Reviews

[Patrick Weseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Interesting

A super look into a world that is never seen. Bless Robert Towery for writing this before his execution. An amazing read.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great depiction of how our prison system demeans and looks down upon inmates. Heartbreaking.

[Jerry Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short account of the last days of Robert Towery, executed in March 2012 in Arizona. Personally I am against the death penalty. Not for any particular moral reasons but rather the finality of the act eliminating any possibility of righting a wrongful conviction (plus many other reasons). Towery never denied his actions but this account is stark in it's telling of the last 35 days of his life when he was on death watch prior to execution.

One is struck by the banality and frustration of this existence. Towery is articulate in his writing although it is obviously written as a diary and it is amazing to me how calm and lucid he is right up until the end. He has a lot of compassion for one of his fellow death row inmates who goes before him.

It's an account worth reading - one can't help wondering how you would react in similar circumstances, which hopefully we wont have to face.

[Sabrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was very samey and a little boring. Short also so only took about 35 mins to read it all.

I study psychology and have worked in a prison, crimes people commit to end up in these places fascinate me and what drives them to carry out these crimes.

However this book I did not find in dept at all and told you more about the prisoners blood pressure daily until his execution than about his feelings and thoughts as you may expect.

[Kristal · Rating 1 out of 5]

So so

in this book he complains abouts his environment. He complains about not being able to get the things he wants and poor conditions. I believe if you are in prison you shouldn't have any privileges. So for th a t reason I could care less what he has to say.

[Sharmin Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Read

Interesting take on a convicted killer waiting on execution. Death Watch isn't Death Row, things change. Sadly people change, but it's usually too late...worse, it takes prison or the death penalty to realize how life 'could have been'.

[Ellie]

a good quick read on life and death in prison

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short read about a prisoners final days on death row. Interesting to know that author Jodie picoult became pen pals with him after interviewing him for a novel.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insight into the last few weeks of life of a death-row inmate.

[Erin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Human

A good read that shows that even those that have committed crimes are just as human as the rest and have the same thoughts, feelings and needs.

[Samantha Symes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and stark account of the final days of a mans life.

I read the reviews on here and people said it was repetitive and boring, but I found the reality stark.