Gary's belongings

"I am so grateful to have you so deep in my heart and soul ... yes my angel darling, even as you read this - you are warming my spirit soul with your love ... this promise never can be took back ... our love lives eternally ! Forever yours, Gary"

(Gary on June 20, 2002 - written by Gary when he had an execution date for June 27, 2002 and he thought
that I will get this letter only after his execution.)

Property

After Gary's execution on August 20, 2002 I went through Gary's belongings and I was shocked when I saw how little he had with which to live. Sure, I knew that Gary had only few belongings but when I saw it ... only 30 books, his trial files and plenty of legal papers, but only very little private property such as hygiene articles, a few t-shirts and socks, a few snacks, five photo albums with my pictures ... I was shocked and suddenly I began to understand. I stared at Gary's belongings and began to understand that sometimes he was so depressed and sent letters written in a very bad mood. I always tried so hard to understand ... but are we really able to understand what we never have to experience on our own ? I tried so very hard to understand Gary's way of life, life under these circumstances, Gary's mood swings and depressions, but sometimes I failed to understand. Only today I am able to understand Gary's few rude letters and I am deeply sorry that I could not understand while Gary was alive. No man should live in this way, no man deserves to be treated like they are treated on death row. It is inhuman and a shame and I am so sorry that I did not always understand Gary's reasons. 

Gary wrote a few final letters to a few friends and to his brother James from the death house of the Walls Unit, Huntsville. While waiting for Gary's phone call in the Hospitality House in the afternoon of August 20, 2002 Father Stephen Walsh came over from the Wall Unit and handed me a few things from Gary: Gary's last letter to me, the pen he used to write this letter, the last writing pad Gary ever used, Gary's self-made address book and a small pile with letters he got in the morning during our final visit and empty envelopes he did not use anymore ...

Gary's laundry: 3 t-shirts, 2 pair of boxers, 2 pair of socks and 2 handkerchiefs

Gary's only shoes. He wore them during the execution

Gary's few personal items: soap, mirror, shaving things, brush, 2 bowls, anti-acid tablets, cotton swabs, sun glasses

Shower shoes, soap, shaving things, small towel

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Baby powder and baby lotion, shaping gel, after shave, petroleum jelly

Pencils, pens, rubber, stamps, calculator, chain with a cross

Coffee pot, coffee cups, sugar, spoons, coffee

Lots of snacks. I think Gary did not really expect them to kill him, because he had so many snacks left and neither did I

Gary's radio and the headphones. Gary loved to listen to our country music and of course he listened to the news each day. In the evening he even was able to listen to TV stations and he was listening each night to the David Letterman show, sometimes he listened to soaps like "Friends", "Seinfeld" and "Will and Grace"

Gary was very tidy. He liked it neat and clean and you could see this in his belongings as well. Gary stored everything in envelopes and wrote down the contents on each envelope

Gary collected hundreds of postcards from around the world. Gary would have loved to travel and this was the only way for him to see other places

Gary loved to read books and he read plenty. His favorite authors have been Stephen King and Sidney Sheldon

Gary's nickname in prison was Surf because he lived in Galveston which is on the coast

Books Gary needed for the legal work - he wanted to be prepared if they would have granted him a new trial

Gary was educating himself in the hope to be able to assist his lawyers at a new trial, but he unfortunately never got the chance to

After he read it Gary gave me the book "Who owns death ?" because he wanted me to read it as well. Inside the book there was a dedication

Gary's favorite books ever ... I sent Gary these books and I guess he was studying them. No matter what I told Gary about Munich, he exactly knew where these places are. I think after reading the books Gary knew my home town by heart

Gary was interested in studying languages as well

Sometimes I told Gary about movies I just saw at a theatre and when I loved a movie very much I sent him the books to read since they have no tv on death row

Our favorite music in books ... Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks

In his bible Gary kept a bookmark. One side says "I LOVE MY DARLING WIFE", the other side says "ME & YOU"

The most sad part when I got Gary's belongings was, when I got my own letters back. These are my last letters to my darling

Our Marriage License, a list of more than 200 things I loved about Gary, my gift for our 1st anniversary (Journey of Love) and the certificate of the International Star Registry where they named a star in the sky after Gary - Gary kept everything I ever sent to him ... these important things ...

... as well as less important things like memories of former vacations of mine

In the same way Gary worshiped my letters he treasured the letters of his daughters Brittany and Brandi. Gary was in heaven when he got their first letters after 11 years of not being in touch with them

Gary's legal papers

Photo albums

Of course I know that Gary loved me very much. Of course I know what I meant to him ... but just as I only understood his mood swings when I saw his poor belongings, I think I only understood HOW very much Gary loved me ... what I REALLY meant to him, when I saw his photo albums. Gary did not only simply put my photo's in the albums. Gary kept each and everything I ever sent to him. He worshiped the smallest things I sent and Gary decorated each photo album with all the things I ever sent: stickers, hearts, musical notes and strands of my hair. Gary put so much love in the photo albums and I never believed him when he said that he look at my photos each day ... but now I think this really was true ... there was not much to do, locked in for 23 hours a day in a small cell but to read, to write letters or to look at my photos.

The Execution

		Gary wore a blue denim shirt while they killed him, black trousers, white boxers, gray socks and his own shoes
		Father Stephen Walsh gave Gary this rosary. I found it in the pockets of the trousers when they handed me the clothing. I don't know if Gary wore the rosary around his neck during the execution or if he held it in his hand
	Gary's wristwatch. Gary was pronounced dead at 6:22 PM on August 20, 2002
		Since I didn't want Gary to be cremated in the   prison clothing, I bought some clothing I hoped Gary would like. I just imagined what he would like to wear if he would be free and I chose a blue-checkered shirt, black Wrangler jeans and boxers. After Gary got a stay in June I wore the shirt at one of our visits and Gary liked the shirt ... but of course he hated the occasion I bought it for