Liberty Mae Battaglia was 6 when she was shot and killed in Dallas on May 2, 2001. The killings occurred in the father’s Deep Ellum apartment during a scheduled visit; Liberty and her 9-year-old sister Mary Faith were both found with multiple gunshot wounds. Their father, John David Battaglia Jr., killed the girls in an attack described as revenge against his estranged ex-wife, Mary Jean Pearle. On the day of the murders Battaglia had learned there was a warrant for his arrest after he had harassed Pearle; Pearle, who was on the phone, reportedly heard Mary Faith say No, daddy, please don't, don't do it followed by gunshots. Officers later located Battaglia at a tattoo parlor with fresh tattoos representing his daughters; he was arrested and charged with capital murder.

Battaglia was convicted and sentenced to death in April 2002. His lawyers raised incompetence claims that produced multiple appeals and stays; he was executed by lethal injection on February 1, 2018, at age 62. The case drew national attention and has been discussed in connection with domestic violence and the criminal justice response to family killings. Did anyone who knew Liberty or her sisters have memories to share or information that might add context to what happened?