WHEN Tiana Krasniqi sent an email to a man on Texas death row in 2024, love was the last thing on her mind.

She was studying international human rights law when she contacted inmate James Broadnax, purely for academic research into racism and the .

Tiana Krasniqi, who studied international human rights law.Tiana Krasniqi (pictured) married James Broadnax who was on death row in Texas Credit: Baeur Tiana Krasniqi and James Broadnax, a man on death row, pose together.She married James (seen together at their wedding) just two weeks before his execution Credit: Baeur

Convicted of a double murder during a robbery 20 years earlier, his case was steeped in controversy.

But what began as a formal exchange soon developed into something more.

Despite the thousands of miles and the bars that separated them, Tiana found herself falling in love, and she married him just two weeks before his execution, which she fought desperately to halt.

She was forced to watch as her new husband was put to death in April this year.

Tiana Krasniqi and James Broadnax, the man she married on death row, pose for a photo.Tiana first reached out to James as part of her master’s research but feelings quickly developed Credit: Baeur James Broadnax, a man on death row in Texas.James was convicted of the double murder of two men during a robbery Credit: Baeur

Now grieving, Tiana, 31, is determined to prove his innocence.

She says, “I never meant to fall in love with James, but I’m not going to stop fighting to clear his name.”

Tiana was studying for a master’s in international human rights law when she reached out to a prison in , USA, hoping to interview James, 37, as part of her research.

Twenty years earlier, James and his cousin had been convicted of murdering two men in a robbery gone wrong – but James’ case had been controversial.

His confession had been obtained while he was under the influence of drugs, and the prosecution had requested that all but one of the black jurors be removed from the jury.

Also, in a bombshell confession ahead of the execution, Demarius Cummings, Broadnax’s cousin, took full responsibility for the killings.

Top rap stars including and backed a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court to halt his execution.

Tiana says, “I was researching the effects of racism on the application of the death penalty and was pleased when James said he would be interested in speaking to me.

“He was clever and thoughtful and I couldn’t help liking him.

“We talked about his legal case and shared stories of our upbringings.

A collection of personal items, including framed photos, books, a clock, a red handprint, a candle, a ring box, and cards.Tiana describes watching James’ execution as “horrific” and says she’s been left traumatised Credit: Baeur James Broadnax smiling while holding a phone receiver to his ear.There has been a lot of controversy surrounding James’ case and Tiana wants to clear his name Credit: Baeur

“While I’d grown up in the care system in the UK, James had faced abuse and neglect.

“We bonded quickly and would talk on the phone for hours every day.”

Over the following months, Tiana was shocked to realise she was developing feelings for James – and he felt the same way.

She says, “Four months after we’d first spoken, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I booked to go and visit him.”

Her decision has meant spending months away from her nine-year-old daughter, who remained in the UK with her father.

“My friends were worried about me, but they knew they couldn’t change my mind,” she says.

“All my nerves melted away when I first saw him.

“He was so handsome.

“We were only allowed to spend a maximum of four hours together at a time, but it was almost like we were on a date.

“We even shared a meal of chicken sandwiches and pizza on either side of the glass.”

While Tiana was in Texas, she continued researching James’ case.

She says, “I was looking back through the court files when I stumbled across a bombshell – I read that James’ DNA had not been found on the victims or the weapon.

“Instead, his cousin’s had been found on both the weapon and the victim’s jeans.”

Tiana went back to the prison, where James said he had confessed to protect his cousin.

Wanting justice, she spoke to his lawyers, but they explained that there wasn’t much that could be done – his cousin hadn’t confessed and James’ confession hadn’t been withdrawn.

Tiana says, “I knew the system was stacked against us, but I vowed to keep fighting.”

But back home in London, at the beginning of this year, Tiana received devastating news.

She says, “James’ lawyer rang to say a date had been set for his – it was only four months away.

“Determined to save him, over the next few months I spent every waking moment working on his case.

“I started a petition calling for him to be granted a reprieve from execution, which got 88,000 signatures.

“James’ cousin even confessed and signed a statement alleging that he had planned and committed the shootings, not James.

“But every appeal James made to the court system was rejected.”

Tiana and James decided to get married and, just two weeks before the date of James’ execution, Tiana flew out.

She wore a simple white dress and was told that James would have to stay behind the glass panel to say their vows – she wasn’t even allowed to kiss him.

Tiana says, “Of course, it wasn’t how I imagined my wedding day and none of my family or friends were there, but I was determined it would be a nice day.

“We both cried as we read out our vows.

“I told him ‘It’s not till death do us part, it’s until we meet again’.

“Then, we each kissed the glass.”

What was James Broadnax convicted of?

Stephen Swan, 26, a cancer survivor and gifted guitarist, and Matthew Butler, 28, a married dad of two, were leaving a recording studio in Garland when they were ambushed and shot dead.

The killers sped off in Swan’s car — and later chillingly confessed.

In a foul-mouthed rant shortly after, Broadnax boasted he felt no guilt.

Asked what he’d say to one victim’s widow, he sneered: “I’d laugh in her face.”

But Broadnax’s DNA was never found on the gun, and now Cummings claims he acted alone.

His lawyers insist Broadnax has been an exemplary inmate behind bars, spending his time reading, playing chess and even counselling fellow prisoners.

The ceremony lasted just 20 minutes and afterwards Tiana had to return to her hotel alone.

Though the pair kept making appeals, on 30 April, James’ execution day arrived.

Tiana says, “That morning, we spoke for hours over the phone.

“James told me how scared he was, but he said, ‘I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done. I didn’t know someone could love me like this.’”

At 6pm, James was taken into the execution chamber and Tiana watched as he was strapped to the chair.

Tiana says, “It was horrific.

“James said to the victims’ families who were also there, ‘I pray to God for your forgiveness. But no matter what you think, I’m innocent.’

“Then, the officer administered the injection.

“James groaned loudly.

“His head flipped back and his eyes rolled up into his head.

“I screamed, ‘I love you!’ through the glass.

“It took 40 minutes for him to die.

“I was heartbroken.

“Later, I was finally able to touch my husband for the first time at the church before his cremation.

“I gave him our first and last kiss.”

Now, Tiana is determined to continue fighting to clear his name.

She says, “Losing him after just a year and seeing him die has left me traumatised.

“Now I am determined to clear his name.”

For more information visit deathpenaltyinfo.org or amicus-alj.org . Learn more about Tiana’s story on Instagram at @tiana.broadnax