The Death of James G. Broadnax

May 6, 2026, 14:39

Introduction

On April 30, 2026, Texas killed James G. Broadnax. He died by a lethal injection.

Main Body

James wrote rap songs. The state said these songs showed he was a criminal. His lawyers said the songs were just stories and not real facts. Another man named Demarius Cummings said he killed the victims. DNA from Cummings was on the weapon. No DNA from James was on the weapon. James said his first confession was not true. He was sick and used drugs at that time. The state did not believe him.

Conclusion

James G. Broadnax died. People still argue if rap songs can be used as evidence in court.

Learning

⏱️ THE 'PAST' TRICK

Look at these words from the story:

died
wrote
said

Most of the time, we just add -ed to a word to talk about yesterday (e.g., killed). But some words are "rebels." They change completely!

The Pattern: Write $\rightarrow$ Wrote Say $\rightarrow$ Said

💡 SIMPLE WORDS FOR BIG IDEAS

To reach A2, you don't need big words. Use these simple pairs from the text to explain a situation:

Instead of...	Use...
Evidence	Facts
Confession	True stories
Lethal injection	Died

🛠️ HOW TO BUILD A SENTENCE

Person $\rightarrow$ Action $\rightarrow$ Thing

James (Person) $\rightarrow$ wrote (Action) $\rightarrow$ songs (Thing).
The state (Person) $\rightarrow$ did not believe (Action) $\rightarrow$ him (Thing).

Vocabulary Learning

killed (v.)

to cause someone to die

Example:The police killed the suspect in self‑defense.

lethal (adj.)

capable of causing death

Example:The poison was lethal and made him unconscious.

rap (n.)

a style of music with rhythmic speech

Example:He listens to rap music every day.

songs (n.)

pieces of music with lyrics

Example:She wrote many songs for her band.

criminal (adj.)

someone who breaks the law

Example:He was arrested for being a criminal.

lawyer (n.)

a person who gives legal advice

Example:She hired a lawyer to help her case.

confession (n.)

an admission of wrongdoing

Example:His confession helped solve the mystery.

sick (adj.)

not feeling well

Example:I feel sick after eating too much.

drugs (n.)

substances that affect the body or mind

Example:He stopped taking drugs last year.

evidence (n.)

information that shows something is true

Example:The police found evidence at the crime scene.

court (n.)

a place where legal cases are decided

Example:The case will go to court next month.

victim (n.)

a person harmed by a crime

Example:The victim was rescued from the fire.