Trial by Fire

He wakes to find his house ablaze and fights to rescue his three daughters, but ultimately cannot save them. The fire overwhelms him as the building burns around him.

In the courtroom, prosecutor John Jackson declares the fire was arson, describing gasoline spread in a pentagram and the refrigerator moved to block the kitchen door. Several witnesses portray Willingham as violent, painting a troubling picture of the man. Despite his protests of innocence, the jury sentences him to death.

On death row, Willingham is beaten and threatened by both inmates and guards, and he is placed in solitary confinement for safety. He endures the isolation while continuing to insist on his innocence, often reliving memories of his life with Stacy.

Willingham and Stacy's relationship is strained; she had cheated on him, and his violent reactions shook her, yet they still care for each other. Stacy stops replying to his letters at the insistence of her worried grandmother, deepening his isolation.

He reaches out to a new attorney, Reaves, hoping to overturn the verdict. On death row he submits to guard Daniels's authority and befriends fellow inmate Ponchai James, using James to improve his vocabulary and writing.

Willingham's letter reaches playwright Elizabeth Gilbert, who is sympathetic to his case. Gilbert learns that her ex-husband and their children still insist he is guilty, but she feels a kinship with Willingham as a parent facing loss.

Gilbert visits the prison and is struck by Willingham's calm demeanor and dignity. They bond over their shared experiences as parents and their love for their children, strengthening his resolve to seek justice.

Willingham continues to immerse himself in art and poetry and befriends guard Daniels, who begins to question his guilt after witnessing his hallucinations of his daughters and reading his letters.

Gilbert and Reaves challenge the case by questioning witness statements and the progress of the investigation. When Gilbert visits Webb, the ex-cellmate becomes agitated and threatens her after she asks about a possible payoff for his testimony.

As the execution date nears, more witnesses are revealed to have lied, but Reaves struggles to argue an appeal and Dr. Hurst's report about the refrigerator and arson is dismissed.

Webb recants his testimony, but prosecutor Jackson covers it up. Stacy is pressured to lie that Willingham confessed, further tainting the case.

Daniels administers the lethal injection as Stacy and Reaves watch tearfully. Gilbert is unable to attend due to a car crash on the way to the prison, but Willingham delivers a poignant speech and asks that his ashes be spread over his daughters' graves.

The film closes with news footage showing Governor Perry denying guilt over ordering executions, leaving viewers to ponder the case's unresolved questions about justice and innocence.