HOUSTON — The conviction and death sentence for a suburban Houston man who arranged the killings of his mother and brother so he could collect a $1 million inheritance were upheld Wednesday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Thomas "Bart" Whitaker didn't challenge his conviction but insisted in his appeal that his death sentence wasn't proper because his court record doesn't include a plea offer he made to prosecutors.

In exchange for taking responsibility for the killings, he wanted prosecutors to remove the possibility of the death penalty because he was willing to accept "as many life sentences as the state wanted ... to spare his already victimized family the ordeal of a trial," according to court records.

Prosecutors refused the offer and a Fort Bend County jury 2 1/2 years ago sentenced him to death.

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