A Death in the Family is an anatomy of what family members experience as they gather to say goodbye to their loved one, witness his execution, then bring his body back home to bury him.

During the long course of judicial appeals, the Bannister verdict had been regarded by many as a grave injustice. Jesse Jackson and Ed Asner had petitioned the Missouri governor for clemency. But Bannister's attorney felt that the Missouri attorney general was determined to "kill A.J.".

On the day of the execution, a small group of anti-death-penalty protestors gathered outside the prison, while pro-death-penalty activists carried signs that read "Die. Die. Die." The family members are allowed one last visit. His mother laments : "It's not only the condemned man they're punishing. It's a whole family."

Live footage is combined with interviews, haunting still photographs, and an evocative musical score to create an almost unbearable portrait of loss. Clearly, the effect of the sentence is far reaching, way beyond the life of the person who is judged.