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2004 last meals...
2004 last meals...
(compiled from various news accounts)
november 2004
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ANTHONY FUENTES
November 17, 2004
Last Meal: Fuentes had a final meal request of fried chicken with biscuits and jalapeno peppers, steak and french fries, fajita tacos, pizza, a hamburger, water and Coca-Cola.
The Skinny: Fuentes, 30, was executed for fatally shooting a man who tried to nab the robber of a Houston convenience store.
Fuentes denied he was responsible for killing the 28-year old man, who became known as a slain good Samaritan, although Fuentes acknowledged he was with three companions when they were holding up the store.
More skinny: Fuentes and three accomplices robbed the Handi Food Mart in north Houston. Fuentes and one of his companions brandished pistols. The victim, who had been drinking beer with friends in the parking lot of the store, chased one of the bandits when he left the store with two cases of beer. He grabbed accomplice Templeton, and the robber dropped the beer. Just then, Fuentes came running out of the store and shot the man twice in the chest. He died in a ditch across the street from the store. A witness at the trial identified Fuentes as Tate’s murderer. Accomplice Templeton also testified at the trial identifying Fuentes.
It took two years before authorities could piece together the case and arrest Fuentes and his three companions. His accomplices received prison terms for aggravated robbery. Fuentes got a death sentence.
"What Texas doesn't realise is that I am not afraid to die and they can never break me," Fuentes wrote on an Internet site devoted to his case. "My time has been pretty easy here," Fuentes said. "I don't complain about the conditions. I write letters to my family and listen to the radio. I don't read books.
Priors: Fuentes had two previous convictions. He pleaded guilty and spent a year in the Harris County Jail for shooting a man in the leg with a shotgun in 1992. Eight months before the slaying, he pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge and was placed on probation for shooting a man who was sitting in a car.
Last words and such: "Sorry that I have to put my family through this. To everybody else, the truth will be known. It didn't come out in time to save my life . . . . But when it comes out I hope it stops this. It is wrong for the prosecutors to lie and make witnesses say what they need them to say. The truth has always been there. I just hope everybody has their peace. Today I get mine."
Factoids: Fuentes was the...
59th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
944th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
23rd murderer executed in Texas in 2004
336th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
FRANK RAY CHANDLER
November 12, 2004
Last Meal: A Pizza Hut thin-crust, medium pizza topped with extra cheese, pepperoni, ham, Canadian bacon, mushrooms and black olives served with iced milk.
The skinny: Chandler was executed at 2 a.m. for breaking into a home hoping to steal marijuana and killing the 90-year-old woman who lived there. He had been drinking and thought he was breaking into a home where he had gotten drugs,
More skinny: The victim, a ninety-year-old widow who lived alone, was found on her bed in a pool of blood, killed during a burglary of her home. She was nude from the waist down, partially covered by a sheet.
Forced entry was found at the rear of her home and Chandler's fingerprints were found inside on a door to the kitchen. Death was caused by a blow to the head. At trial, Chandler attempted to explain away his fingerprints by admitting that he broke into the house, but that he was startled by a scream, turned and accidentally struck the victim. The jury was not impressed, although they did find him not guilty of attempted rape.
The death sentence for Chandler earned opposition from a staunch supporter of capital punishment who said the circumstances merited a lesser sentence. The jury said the circumstances of the death included aggravating factors that justified the death penalty. But State Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr -- ordinarily a death penalty supporter -- said that was wrong, because Chandler didn’t kill for money.
Leading up to: Chandler was allowed visitors until 11 p.m. From then, he had until 1 a.m. to meet with a chaplain or spend time alone. At 1 a.m., the warden was to tell him to prepare to die.
Last words and such: Chandler made no final statement.
Factoids: Chandler was the...
58th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
943th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in North Carolina in 2004
34th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
FREDERICK PATRICK MCWILLIAMS
November 10, 2004
...no dessert in the catacombs of justice...
Last Meal: For his final meal, McWilliams requested six fried chicken breasts with ketchup, french fries, six layer lasagna (ground chicken, beef, cheese, minced tomatoes, noodles and sauteed onions), six egg rolls, shrimp fried rice and soy sauce, six chimichangas with melted cheese and salsa, six slices of turkey with liver and gizzard dressing, dirty rice, cranberry sauce and six lemonades with extra sugar.
The skinny: McWilliams was executed for the fatal shooting of a man during a car theft.
More skinny: McWilliams and friends Kenneth Adams and Richard Hawkins were driving around Houston looking for a car to steal for use in robberies when they happened upon the victim asleep inside his parked car.
Shaking him from his sleep, McWilliams and his accomplices attempted to put the victim in the trunk of his car. When he resisted, McWilliams shot him once in the head at point-blank range.
The killing occurred in the middle of a crime spree by McWilliams and accomplices in Waller and Harris counties. A week later, Adams was stopped for speeding. A search of the car yielded several firearms, one of which was identified as the gun that killed the man. During questioning by investigating officers, Adams confessed and implicated McWilliams. After being arrested, McWilliams at first tried to put the blame on Adams, then admitted to shooting the victim. Adams received a life sentence.
Dreams dashed: McWilliams, was a former warehouse worker whose hopes for a career as an architect were derailed by armed robbery convictions, was on probation when he was arrested for the beating and shooting of the victim.
Leading up to..."Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could take that whole day back," said McWilliams, whose middle name is Patrick and is known on death row as "Freddie P." Three of his upper front teeth were capped in gold with the initials P, E and E engraved in gothic letters. PEE.
Last words and such: "Well, here we are again folks in the catacombs of justice." He said there was much he wanted to say but "not a whole to say." "There are people that will be mad thinking I try to seek freedom from this, but as long as I see, freedom belongs to me and I'll keep on keeping on. The shackles and chains that just might hold my body can't hold my mind, but will kill me otherwise." Addressing his mother and family members who attended, McWilliams said, ""I leave my love here. I am never going to stop loving you. My love is going to stay here."
Factoids: McWilliams was the....
57th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
942nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
22nd murderer executed in Texas in 2004
335th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DEMARCO MARKEITH MCCULLUM
November 9, 2004
...these Friday Night Lights have been turned off...
Last Meal: A big cheeseburger, lots of french fries, apple pie, three Cokes and five mint sticks.
The skinny: McCullum, 30, was executed for the abduction, robbery, beating and fatal shooting of a Houston man.
McCullum was arrested the day in he was supposed to leave for Tyler Junior College, where he had an athletic scholarship to play quarterback.
However, authorities linked him and several football-player companions to a series of robberies and assaults around Houston, culminating in the slaying of the 29-year-old victim.
More skinny: Friendly and sociable, McCullum was voted "Mr. Aldine" by his high school classmates.
McCullum, who was 19 when he was arrested, blamed his actions on a lack of maturity. "I wasn't one of those that had goals," he said recently from death row. "I was one of those that whatever the wind was blowing."
Prosecutors said the victim, who had moved to Houston from Toledo, Ohio, was approached by McCullum, who needed money to buy clothes for school, and three of his buddies outside a Houston gay club. Authorities believed the four were looking for easy money and figured a homosexual made a good target. McCullum disputed that, "That wasn't the case at all," he said. "This guy approached us. The dude was drunk and high."
The man was beaten and taken away in his own car, was forced to withdraw $400 from an automated bank machine, then was shot in the back of the head. His body was dumped miles from where he was abducted, and the car was abandoned and torched three blocks from where one of his attackers lived.
Also arrested were Terrance Perro, Decedrick Gainous and Christopher Lewis. Gainous, who also was to have played football with McCullum at Tyler Junior College, and Perro received life prison terms. Lewis testified against McCullum and got a 15-year sentence. He was recently paroled.
Last words and such: "I just wanted to say to all of those that have supported me over the years that I appreciate it and I love you. And I just want to tell my Mom that I love her and I will see her in heaven."
The victim's mother was among four witnesses to watch McCullum die, but he did not acknowledge her presence.
Factoids: McCullum was the...
56th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
941st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
21st murderer executed in Texas in 2004
334th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ROBERT MORROW
November 4, 2004
...the jury took 13 minutes to decide he should be put to death....
Last Meal: Morrow had a final meal request of ten pieces of crispy fried chicken (leg quarters), two double meat, double cheese burgers with sliced onions, pickles, tomatoes, mayo, ketchup, salt, pepper and lettuce, one small chef salad with chopped ham and thousand island dressing, one large order of french fries cooked with onions, five big buttermilk biscuits with butter, four jalapeno peppers, two sprites, two cokes, one pint of rocky road ice cream, one bowl of peach cobbler or apple pie.
The skinny: Morrow was executed for the fatal beating and slashing of a 21-year-old college student who was abducted while home in Texas on spring break.
More skinny: The victim, who months before her death had overcome a battle with thyroid cancer, was home from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas where she was working toward a degree in hotel management. She was taken from a car wash near her home and her body was found the next day in the Trinity River. Authorities determined she had suffered 42 injuries.
A witness told authorities he saw a man fitting Morrow's description lying on top of the girl in the passenger side of a car at the car wash. She didn't appear to be struggling and he dismissed the activity as nothing more than boyfriend and girlfriend, then saw them drive away in the direction of the river.
The car later was found abandoned. Morrow, who had previous convictions for burglary, weapons possession and larceny in South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas, was arrested nearly four months later walking near a crack house in Houston. A computer check revealed he was wanted for the slaying.
At his trial and in interviews with reporters, the 10th-grade dropout gave multiple stories about his case, including acknowledging involvement in her death, claiming a relationship with her and blaming someone else. Prosecutors called the girl a victim of a random crime and disputed some of Morrow's comments. "I caught him in several lies," said Mike Little, the Liberty County district attorney who prosecuted Morrow. "I think the jury saw through what he was saying very quickly."
After a 10-week trial, the jury took 13 minutes to decide he should be put to death.
Leading up to..."I wish it didn't happen, but I can't change it," Morrow said recently from death row. "When you do drugs, there's no telling what can happen. I did that night and it got out of hand."
Last words and such: Morrow addressed the parents of his victim by name and told them, "I would like to tell you that I am responsible, and I am sorry for what I did and the pain I caused." He expressed love to his friends and said he had been blessed that they stood by him. Morrow urged them to stay strong. "Set me free, warden. Father, accept me." As he waited for the lethal drugs to take effect, he turned again, looking through a window at his victim's relatives and added, "I do hope my death brings you all some closure." Then he blurted out, "I feel it" and gasped slightly three times.
The execution was delayed briefly as prison officials had difficulty finding suitable veins in the former drug user's arms. Instead they selected veins at the top of each hand for the needles.
No last-day appeals were filed to try to block the punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court two weeks ago refused to review his case.
Factoids: Morrow was the....
55th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
940th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
20th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
333rd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
LORENZO MORRIS
November 2, 2004
...Morris did not vote in Tuesday's presidential election...
Last Meal: Morris had a final meal request of fried chicken and fried fish, french bread, hot peppers, apple pie, butter pecan ice cream, two soft drinks, either Sprites or Big Reds and a pack of Camel cigarettes and matches. The request for the Camels was denied because the prison system is tobacco-free.
The skinny: Morris was executed for the stabbing and beating of a 70-year-old man.
More skinny: Morris attacked the man in his home, cutting his throat and bludgeoning him in the head with a hammer.
From the attack, the victim suffered severe head injuries and irreparable brain damage. He was in a coma when Morris was arrested in March 1991 for the unrelated shooting during a robbery.
In interviews with police, he told them about the attack on the man, but contended the victim first had come at him with the hammer. However, according to Morris’ girlfriend at the time, she and Morris were in Field’s home when she saw Morris sitting on top of Fields holding a knife in one hand and beating him with the other.
She heard Morris tell the victim that he was going to kill him and then asked him where he kept his money. The man remained in a vegetative state in a hospital and developed pneumonia and gangrene requiring amputation of a leg. He died the day after the operation.
Morris contended that the death was the result of hospital negligence, neither the jury nor the appeals courts were buying it as a defense. At the trial, two doctors testified for the prosecution that the beating was the underlying cause of his death. The medical examiner for Harris County ruled the death a homicide.
Priors: The former laborer already had arrests for assault, robbery, weapons and drug possession, and had served at least two prison terms when he was arrested for the stabbing.
When the victim died nine months after the attack, Morris wound up charged with capital murder, was convicted and condemned. He was already serving a life sentence for the robbery of a coin-operated laundry where the clerk was shot twice but survived.
In other news: A prison spokeswoman said Morris did not vote in Tuesday's presidential election because Texas law forbids jailed felons from casting a ballot.
Last words and such: Morris had asked that no last-day appeals be filed to try to block his scheduled execution.
Morris' attorney said his client made the request in order to spare his family any additional "despair or upset."
When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Morris replied, "No."
Factoids: Morris was the...
54th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
939th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
19th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
332nd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
october 2004
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DOMINIQUE GREEN
October 26, 2004
..."Legally, it doesn't mean anything.".....
Last Meal: No final meal request.
The skinny: Green was executed for killing a man in a convenience store parking lot while robbing him of $50.
Spree!: Green and three other men took part in a series of robberies in the Houston area over a period of several hours and continuing into the early morning hours of the following day.
After 6 a.m., the men ended up at a convenience store, where they confronted the victim in the store parking lot and demanded his money. When he refused, Green shot him with a Tech-9 semi-automatic gun, then took $50 from his wallet. Green and his accomplices split the proceeds of their robberies.
Three days later, Green was driving a vehicle stolen from a robbery victim and led Houston Police on a high speed chase for almost 50 miles until swerving off the road into a ditch. Green fled on foot, but was eventually arrested hiding in a nearby field. Others in the car were also arrested. A loaded Tech 9 semi-automatic gun, identified as the murder weapon, was found in the vehicle. Following arraignment, Green admitted to being present at the scene of the murder, but claimed that he was only a "lookout." At trial, nine victims identified Green as the person who robbed them during a 3-day crime spree.
Two companions, who like Green were black, testified against him at his trial and received lesser sentences for robbery. A fourth person at the scene, a white man, never was indicted, spurring complaints of racial bias. Harris County prosecutors said the case against the fourth person went to a grand jury, but the panel refused to indict.
Leading up to: Green was executed despite last-minute legal battles and pleas from relatives of the murder victim that Green's life be spared.
A U.S. District Judge had blocked Green's execution after his attorneys argued that boxes of improperly stored and catalogued evidence kept by the Houston Police Department crime lab and recently discovered could contain information relevant to the case. But the stay was later lifted by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant a stay. Harris County prosecutors have said all evidence in the case had been accounted for in Green's case.
His case has garnered the support of an unlikely array of people, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, who earlier this year traveled from South Africa to visit Green on death row.
More on the victim's family: In a rare face-to-face session in a Texas prison between a death row inmate and a relative of a murder victim, the victim's son met for 90 minutes Monday with the man convicted of killing his father. "Texas is going to put a righteous person to die like an animal, putting him on a table, strapping him up, putting those needles in his arms, putting him to sleep," the son said. "We're not dogs. We're human beings just like everybody else. He's a human being, just like me, just like you."
Roe Wilson, an assistant district attorney in Harris County who handles capital murder appeals. "Legally, it doesn't mean anything."
Last words and such: "There was a lot of people that got me to this point and I can't thank them all. But thank you for your love and support. They have allowed me to do a lot more than I could have on my own . . . . I have overcame a lot. I am not angry but I am disappointed that I was denied justice. But I am happy that I was afforded you all as family and friends. I love you all. Please just keep the struggle going . . . . I am just sorry and I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be. But I guess it only hurts for a little while. You are all my family. Please keep my memory alive."
Factoids: Green was the....
53rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
938th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
18th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
331st murderer executed in Texas since 1976
NORTH CAROLINA MEAL
CHARLES WESLEY ROACHE
October 22, 2004
...perhaps Lippard should not be driving...
Last Meal: A sirloin steak, popcorn shrimp, salad with bleu cheese dressing, a honeybun and vanilla Coke.
The skinny: Roache, 30, was executed for his part in a killing spree that claimed six lives.
More skinny: Roache and Chris Lippard were on the run from a 48 hour crime spree that included the killing of the first victim. Attempting to leave the state, Lippard drove their vehicle into a ditch, disabling it.
Roache and Lippard walked towards the nearest house in order to steal a car. This house was the home of an elderly couple. Lippard and Roache entered and held them at gunpoint. Roache then took guns from the house, bound the couple's hands with duct tape, then fled with Lippard in their 1986 Ford pickup truck. Driving away, Lippard overturned the truck.
Lippard returned to the house. Roache stayed behind to gather their items from the truck. Lippard then yelled for help and Roache saw Lippard fighting with a man, later determined to be the couple's son, Eddie. Roache shot him once in the chest with the shotgun. Roache then reloaded the gun and went to the house with Lippard. They were confronted by the dead man's wife. Roache broke open the door and shot her once in the face. Roache then followed their 14 year old daughter into the bathroom and shot her once in the side of the head. Lippard and Roache then went to the living room and shot both of the elderly couple in the head. Three generations of a family were eliminated without provocation and without mercy.
Roache was arrested later near the home, and immediately confessed to the murders. He later waived all appeals. Accomplice Lippard received a life sentence.
Priors: Roache was previously convicted and sentenced for Possession of Controlled Substance (1996), Breaking and Entering (1995), Larceny (1992), Breaking and Entering (1991), Larceny (1991), Breaking and Entering (1990), and misdemeanor assault and communicating threats.
A bad childhood: Witnesses testified during Roache's sentencing hearing about his family's long history of violence and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Roache's maternal grandmother died in front of her daughter in 1958 after her husband doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
Roache's mother once made him pet a litter of kittens and then watch as she killed them one by one. She set puppies on fire in a barrel and once told Roache that if he went to church something might happen to another of his dogs. The puppy was dead on the doorstep when he returned home. Three of Roache's teachers testified at his sentencing hearing that Roache was a quiet child who was teased about his stuttering and his last name. He abused alcohol and drugs, and was high and drunk during the slayings.
Last words and such: Visiting hours ended at 11 p.m. for Charles Wesley Roache. His last visitor was his mother.
Roache appeared calm and contrite at the end. He had instructed his lawyers to drop all the legal maneuvering that could have given him five more years to live. He embraced Christianity in prison and said he believed it was more important to offer survivors of his six victims certainty and peace rather than stretch his own life.
``I can only hope and pray the pain and hurt I caused you will be healed as I give my life as a key to forgiveness,'' Roache wrote in his final statement. ``May God's love shine on you.''
The procedure: In 1998, North Carolina made lethal injection its only method of execution. In preparation for the execution, the inmate is secured with lined ankle and wrist restraints to a gurney. Cardiac monitor leads and a stethoscope are attached. Two saline intravenous lines are started, one in each arm, and the inmate is covered with a sheet. The inmate is given the opportunity to speak and pray with the chaplain. The warden then gives the condemned an opportunity to record a final statement that will be made public. After the witnesses are in place, the inmate's gurney is taken into the chamber by correctional officers who draw the curtain and exit. Appropriately trained personnel then enter behind the curtain and connect the cardiac monitor leads, the injection devices and the stethoscope to the appropriate leads. The warden informs the witnesses that the execution is about to begin. He returns to the chamber and gives the order to proceed.
The lethal injection process involves the simultaneous slow pushing into two intravenous lines of chemicals contained in two separate sets of syringes. The syringes are prepared in advance and each contains only one drug. The first syringes contain no less than 3000 milligrams of sodium pentothal, an ultra short acting barbiturate that quickly puts the inmate to sleep. The second syringes contain saline to flush the IV line clean. The third syringes contain no less than 40 milligrams of pancuronium bromide (Pavulon), which is a chemical paralytic agent. The fourth syringes contain no less than 160 millequivalents of potassium chloride, which at this high dosage interrupts nerve impulses to the heart, causing it to stop beating. The fifth syringes contain saline to flush the IV lines clean.
After a flat line displays on the EKG monitor for five minutes, the warden pronounces the inmate dead and a physician certifies that death has occurred. The witnesses are escorted to the elevators and the body is released to the medical examiner. Factoids: Roache was the...
52nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
937th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in North Carolina in 2004
33rd murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
RICKY EUGENE MORROW
October 20, 2004
...he was paroled 1 year before the murder of the victim...
Last Meal: A cheeseburger, French fries, onion rings and iced tea.
The skinny: Morrow, 53, was executed for the slaying of a savings and loan office worker during a robbery 22 years ago.
More skinny: Morrow and his girlfriend drove to the Metropolitan Savings and Loan in Dallas. Armed with a .38 caliber revolver and a .25 caliber automatic, Morrow entered the savings and loan and robbed the institution.
Thirty minutes later, they went to First Texas Savings, also in Dallas. Morrow approached one of the teller windows with one pistol aimed at the head of a bank employee and the other pistol aimed at a bank teller. Morrow ordered the teller to place all of her money inside a bank bag and she complied. After receiving the bag from the teller, Morrow fired a single shot into the head of the victim, another bank employee, who died instantly. The couple fled with $5,000 to a nearby hotel, where they were tracked by police officers and FBI agents, who surrounded the room. Morrow pushed his girlfriend from the room and she was arrested. When the officers asked Morrow to surrender, he threatened to kill the officers. After an exchange of gunfire, Morrow surrendered.
Morrow, 53, acknowledged firing the shot that killed the 26-year-old victim. But the former welder, who carried a gun in each hand during the $5,500 holdup in 1982, said he shouldn't have been sentenced to death because the shooting was an accident.
Morrow testified at his trial. "It was something I never ever intended would happen." Morrow said that day he'd consumed a bottle of vodka and also had taken cocaine and heroin, with the combination leaving him irrational and paranoid.
Love: Morrow later married his girlfriend in crime. Priors: Morrow was previously convicted Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Robbery, Burglary, Theft, and Possession of a Dangerous Drug and was sentenced to 25 years. He was paroled after five years in 1975. He was again convicted of Aggravated Robbery in 1976 and again sentenced to 25 years. He was paroled in 1981, 1 year before the murder of the victim.
Last words and such: "I am so sorry you are going through what you are now," he told three sisters who watched from a few feet away. "But we are both headed to a better place." He listed a number of people by their first names and said he loved them all. Addressing his sisters again, he said, "Thank you for having been there for me - and our father and mother. Give them a hug and give them my love." As the drugs began taking effect, he sputtered and gasped several times.
Factoids: Morrow was the...
51st murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
936th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
17th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
330th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
OHIO LAST MEAL
ADREMY DENNIS
October 13, 2004
...not exactly a picture of remorse, plus, pie, pie, pie...
Last Meal: Fried catfish, lasagna with meat sauce, garlic bread, sweet potato pie, pecan pie and pumpkin pie, all with whipped cream, as well as vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
With no hope in sight to ward off his death, Dennis joyfully munched on pie and ice cream as he watched Jerry Springer from Ohio's death house.
Last week, Dennis promised would be last meal would be``outrageous'' during a media interview. He refused any vegetables.
The skinny: Dennis was executed for committing murder during a $15 robbery.
More skinny: In the early morning hours, Dennis and a Leroy Anderson decided to go to a bar and "meet some chicks." Anderson spoke of "robbing somebody," and the pair armed themselves with weapons: Dennis with a sawed-off shotgun and Anderson with a .25 caliber handgun. The pair had a few drinks and walking from the bar unsuccessfully attempted to rob a man they encountered. Minutes later, the two confronted the 29 year old victim outside his home talking to a friend. When they demanded money, the friend inside the car slowly handed over his wallet with $15 in it. The victim, outside the car, searched through his pockets and told Dennis that he had no money with him. Dennis then pulled out the sawed-off shotgun and shot the man in the head at point-blank range. He died instantly.
From death row and in front the parole board: Dennis told an Ohio Parole Board member that he regretted the robbery brought so little cash and that he allowed any witnesses to survive.
Dennis had said the victim was partly to blame for failing to cooperate and notice that he was high on drugs. "I ain't saying it's all his fault, but why did he move? Every day I think about that. It ain't 'Why did you kill that man?' It's 'Why did you move?'"
''(The victim) had to know I was drunk. I know he could smell it on my breath, smell the weed lingering on my clothes,'' Dennis said.
Dennis' accomplice, Anderson, was 17 at the time of the crime and Ohio law prohibits the death penalty for those younger than 18. He is serving a life sentence.
Last words and such: "I'm in God's hands now. Everything's going to be just the way it was intended. I'll see everybody when they get there."
Factoids: Dennis was the...
50th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
935th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
7th murderer executed in Ohio in 2004
15th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
At age 28, Dennis was the youngest inmate put to death in Ohio since 1962.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DONALD LOREN ALDRICH
October 12, 2004
...Sundown for Sundance...
Last Meal: Chef salad with French/Ranch dressing, fried chicken breasts and legs, french fries, a cheeseburger, chocolate cake, deviled eggs, and biscuits with gravy.
The Skinny: Aldrich was executed for the abduction of a homosexual East Texas man who wound up victim of a gay-bashing murder.
More skinny: Aldrich was a member of what became known as the "CB gang," so named because the members first became acquainted over CB radios.
For months the gang in which Aldrich was known as "Sundance" preyed on homosexuals in the Tyler area. One evening they decided to go "queer-bashing," using procedures similar to those they had employed at least twice in the past to rob and assault homosexuals.
They drove to Bergfeld Park, a homosexual meeting spot in Tyler, Texas, where they robbed the victim at gunpoint. After robbing the man of his money and vehicle, they forced him into their automobile and drove to a remote area. They then forced the victim to strip, walk up a hill, where Aldrich and another one of the assailants shot him at least nine times with two .357 handguns.
Aldrich fired at least three shots into the victim. In a videotaped confession to police, Aldrich, considered leader of the cadre, said he didn't like homosexuals because at age 9 he had been raped by a gay cousin. One accomplice was convicted and executed in 2003. Another, who was 17 at the time, was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery and received a life prison term.
On a Danish Internet site devoted to condemned prisoners, Aldrich, an Oklahoma native who worked as a baker, acknowledged he was "part of a crime that ended in the death of a young man, but did not play a part in his death."
Priors: Alrich was previously convicted of Burglary and Robbery and was on parole at the time of the murders.
Last words and such: "To the West family, I would just like to apologize for your loss. I hope that you can forgive me. To my family and loved ones and friends, I thank all of you for your support, and I'm sorry for the pain and hurt I caused you. All right warden."
Factoids: Aldrich was the...
49th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
934nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
16th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
329th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
SAMMY CRYSTAL PERKINS
October 8, 2004
...these are the ones that keep you up at night....
Last Meal: Two fried chicken breasts, two fried chicken wings, sweet potato pie, a large order of French fries from McDonald's, a 20 ounce Coke and a cup of ice.
The skinny: Perkins was executed for the 1992 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl.
More skinny: Perkins was living with his mother in Greenville, and went to the home of a woman he had been dating. She lived in the house with her two children and four grandchildren, one of whom was the 7 year old victim.
At approximately 3:00 am, Perkins entered the woman’s bedroom, where she and her two grandchildren were sleeping. Perkins watched a pornographic video and then tried to have sex with the woman. She ordered Perkins out of the house. The woman then went to sleep.
She awoke at around 9:00 am, and while the family was preparing to go to church for Easter services, the woman discovered that the girl was dead.
The evidence tended to show that sometime early that morning, Perkins had mounted the victim, held a pillow over her face, and had sex with her. At trial, Perkins testified that he had been drinking and smoking crack cocaine. He stated that the girl awoke while he was having sex with her grandmother. He put a pillow over her face so that she would not see them. He said that he administered CPR, which he thought was successful in resuscitating her.
Priors: Perkins admitted that he had a prior conviction for attempted rape in 1981 and was released from prison in 1986. He also had prior convictions for possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin and cocaine in 1988 and 1989.
Last words and such: "I would like to say I love my mother, all my brothers and sisters and all my children. I'll see ya'll on the other side."
Factoids: Perkins was the...
48th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
933rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in North Carolina in 2004
32nd murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
PETER J. MINIEL
October 6, 2004
..."Left Behind"...
Last Meal: 20 beef tacos, 20 beef enchiladas, two double cheeseburgers, a pizza with jalapenos, fried chicken, spaghetti with salt, half of a chocolate cake and half of a vanilla cake, cookies and cream ice cream, carmel pecan fudge ice cream, a small fruit cake, two Coca-Colas, two Pepsi-Colas, two root beers and two orange juices.
The skinny: Miniel, 42, was executed for the beating and stabbing death of a Houston man, 18 years ago.
Miniel has confessed to the crime, in which he and a co-defendant attacked the victim, striking him in the head with a heavy glass beer mug, stabbing him 39 times in the neck and back and beating him about the head with an automobile shock absorber. The two made off after the murder with a stereo system and $20. They then went to eat at a Burger King.
Miniel had welcomed the execution and asked his attorney to file no more appeals. "I'm ready for them to get me," Miniel said in a recent interview. "I'm ready to pay the price."
Miniel pleaded not guilty at his 1988 trial, while his partner pleaded guilty and testified against him in exchange for a 50-year sentence. The jury convicted Miniel of murder after five minutes' deliberation. Miniel has told Texas newspapers in recent weeks that he lied at his trial and is guilty of the murder.
Leading up to...In the weeks leading up to his execution, Miniel completed the Christian book series "Left Behind." He asked that the state take care of his body after his execution, as not to burden his family.
Last words and such: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commence my spirit. Amen. I'm ready." As the drugs began taking effect, he said he felt a burning sensation.
Factoids: Miniel was the...
47th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
932nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
15th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
328th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
EDWARD GREEN III
OCTOBER 5, 2004
...Peanut...
Last Meal: Two chicken fried steaks, fried chicken strips, fried shrimp, curly fries, a half-gallon of grape juice, a pint of carmel pecan fudge, ketchup and a pack of bubble gum.
The skinny: Green, 30, was executed for killing an elderly Houston couple in a 1992 robbery.
The execution came after a last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court failed and just days after lawmakers proposed a halt in executions in the area owing to problems with the examination of evidence by the Houston Police Department.
Harris County, of which Houston is the greater part, sentences more people to death than any other county in the United States. It currently has 162 inmates on Texas death row. At least one person has been freed and 40 other convictions are under scrutiny because of the police department's poor work. The late appeal delayed Green's execution for two hours.
More skinny: Green, known on the street as "Peanut," said he was high after smoking marijuana and embalming fluid when he and a friend confronted a car that had pulled up to a stop sign. Green spotted the couple in a car at a Houston street intersection and decided to rob them because they looked as if they had money. Green pointed a .357 revolver at the man, who was driving, and demanded he get out the vehicle. When the man laughed and attempted to shift the car into reverse, Green fired three shots, hitting him in the head and chest and the woman in an arm and the abdomen.
Green was later arrested for an unrelated crime and after a Crimestoppers tip, was interviewed by police about the murder. After initially denying involvement, Green gave a complete confession.
Green was no stranger to authorities. He had been expelled from school, wound up at a juvenile camp after a rape accusation and was tied to numerous car thefts.
Final words and such: "To the ..... families, I do not come here with the intention to make myself out to be a person I am not. I never claimed to be the best person. I'm not the best father, I'm not the best son or the best friend in the world. To my family and to you people, I can only apologize for the pain I have caused you. May God forgive us on this day. I'm ready when you are."
Green's mother sobbed uncontrollably as she watched her son die. She collapsed and had to be assisted from the room. A second witness was placed in a wheelchair briefly.
Outside the red-brick walls of the Huntsville prison, about 50 anti-death penalty activists held signs decrying Green's execution. One man, David Atwood, of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said he was starting a bread-and-water fast to protest the upcoming series of executions.
A DME.COM FIRST...Green and a corrections officer became romantically involved and had a daughter, now 5. The woman resigned rather than be fired, and she married Green by proxy.
Factoids: Green was the....
46th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
931st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
14th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
327th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
POETRY BY EDWARD GREEN III WHO AM I ?........
Sometimes I try too hard
thinking that competing with self will reward
my heart with the foundation of knowledge
that only the depths of my soul can acknowledge.
This is why my determination decision
seems to appear more and more like a mission
allowing my growth and development to be something scholastic
while the balance of my life is man made, afraid and drastic,
There is no one but myself to blame
because throughout all the pleasures, I've searched for the pain.
that can bring me gravely closer to only knowing myself
while others wish to know nothing about me...but the means for my death.
september, 2004
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
DAVID KEVIN HOCKER
September 30, 2004
...dumping bodies in Headland...
Last Meal: Hooker requested a last meal of frankfurters, french fries, American cheese, mustard and chocolate cake with chocolate icing, but he refused to eat when the meal was presented to him.
The skinny: Hocker, 33, was put to death for the 1998 stabbing death of his boss. He refused to file appeals of his conviction, saying he was guilty and wanted to die for his crime.
More skinny: Hocker was living in a motel and did not have a car, and asked his boss to drive him to run an errand. Hocker stabbed and beat the man to death with a knife and dumped the body. He used the victim's bank card to get cash to purchase $400 worth of crack cocaine and later turned himself in at the Mobile County Sheriff's Department. Following the arrest, Hocker led investigators to the body in a wooded area in Headland.
Death row convert: Hocker's sister said that her brother was looking forward to dying. She said he had adopted a form of Christianity that's led him to believe he'll be a leader in the afterlife. She said this belief led her brother to castrate himself in his death-row cell to control sexual urges.
Leading up to...Hocker left his mother and stepfather assorted food items and a check for 87 cents, the amount of money he had left in an account prisoners use to buy snacks and other items. Hocker also gave a radio and headset and food items to death row inmate Rayford Hagood.
Last words and such: <>"I swear by you, Lord Jesus Christ my savior that my time should be no longer. The mystery of life shall be finished. Amen," Hocker said when Holman prison warden Grantt Culliver asked if he had any final words.
Aftermath: Hocker's mother did not talk to reporters after the execution, but released a statement saying her son had found peace on death row after a troubled life of mental problems and drug abuse. "Once Kevin started reading the Bible his anger just disappeared. He became positive about his life."
Factoids: Hocker was the sixth Alabama inmate executed since the state switched its primary method of execution from the electric chair to lethal injection in 2002.
Hocker was the....
45th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
930th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Alabama in 2004
30th murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ANDREW PEREZ FLORES
September 21, 2004
Showtime is over...
Last Meal: four BBQ Beef Ribs, a Beef steak, skinless mashed potatoes, pinto beans, ten flour tortillas, two Big Red sodas, three Orange sodas, a pint of vanilla ice cream, two chalupas, three tamales, salad with Thousand Island dressing, a BBQ chicken, a fried chicken, beef fajitas and chicken fajitas.
The skinny: Flores was executed for murdering a convenience store clerk during a 1993 robbery.
More skinny: Flores, known as "Showtime" on the street, led a San Antonio street gang that recruited fourth-graders to fight and steal for him. Along with accomplice, Flores entered a Stop-N-Go convenience store, and pointed a handgun at the victim demanding money. After the victim stuffed the money from the cash drawer into a plastic grocery sack, Flores then demanded the keys to his car. The victim begged Flores not to take his car, but Flores responded by reaching over the counter and shooting the man in the head with a handgun as he was kneeling on the floor.
Flores and his partner quickly left the store, but Flores returned moments later, walked behind the counter where the victim lay bleeding, and searched his pockets for car keys. Flores took the wrong keys and they could not start the car, instead fleeing on foot with $44 cash.
A surveillance-camera captured the robbery and murder in its entirety. Both were recognized after the tape was aired on television. They were arrested within hours of the shooting. "I do remember when police caught up with him, he was trying to leave town and changed the color of his hair and was in the process of packing bags," Mike Cohen, the Bexar County assistant district attorney who prosecuted the capital murder case.
Flores confessed to the crime. and gave to authorities cash taken in the robbery and the .22-caliber handgun used in the slaying. He later pled guilty to capital murder at trial.
His accomplice was also convicted of capital murder for being the lookout during the robbery and received a life prison term.
DME ADVICE: Parents, never, ever, ever, let your kids work as a conveniece store clerk. Look back at our archives. On that note: videotape by the security camera showed the victim as he lay dying, trying in vain to move and respond each time an unaware customer would enter the store and look for the seemingly absent store clerk.
Last words and such: "Today I go home to the Lord. But first I have to say something. I am real sorry. I took a family member's life and I shouldn't have. I hope that you can move on. I'm just sorry. I can't bring anyone back. I would if I could. I won't ask for your forgiveness. God will be my judge." Flores then turned and expressed his love to his friends and relatives, including his sobbing mother and sister. "Be strong and I will see you all, hopefully not soon. Keep your head up."
Factoids: At least 11 other have execution dates in Texas for later this year, including five next month.
Flores was the....
44th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
929th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
13th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
326th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
VIRGINIA LAST MEAL
JAMES EDWARD REID
September 9, 2004
...scissor sister...
Last Meal: Mr. Reid has no final special meal request.
The skinny: Reid was executed for killing an elderly woman with a metal can and a pair of scissors in a drunken attack. The woman was stabbed 22 times with the scissors and struck in the head with a can of condensed milk. Reid went to the home to do some handyman work.
Reid, an alcoholic, was seen leaving the area of the woman's home with blood on his jacket. A witness said he smelled like a "brewery." He was convicted in 1997 of capital murder, attempted rape and attempted robbery.
More skinny: According to court records, Reid was in an automobile accident in 1968 and suffered a serious head injury. He was in a coma for at least five days. Afterward he suffered from a seizure disorder. In addition to the brain injury and seizures, Reid was also affected by alcoholism, noted an opinion from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Reid was a spree drinker who drank to excess once a month when he received his disability check.
About the victim: "She was feisty." Though elderly, she sometimes cut her own firewood. She went to church every Sunday, never married and had lived all her life in the house in which she died.
Last words and such: "I forgive you for what you are doing, but I don't forgive you for what you think or what you feel or what you say or what you do," Reid said when asked if he had a final statement. "I forgive you because God has forgiven me."
The intravenous line carrying the lethal dose of drugs was placed in Reid's upper groin because veins in his arms, where IV lines are usually placed, apparently had deteriorated from years of drinking.
It took medical technicians 12 minutes, three times longer than usual, to place the IV lines.
Factoids: Only Texas, with 325 executions, has put more people to death than Virginia since 1976.
Reid was the....
43rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
928th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Virginia in 2004
94th murderer executed in Virginia since 1976
august, 2004
TEXAS LAST MEAL
JAMES VERNON ALLRIDGE
August 26, 2004
...OR...
Last Meal: For his final meal, Allridge requested a double-meat bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and salad dressing. He also asked for shoestring OR crinkle-cut French fries with ketchup and banana pudding OR banana pudding ice cream and watermelon OR white seedless grapes.
The skinny: James Allridge, whose case attracted attention of celebrity capital punishment opponents, was executed for killing a Fort Worth convenience store clerk 19 years ago.
More skinny: Allridge and his older brother, Ronald Allridge, left their apartment to rob a convenience store in East Fort Worth. Allridge and his brother drove to a Circle K store where James Allridge used to be an employee of the store.
Ronald dropped his younger brother off at the store and drove around the corner to wait for him. The victim, a store clerk, had locked the doors to the convenience store since it was closed for the night. Allridge approached the front door and requested change to make a telephone call.
Because he had worked with Allridge at the store, the victim made change for Allridge, who left the store after pretending to use the telephone. After getting back to the car around the corner from the store, Ronald accused his younger brother of “chickening out.”
Allridge decided to go back to the store. The clerk again opened the doors for Allridge. When he did, Allridge pointed his pistol at the attendant and forced his way into the store. Once inside, Allridge took the man to the storeroom, tied his hands behind his back, and proceeded to empty the cash register and safe of $300. He went back to the storeroom, and finding that the man had moved, forced him to his knees and shot him twice in the back of the head, execution style.
Crime SPREE! Allridge committed seven other aggravated robberies after the robbery and murder. He was involved in the robbery-murder at a Whataburger in Fort Worth, wherein his older brother Ronald received the death penalty. (Executed in 1995)
The birth of the murderabilia law... While on death row, James Allridge made art prints and greeting cards. He sold the items, many of which depicted flowers, on an internet web site set up and operated by sympathizers. According to the web site, proceeds went into Allridge's legal defense fund.
In 2001, the state legislature passed a "murderabilia" law, which was intended to prohibit convicts from profiting from the sale of items in connection with their inmate status. In July 2003, Allridge's web site received international media attention when actress Susan Sarandon, who had been pen pals with Allridge for 8 years, visited him on death row. Andy Kahan, a crime victims' advocate who was a driving force behind the 2001 law, filed a formal complaint with TDCJ and with the Polk county district attorney's office, asking them to shut down Allridge's site. At the time of Allridge's execution, the request was still under investigation.
Hollywood loves the murderers....The previous month, Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon visited with Allridge for two hours. She would not comment except to say she was trying to maintain "a low profile." But in response to the reaction of the victim's family to her visit, she released a written statement Thursday. "My heart and prayers go out to the Clendennen family. They have suffered a terrible loss, one that I would not presume to know. I hope they have found a way towards healing from the senseless murder of Brian Clendennen. My friendship with James Allridge in no way diminishes my feelings of sympathy for the Clendennen family. It merely reflects the fact that James Allridge is a human being and is more than the worst act that he has ever committed," the statement said.
For 17 years, Shane Clendennen has waited for justice after his brother's killer was sent to death row. When James Vernon Allridge III was finally been assigned an execution date on Aug. 26, Clendennen cannot understand why Susan Sarandon made a special trip to death row to visit Allridge. Death penalty opponents say she wants his sentence commuted to life. "How would she feel if someone tied up her child and shot him in the back of the head, then she had to watch him on life support for three days until he died?" asked Clendennen, 34, a machinist from Fort Worth. "She should not have a voice in this unless she has gone through that kind of pain and loss."
Last words and such: Allridge thanked his family and friends for loving him and expressed remorse. "I am sorry. I really am. You, Brian's sister, thanks for your love. It meant a lot. Shane, I hope he finds peace. I am sorry I destroyed you all's life. Thank you for forgiving me. To the moon and back. I love you all. I leave you all as I came - in love."
Sister Helen Prejean, the New Orleans-based nun of "Dead Man Walking" fame, was among the people who witnessed the execution. She whispered a brief prayer after Allridge slipped into unconsciousness and comforted Allridge's relatives.
Factoids: During 17 years on death row, Allridge earned a college degree.
Two other sets of brothers have received lethal injection in Texas, which by far leads the nation in carrying out the death penalty. Prison records show four pairs of brothers were put to death in the 1920s and 1930s, when the electric chair was the method of punishment.
Allridge was the....
42nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
927th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
12th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
325th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
WINDEL RAY WORKMAN
August 26, 2004
...it's the kid killers that really stay with us....
Last Meal: Workman's last meal was a barbecue meat plate and unsweetened iced tea.
The skinny: Windel Ray Workman, 46, was executed nearly two decades after he beat a 2-year-old to death.
Workman long maintained his innocence and claimed the bruises were caused by the girl's falls from her bed and in the bathtub. Later, he claimed that her mom or grandmother were at fault.
Testimony, including Workman's, indicated he had sole custody of the girl during the time her injuries occurred. Court records show he had a history of abusing the child.
Workman had said the girl's head trauma, body bruising and internal bleeding were caused by accidental falls, rough playing and a hard spanking.
More skinny: The two year old was the daughter of Workman's live-in girlfriend. She was brought to a emergency room on January 10, 1987 and pronounced dead upon arrival. Hospital personnel observed numerous bruises on the face, chest, back and buttocks, and suspected child abuse.
Workman told police that the girl had fallen backwards out of bed the night before. He also admitted to spanking the child hard, leaving bruises on her body. He played "pitch" with her, in which he threw the girl up in the air and caught her.
Expert testimony, however, unanimously concluded that her injuries could not have resulted from these activities alone and she was not a child who bruised easily. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
Final words and such: Workman's final words included thanks to his attorneys.
"Steve (Presson), Robert (Jackson) -- thanks for everything you've done," he said. "I appreciate it. Keep up the good fight. You understand what I'm saying? OK. Lets go."
As he was injected with a lethal mix of drugs, Workman's eyes twitched and closed. He exhaled heavily through his mouth and snorted. Workman's torso heaved 19 times before he died.
Workman's last words were not the ones the victim's mother, wanted to hear. She was disappointed her former boyfriend did not show remorse or apologize.
"This isn't about Windel by any means," she said. "It's about my daughter." "It's just been a long time coming, and I really thought it would never come," she said.
Factoids: Workman in 1987 became the first person in Oklahoma County sentenced to die for child abuse.
More than 80 inmates are on Oklahoma's death row.
Before he was executed, other death row inmates banged their doors in rhythmic booms to show solidarity with Workman in a gesture they sometimes use before death sentences are carried out.
Workman was the....
41st murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
926th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
6th murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2004
75th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
JASEN BUSBY
August 25, 2004
..."he had sold his soul to the devil...
Last Meal: Busby requested fried chicken breasts, jalapenos, barbecue ribs, catfish with tartar sauce, a medium steak, french fries with ketchup, plain M&M's candy, cherries, strawberries, and a peach. He also had milk mixed with chocolate syrup.
The skinny: Busby, 28, was put to death by lethal injection for murdering two teen-agers while high on drugs in 1995 in a Jacksonville, Texas, mobile home. He also critically wounded another.
More skinny: Busby went to buy donuts for breakfast. When Busby returned, he was accompanied by Darrell Smith. Some members of the group, including Busby, took turns shooting an assault rifle outside the cabin and smoking marijuana. Around ten o’clock that night, Busby and Smith went outside the trailer. The male victim, who was still inside the trailer, heard them loading a gun, then was shot as he opened the door. Busby then shot two others. Busby took the man's wallet, car keys, and $15.00, then drove off in his truck with Smith.
The police took Busby and Smith into custody within an hour after an officer spotted the truck on the highway nearby. Busby had a clip of bullets in his pocket, and later admitted to the shootings. The male victim, who survived the shooting, testified that three days before the shootings Busby said that he had sold his soul to the devil.
Last words and such: In a final statement while strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, Busby thanked his family and spoke to one of the victim's parents.
"I want to tell everyone, my family, thanks for standing by me. I want to tell Mr. and Mrs. Gray and everyone that I didn't do what I did to hurt you all. I am sorry that I did what I did. I don't think you know the true reason for doing what I did, but Brandy and I had a suicide pact and I just didn't follow through with it. That did not come out in the trial. I am not trying to hurt you by telling you this. I am trying to tell you the truth. I want Cindy to know that I know she is out there - and Vicente Hernandez that I love them. Thank you for all you have done and I want to make sure you are all right. After saying that, Busby said he was ready and that he would "see you later." Busby remarked as the lethal drugs begin to flow, "Here it comes. I can feel it." He took a couple of breaths, closed his eyes and then slipped into unconsciousness.
Factoids: Busby was the...
40th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
925th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
11th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
324th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
French fries with lots of ketchup, tossed salad with French dressing, a cheeseburger with mayonnaise and tomato, Saltine crackers and apple pie. James Hudson, 57, was executed by for the shotgun slayings of three relatives in rural Virginia two years ago after a long feud over the maintenance of a shared driveway.
The dispute over the driveway began after Hudson's father sold a parcel of land to the victims. Hudson maintained the right to use a road that ran through the property to get to his home, but he frequently complained that they were not taking care of it.
Hudson was arrested after a 23-hour manhunt.
No legal machinations: Hudson pleaded guilty to the July 3, 2002 murders and refused to let his lawyers file any appeals on his behalf. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, there have been at least 105 such so-called "volunteers" executed since the US Supreme Court allowed executions to resume in 1976.
The day before: Hudson did not meet with any family members, clergy or his lawyers.
Last words and such: Hudson shuffled to the gurney with the help of two guards, who supported him under his arms. He was wearing a light blue button-down shirt and dark blue pants and brown slippers. His gray hair was neatly combed.
With 16 officials in the execution chamber, Hudson was placed on the gurney and immediately surrounded by six members of the Execution Team, who strapped him to the table. Two other members of the Execution Team watched Hudson intently as he was shackled to the table with leather straps binding both ankles, his thighs, chest, waist and wrists.
Asked if he had any last words, Hudson told Warden George Hinkle in a clear voice, "No sir." Hudson "seemed very calm, very quiet. He seemed pretty resigned to his fate."
Factoids: Hudson was the...
39th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
924th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Virginia in 2004
93rd murderer executed in Virginia since 1976
NEVADA LAST MEAL
TERRY DENNIS
August 12, 2004
..."I killed a gal in Reno, just to watch her die"...
Last Meal: Two cheeseburgers and a Coke
The skinny: Terry Dennis, 57, was put to death by lethal injection for the 1999 murder of a woman in Reno.
In March 1999, Terry Dennis met a 51 year old Russian immigrant, who assisted him in a drinking bout for several days in a Reno hotel. According to statements given by Dennis later to police, three weeks before, Dennis had fantasies of killing a woman. Then, during their drinking binge, the victim had questioned whether Dennis was able to kill anybody during his service in the Air Force in Vietnam and made fun of him for being unable to perform sexually. Dennis put a belt around her neck and started tightening it, strangling her while they were having sex.
He continued drinking vodka for several more days before calling police and reporting that he had a dead body in his room.
Dennis pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a three-judge panel ruled that his punishment should be death.
Dennis waived appeals and volunteered for execution.
The last day...Dennis visited with his brother for two hours Thursday morning. Dennis told him that he was sorry he "screwed up his life" - but wasn't remorseful about the murder.
Later, he declined to take a phone call from his second wife. He stayed in the "last night" cell across from the execution chamber, not posting any mail or making any phone calls. Dennis was offered and took a Valium at 4 p.m. and another at 7 p.m.
Last words and such: Dennis offered no final words and died quietly.
Dennis, who had chosen not to pursue appeals, could have stopped the execution at any point, but chose not to do so.
Factoids: Ten of the last 11 executions in Nevada have come when inmates have given up their appeals. Dennis told court officials at one hearing: "Death is preferable to another 15 to 20 years in prison."
There are 83 men and one woman on Nevada's death row, the longest being Edward Wilson who was sentenced in 1979 for the murder of a Reno police undercover agent.
Dennis was the....
38th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
923rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Nevada in 2004
11th murderer executed in Nevada since 1976
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
JAMES HUBBARD
August 5, 2004
...Pineapple slices with...mayonnaise?...
Last Meal: For his last meal, Hubbard asked for two eggs over medium, four pieces of bacon, fried green tomatoes, sliced red tomatoes, four slices of pineapple with mayonnaise, white bread, a banana, and a medium-sized V-8 juice.
The skinny: Hubbard, who spent 26 years and nearly two months on death row, was executed for the 1977 slaying of a 62-year-old Tuscaloosa store owner.
Hubbard maintained his innocence of the crime to the end.
Hubbard said he had been drinking whiskey with the victim and claimed she committed suicide, calling the police to report the shooting. She died as the result of three gunshot wounds, one to the face, one to the head, and one to the shoulder. A difficult accomplishment as a suicide.
Priors: His conviction happened within 20 years of a second-degree murder conviction in a 1957 death. He was released on the state's "good time incentive act" in 1976 and killed again the next year.
Last days: Hubbard spent his time reading and watching television. He didn't exercised outside, but he participated in a prison religious group.
At least 15 visitors came to see Hubbard in his last two days, including his daughter and his spiritual adviser.
Last words and such: Hubbard offered no last words.
Factoids: Hubbard became the oldest person ever to be executed by the state of Alabama and the oldest executed in the United States since 1976, the year the death penalty was reinstated.
Hubbard is the oldest person executed in the United States since 1941, when James Stephens of Colorado was executed at age 76.
Bill Hayes, a Florida-based capital punishment historian, said Hubbard will be the oldest by far in the current series of executions that date to 1976. He said 24 inmates in their 60s have been executed nationwide in that period.
Hayes said the oldest person executed in the 20th century was 83-year-old Joe Lee of Virginia in 1916, but Larry Traylor, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections in that state, said Lee's actual age was in dispute and he may have been 68. But there have been at least 16 others in their 70s and 80s executed, according to Hayes' research.
Arizona apparently has the nation's oldest inmate on death row - 88-year-old Viva Leroy Nash.
Hubbard was the....
37th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
922nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Alabama in 2004
29th murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
july, 2004
VIRGINIA LAST MEAL
MARK BAILEY
July 22, 2004
...Bailey and his wife were first cousins once removed....
Last Meal: Mr. Bailey requested his final meal not be made public.
The Skinny: Bailey, 34, was put to death for the slayings of his wife, who had dreams of being a paramedic and 2-year-old son.
Bailey awoke early the morning of Sept. 10, 1998 and shot his wife three times in the head with a borrowed .22 pistol as she slept in their Hampton home. He then twice shot their son as the toddler was climbing out of bed.
Before leaving for work, he washed the blood off his face, cut the screen of a bathroom window and slashed the telephone cord in an effort to convince police that an intruder committed the killings.
After failing a polygraph examination, Bailey confessed, later saying that he committed the crime because of his "wife's infidelity." He then wrote on a legal pad: "I Mark Bailey do hereby without coercsion [sic] admit to the murder of my wife and son."
The defense: Bailey, a Gulf War veteran and submariner in the Navy, claimed he suffered from manic depression and was severely depressed at the time of the slayings because his marriage was on the rocks. A clinical psychologist testified that Bailey also suffered from borderline personality disorder and that impulsive acts are a symptom of the illness.
Verdicts: The jury sentenced him to death for his son's murder and to life in prison for the shooting of his wife. The son's killing fell under a statute that mandates a capital murder charge when the victim is under 14 and the killer is 21 or older.
Last words and such: Asked by warden George Hinkle if he had any final words, Bailey said in a clear, strong voice, "No, thank you."
Outside: As he died, a group of people outside the prison played taps at Bailey's request. They also recited a prayer for men and women in the service.
Factoids: Bailey and his wife were first cousins once removed.
Bailey was the...
36th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
921st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Virginia in 2004
92nd murderer executed in Virginia since 1976
Only Texas has executed more with 323.
OHIO LAST MEAL
SCOTT MINK
July 20, 2004
...finished everything except the broccoli...
Last Meal: Mink's last "special" meal was a T-bone steak; baked potato with sour cream and butter; steamed broccoli and cauliflower; a hamburger with cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard; french fries with extra salt and Pepsi.
Mink finished everything except the broccoli.
On Tuesday morning, Mink smoked cigarettes and drank coffee but didn't eat.
The prison served him waffles, cereal, milk, coffee and apple juice.
The Skinny: Scott Mink, 40, was executed by lethal injection for the September 2000 murders of his parents.
When his parents hid the keys to his blue Isuzu Trooper to keep him from going out to buy drugs, Mink snapped. He got a claw hammer out of his father's toolbox on the porch and then walked into the bedroom of his sleeping parents.
The father and mother, 79 and 72, were bludgeoned with the hammer, stabbed with kitchen knives and beaten with cutting boards. The mother also was strangled, her neck broken with an electric cord.
Scott Mink then bought drugs by selling his parents' possessions, including pictures off the walls of the upstairs duplex where the three lived.
Four days later, Mink turned himself in to police and confessed to killing the couple.
More skinny: Mink never married and lived with his parents most of his life. Tired of their son's growing crack habit, the Minks had set a 10 p.m. curfew and sometimes hid the keys to his truck. Mink complained that his parents treated him like a child and that his father would only give him $10 or $20 at a time for spending money.
After the deed: After the attack on his parents, Mink found his keys.
He took $7 and his father's ATM card.
Mink withdrew $10 with the ATM card because there was only $12 in the account and bought a fake substance he thought was crack.
The next day Mink sold his father's Ford Escort for $50 to $100 worth of crack.
The day after that, he traded his parents' television for $30 in drugs.
He later sold a lounge chair, a clock and pictures off the wall for money to buy drugs.
No Trial: Mink waived a jury trial, plead guilty and waived his right to present any evidence on his behalf.
Thomas Martin, a court-appointed psychologist who evaluated Mink, said Mink told him he did not fear death. "I have a firm belief that I still have a chance of getting into heaven; God can forgive," Mink said.
The day before: Mink sipped coffee and watched television. He was relaxing and talking with prison staff, a prison spokesman said. "He's pleasant, he seems comfortable, and he's in good spirits."
He slept soundly until he was awakened at 6:05 a.m. by prison staff. He declined to shower or eat breakfast, instead splashing his face with water and having coffee and a cigarette.
Last words and such: "I just thank you for giving me the chance to make a final statement," Mink told Warden James Haviland as he lay strapped to the execution table. "I have made peace with my family and God."
The execution of Mink, 40, was unusually lengthy because it took prison medical staff more than 20 minutes to install intravenous receptacles in Mink's veins. Tom Stickrath, assistant prisons director for Ohio, said Mink's veins were "brittle and they kept collapsing" as staff attempted to insert the shunts. Mink winked and gave his family, seated behind a glass window, a thumbs-up sign from the execution table.
Throughout the process, Mink closed his eyes, his legs crossed at the ankle. Stevens read Romans 8:38-39 from the Bible: "I am convinced that neither life, nor death ... will be able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus." He was reading from a book entitled, If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person.
His remains will be cremated and given to his family.
Factoids: Mink's execution--three years from when he was convicted--was the fastest an Ohio inmate's death sentence was carried out since the state re-enacted the death penalty in 1981.
Mink also would be the first inmate executed who pleaded guilty, and the first put to death for killing family members.
Mink was the sixth death-row inmate executed this year, putting Ohio behind only Texas in the number of executions in 2004. Texas has executed 10 inmates, and Oklahoma has executed five.
Ohio has 207 inmates on death row.
At the moment there are no more executions scheduled in Ohio this year.
Mink was the...
35th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
920th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
6th murderer executed in Ohio in 2004
14th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
GEORGIA LAST MEAL
EDDIE ALBERT CRAWFORD
July 19, 2004
...a bad man...
Last Meal: Crawford was served regular prison fare of barbecue pork, black-eyed peas, a vegetable medley, cole slaw, a roll, peach cobbler and a grape drink. He did not eat any of it.
The skinny: Crawford, 57, was executed for the 1983 kidnapping, raping and murdering his 2-year-old niece.
Crawford claims he blacked out after drinking and doesn't remember what happened.
Prosecutors argued at trial he sneaked into the house and kidnapped the girl after her mother--his sister-in-law--refused to have sex with him.
Legal machinations: Several defense attorneys lined up to appeal Crawford's case. They've been seeking DNA testing of two newly discovered hairs found on the girl's body and clothing to determine if they belong to Crawford or someone else.
Similar pleas caused the Georgia Supreme Court to delay Crawford's execution just three hours before he was originally scheduled to be killed last December.
State courts have ruled additional DNA testing inadmissible on four occasions because Crawford still would have been found guilty, said Spalding County District Attorney Bill McBroom.
The U.S. Supreme Court didn't stop the execution Monday, although three of the court's more liberal members supported giving Crawford a stay to conduct DNA testing of hairs found on the girl's body.
Crawford was linked to the crime by hair and carpet fibers found on the girl's body, eyewitness statements and conflicting accounts he gave to police.
Last words and such: In his final words, Crawford said, "There hasn't been a time in the last 21 years I wouldn't have laid down my life for little Leslie. I don't remember anything. But if this will give them peace, it [the lethal injection] was well worth it."
Factoids: Crawford was the....
34th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
919th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Georgia in 2004
36th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976
OHIO LAST MEAL
STEPHEN VRABEL
July 14, 2004
...the cost of an execution by lethal injection is $66.43...
Last (Special) Meal: Vrabel was allowed a specially ordered meal the evening before -- a BLT with extra mayonnaise, ham and cheese omelet with extra cheese, two hot dogs with mustard, pork and beans, potato salad, vanilla ice cream, chocolate pudding and six Cokes.
The skinny: Vrabel was executed for killing his wife and 3-year-old daughter. He stuffed the woman's body in their refrigerator and the little girl's in the freezer section and continued to live in the apartment for several weeks before leaving. He surrendered after the bodies were found by a family member.
Vrabel never said why he shot his wife. He said he shot their daughter - whom he described as a "perfect child" - in part because she was "freaking out" about her mother's death. After the shootings, Vrabel placed the girl's body in the freezer along with her favorite stuffed animals.
At the time of the killings, Vrabel was a year away from earning a bachelor's degree in social work at Youngstown State University.
Vrabel worked various jobs, including as a floor stripper, gas station attendant and jewelry salesman.
Vrabel, 47, had waived all appeals. Capital punishment opponents said he was a severe schizophrenic who spent four years in a psychiatric hospital after his arrest for the 1989 slayings.
Last day and such: Vrabel spent the last night of his life watching the American League rout the National League in the All-Star Game.
Last words and such: Vrabel walk 17 steps from his holding cell to the execution chamber. "I want to thank my sister for all the joy and happiness she has brought into [my daughter] life, and I want to apologize to anyone I may have wronged in my life," Vrabel said just before the lethal chemicals were pumped into his body.
Was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame closed? Busloads of death-penalty protesters, mostly students from other parts of the state, were expected at the prison.
Factoids: Vrabel was the second Ohio death row inmate since 1999 to drop his appeals to speed his execution.
With Vrabel's execution, Ohio quietly set a record with five so far this year, the most in a single year since the state resumed carrying out the death penalty in 1999. A sixth, also a "volunteer," is set for Tuesday.
A prison spokesman said the cost of an execution by lethal injection is $66.43.
Because Vrabel's execution is for a double murder, the victim's family was allowed six witnesses, double the number usually allowed.
Vrabel will be buried in a state-owned cemetery in Chillicothe.
Vrabel was the....
33rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
918th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Ohio in 2004
13th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
GEORGIA LAST MEAL
ROBERT KARL HICKS
July 1, 2004
...crescent rolls...
Last Meal: Hicks had a final meal of fish, shrimp, french fries, cole slaw, crescent rolls, chocolate cake, a vanilla milk shake and a Coke. He did not finish eating any of the items.
The skinny:Hicks, 47, was executed for slitting a woman's throat in 1985. Hicks stabbed the woman eight times with a pocket knife, slit her throat and left her partially nude body in a field.
The slaying took place nine months after he was released from prison on a rape conviction.
At trial, Hicks unsuccessfully pleaded insanity.
He later said that somebody else killed her.
Last words and such: A Department of Corrections spokeswoman said in the hours leading up to the execution, he was nervous and talkative but not combative.
In his final statement, Hicks apologized for everything he did. "I'm sorry for my part in all of this. I would like to apologise for everything I did. I’m sorry. God forgive me." His last words were “Come get me”, after a clergyman said a short prayer.
Factoids: Hicks was the...
32nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
917th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Georgia in 2004
35th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976
june, 2004
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DAVID RAY HARRIS
June 30, 2004
..."Let's roll"...
Last Meal: A double bacon burger with cheese, lettuce, onions, mayo and tomato, onion rings, french fries, one BBQ beef sandwich w/fries and cole slaw, 2 pieces of coffee cake, tea w/lemon, a pitcher of lemonade and two 1/2 pints of milk.
The skinny: Harris, an apprentice bricklayer, was executed for a 1985 shootout that killed a man after Harris tried to abduct the victim's girlfriend.
More skinny: Harris broke into the apartment of the victim and his girlfriend as they slept on Sept. 1 1985. He was armed with a .38 caliber revolver.
He locked the man in the bathroom and tried to get the girlfriend into his pick-up truck that was parked behind the complex. The man escaped from the bathroom and came out of the apartment. He confronted Harris with a gun and was killed in an exchange of gunfire.
The woman escaped unharmed. Harris was arrested four days later.
DOCUMENTARY STAR: Harris was perhaps best known for testimony later proven false that sent another man to death row. Randall Dale Adams was convicted of capital murder in the 1976 death of a Dallas police officer based partially on Harris' testimony that it was Adams who shot the officer. Harris, 16 at the time, was not charged in the crime and later recanted his testimony.
Adams, who had no previous criminal record, served 12 years in prison and came within three days of execution in 1979 before his sentence was commuted to life in prison.
The event was made into a movie called "The Thin Blue Line."
Last words and such: Harris, in his final statement, referred to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
He said, quote: "Sir, in honor of a true American hero: Let's roll."
"Let's Roll" were the last words a passenger aboard the doomed Flight 93 was heard saying over a cell phone before attacking the hijackers.
Harris added, quote: "Lord Jesus receive my spirit. I'm done, warden."
Factoids: The Death Penalty Information Center reports on its Web site that 36 of the 37 states with the death penalty use lethal injection. Texas became the first state to execute someone by injection in 1982.
Harris was the...
31st murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
916th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
10th murderer executed in Texas in 2004
323rd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
MARYLAND LAST MEAL
STEVEN OKEN
June 17, 2004
...The Maryland moratorium is now over...
Last Meal: Oken had regular prison fare of a chicken patty, with potatoes and gravy, green beans, marble cake, milk and fruit punch.
The skinny: Oken, 42, was put to death by lethal injection for the rape and murder of a newlywed. Oken sexually assaulted and killed three women -- two in Maryland, one in Maine -- in as many weeks in the fall of 1987.
More skinny: Oken was convicted in 1991 in the 1987 rape and murder of the victim, whom he attacked after tricking her into letting him into her apartment to use the phone. Two weeks later, he sexually assaulted and killed his wife's older sister, and fled to Maine, where he sexually assaulted and killed a college student and motel clerk.
Cliche' alert: Adopted at birth, Steven was raised in a Jewish family with a younger brother and sister.
Leading up: One day after being told he had another month to live, Oken was escorted from his cell in the high-security Supermax prison to the second floor of the old penitentiary. The heavyset 42-year-old with graying hair changed out of an orange jumpsuit into a tan one that had been laid out weeks before on a cot inside a cell at the old prison.
The final hours of Oken's life were spent in a gray cell with a large window -- a space much bigger than the death-row cell in which he has lived since 1991. A blanket had been hung over part of a hallway to discourage correctional employees and others from staring at Oken.
A thick red-painted line kept Oken's final visitors about three feet back from the cell. No one, including his family, was allowed to get any closer than that.
Final words and such: After a furious legal battle that ended only in his final hour, Oken wrote a letter expressing remorse. Oken's attorney, Fred Warren Bennett said, "He talked about how sorry he was. It was sent to show remorse."
His legal team has filed appeal after appeal over the years. But witnesses said he was anything but combative.
There was a significant amount of chuckling and chattering going on between Mr. Oken and the Roman Catholic priest.
Oken had no final words.
Dueling crowds outside the prison: Maryland's execution of Oken brought chants of "justice has been served" from a crowd of 60 people gathered with relatives of murder victim outside the old state penitentiary on East Madison Street in Baltimore.
As the hearse containing Oken's remains pulled away at 10:25 p.m., the crowd chanted "na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye."
Down the street, many of the 40 death penalty opponents assembled cried when they learned that Oken had been put to death. Those who were carrying lighted candles blew them out.
"Tonight the state extinguished a life, but it ignited a flame in each of us. I want you to walk away from this event tonight stronger," said Sedira Banan, 19, of the American University Campaign to End the Death Penalty. This was no word if college student Ms. Banan was also a motel clerk. (See Victim 3 above)
Factoids: Oken was the...
30th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
915th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Maryland in 2004
4th murderer executed in Maryland since 1976
OHIO LAST MEAL
WILLIAM ZUERN
June 8, 2004
..."He has gone as far as putting toilet paper in his ears."...
Last Meal: The evening before, Zuern had a special meal of lasagna, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn with hot sauce, garlic bread, macaroni and cheese, chocolate milk and cherry cheesecake.
The next morning he ate four pancakes, cereal, orange juice and milk for breakfast.
The Skinny: Zuern was executed for the fatal stabbing a corrections officer 20 years ago. Acting on a tip, the officer and 3 other jailers went to Zuern's cell to check it for weapons. They found Zuern standing in his cell, naked. When the cell door swung open, Zuern lunged at the officer and stabbed him in the chest with a sharpened bucket hook. The shank pierced three holes in the man's heart.
The Lead-up: Shortly after arriving at the maximum-security prison in Lucasville on Monday from death row at the prison in Mansfield, he asked for the Bible to be removed from his holding cell. It was.
He was offered a shower, but declined. He refused to communicate with the preparation team. The team, designed to answer the condemned's questions and take care of physical needs, said Zuern took extreme measures to avoid them. "He has gone as far as putting toilet paper in his ears," a spokeswoman said this morning. He has also turned his back to the counselors, turned his face to the wall and stared at the ceiling, she said.
At Zuern's request, his last effects will be destroyed: five books, a radio, a typewriter, a fan, envelopes, toiletries, hot sauce, cocoa butter and garlic butter.
Final words and such: The condemned was dressed in a prison-issued white shirt, blue pants with red stripes running down each side, and white socks. He wore his own brown hiking boots. His head was shaven, and he wore a thick beard without a moustache.
The warden picked up a microphone and asked, "Mr. Zuern, do you have any last statement you would like to make?" "Nope," was Zuern's terse reply as he stared at the ceiling.
Aftermath: After Zuern was pronounced dead, witnesses were led back through a courtyard where a black Cadillac hearse awaited. Zuern was transported to a local funeral home and will be buried in a state-run cemetery adjacent to a prison. His family did not have the means to arrange a private burial. A prison minister will preside.
Factoids: There are now 208 inmates on death row in Ohio, including one woman.
Zuern was the...
28th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
913th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Ohio in 2004
12th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
ROBERT BRYAN
June 8, 2004
..."I'll be leaving here shortly..."...
Last Meal: 10 pieces of fried chicken, barbecue beans, cole slaw, potatoes and gravy, two biscuits and two liters of Dr Pepper.
The skinny: Bryan, 69, was executed for killing his aunt in 1993. Shortly before the murder, Bryan wrote agreements and promissory notes and filled out checks to withdraw money from his aunt's checking account. She signed some of the checks, and he forged her signature at least once on a promissory note for $1,800.
Legal Machinations: Bryan had hinged his last hopes to avoid execution on a claim that he did not understand why he was to be executed. However, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell found that Bryan did understand and was therefore eligible for execution - the same finding reached by the federal appeals court and the Supreme Court later in the day.
Last words and such: "I have been on death row for some time. I've made peace with my maker. I'll be leaving here shortly. I hope I'll see you on the other side. Until then, so long."
Factoids: Bryan was the...
29th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
914th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2004
74th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
may, 2004
SOUTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
JAMES NEIL TUCKER
May 28, 2004
...the ole "I only shot her a second time to put her out of her misery" story...
Last Meal: The condemned man ordered pizza, Mountain Dew and two bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.
The skinny: Tucker, the first inmate to die in the South Carolina electric chair in nearly 10 years, was executed for two murders committed during a brutal two-week crime spree in mid-1992.
The total amount of cash Tucker stole from the two murdered women--$34.
Tucker testified he shot the first victim when she tried to grab the gun. As he was leaving, he shot her again to "put her out of her misery."
Priors: Friday's execution ended a life of crime for Tucker. He was sent to an adult prison at 17 for raping an 8-year-old girl and an 83-year-old woman in Utah.
He escaped three times from prison while serving that sentence from 1974 to 1991. Last month, Tucker tried to escape from death row by threatening a guard with a safety razor blade melted into a toothbrush. He was recaptured minutes later.
Last words and such: Although a curtain blocked any view during the preparation period inside the electrocution chamber, the sound of a baritone voice singing a hymn could be heard coming from behind the curtain.
Associate Pastor Eddie Morris afterward said the song explained that the hymn was "Through It All," a melody stressing that God will be with the sinner during their darkest hour.
At exactly 6 p.m., that curtain opened to reveal Tucker wearing a bright green prison jumpsuit, strapped in the electric chair with two-inch wide leather belts.
Tucker's attorney, Teresa Norris of Columbia, read his final statement.
"To everyone, I have thought of a million things to say, but they can all be summed up like this. To those I have harmed, my abject apologies and regrets. I am ashamed.
"To those who must remain and deal with this insane world, my condolences. But be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the world! I know that my redeemer lives. I am leaving this world with a cheerful attitude. Hallelujah."
The inmate's mouth was then covered with a leather mask. Moments later, a leather hood was placed over his head.
Factoids: South Carolina allows inmates to choose lethal injection, but Tucker's lawyer said he felt if he made a choice about how he should die, he would be condoning his own death.
Tucker is the 247th inmate to die in South Carolina's electric chair, which was built in 1912. But he is only the second to be electrocuted since the state first offered lethal injection in 1995.
Tucker was the...
27th murderer executed in U.S. in 2004
912th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in South Carolina in 2004
32nd murderer executed in South Carolina since 1976
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