Tonight the State of Texas carried out its second execution of the year, putting Rickey Lynn Lewis to death for the 1990 murder of George Newman during a burglary at the victim’s house in Smith County. Lewis also was convicted of raping Newman’s fiancé. According to the Associated Press, “the U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to review Lewis’ case and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously voted against a clemency request.” No last-minute appeals were filed on his behalf.
Read the AP article as it appears in the Houston Chronicle.
There have been six executions nationwide to date in 2013, including two in Texas. Eleven executions are scheduled to take place between now and the end of July, including three more in April. The State of Texas has carried out 494 executions since 1982.