After nine hours of deliberation, a Tarrant County jury determined that mitigating factors warranted a sentence other than the death penalty for Gabriel Armandariz, who was convicted of killing his sons Luke, 6 months, and Gatlin, 2, in April 2011 in Graham, Texas. The trial was moved from Young County to Tarrant County. Armandariz was sentenced to Life […]
Life in prison without parole
Austin County Jurors Reject Death Penalty
On July 11, 2013, an Austin County jury determined that Maron Thomas should spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2010 capital murders of his brother and sister, Cedric Thomas and Kiana Phearse, in Buckhorn. The District Attorney’s office had sought the death penalty for Thomas, but the jury decided that there […]
Another Bexar County Jury Rejects the Death Penalty
Earlier this week, a “death-qualified” jury in Bexar County (San Antonio) rejected the death penalty for James David Morrison, who was convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Krystle Moten and her mother Laura Moten in 2009. Both women were related to Morrison’s ex-girlfriend Candice Moten, who survived the shooting but miscarried her unborn baby, who she named Angel. The […]
September 2012 Alert: Two Scheduled Executions; Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss, and Opportunities for Involvement
In This Edition: Scheduled Executions Recent News Upcoming Events Announcements Calendar Executions The State of Texas is scheduled to execute Robert Harris on September 20, 2012, for the 2000 murders of former co-workers Rhoda Wheeler and Augustin Villasenor at the Mi-T-Fine Car Wash in Dallas from which he had been fired three days earlier. Three other […]
Houston Chronicle Editorial: Death penalty perils
This week, the Houston Chronicle affirmed its call for the abolition of the death penalty in an editorial focused on the wrongful execution of Carlos DeLuna (“Death penalty perils,” May 24, 2012). Here are excerpts: We have noted before, as have other observers, that the death penalty in Texas is all too often plagued by […]
Hidalgo County Jury Rejects the Death Penalty
On August 26, 2011, a jury in Hidalgo County rejected the death penalty for Roberto Rojas, who was convicted of killing his mother-in-law, Amelia Rivera Flores, and three young children in 2008. The youngest child, 2-year-old Osiel, was Rojas’ son and Silvestre and Mauro Garza, ages 6 and 8, were his stepsons. He also shot and […]
National Poll Finds Changing Attitudes Toward Death Penalty
Earlier this week, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) published the results of a national poll about Americans’ views on the death penalty. Here are some of the key findings: The poll showed growing support for alternatives to the death penalty when compared with previous polls. 61% of voters would choose a punishment other than […]
Victim’s Family Support Sought by DA Candidates in San Antonio
This past March, when a sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) was given to the killer of Viola Barrios, one chapter of the tragedy for the Barrios family ended. Sadly, the Barrios family finds themselves in the news again as candidates for Bexar County District Attorney vie for their support in the […]
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