In Texas We Do Not Chop Off The Heads Of Our Witches & Sorceresses

Texas may be a bit notorious for its seemingly unseemly number of executions.

However, in Texas, to get executed, you need to be convicted of murder. As in taking another life.

Now, Texas may have, a time or two, accidentally executed someone who turned out later to be innocent. But, those type mistakes are very rare.

And then we have the Barbaric, Medieval, Backwards, Inhuman, Embarrassing Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Executing Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar, on Monday, by chopping off her head, not because she murdered anyone. She lost her head because she supposedly "committed the practice of witchcraft and sorcery."

And we are allies of this regime why?

Oh yeah, they have oil.

Practicing Christian that I be, I heed the words of Jesus who said, "That which you do to the least among me, you do unto me."

I think Jesus considered all humans his children, not matter what race, creed or religion.

So, Supposedly Christian, sort of, nation that we be, how can America not get all up in arms over something like this?

What is a worse crime in need of punishment? Supposedly practicing witchcraft? Or chopping off someone's head?

Up Early On The 21st Day Of July Thinking About Swimming & Getting A Lethal Injection

The 21st morning of July is dawning with yet one more clear blue sky morning in North Texas.

The aquamarine colored pool is looking particularly inviting this morning. The only thing not all that inviting about the pool is it is starting to be not all that refreshing to take a dip in it, due to the fact that the temperature of the water is warmer than the morning air, which this morning is chilled to 82 degrees.

We are currently scheduled to reach a high of 101 today, with the Real Feel Heat Index feeling like 105.

I do not know if I will make it to any HOT hill hiking today. I have a doctor's appointment in Hurst at 10 this morning.

Speaking of getting an injection. We had an execution last night down in Huntsville. A guy named Mark Stroman was put permanently to sleep. This particular idiot went on a Dallas convenience store killing spree in retaliation for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, killing 2 and injuring 1. He thought he was targeting people of Middle Eastern descent, however the victims were all from South Asia.

The final Space Shuttle touched down yesterday. Atlantis made the final landing. It seems like only yesterday I watched the first Space Shuttle launch. And now it is 30 years later.

Time flies at a speed that is sort of depressing if you think about it.

I think I will go swimming now and try not to think about time flying.

The 3rd Thursday Of March In Texas Thinking Of Lethal Injections, Drinking Wine & Going To The Fort Worth Zoo

I woke up after the sun did, this morning, on the 3rd Thursday of March.

I had myself a night of nightmares.

Few details, of which, I remember. Except for the fact that the nightmares took place in Washington and involved a lot of high steep mountain drama.

I did not manage to go on my daily walking/hiking constitutional yesterday. I am feeling the lack of that stimulation this morning. I think endorphin withdrawal may be as bad as withdrawal from something like heroin.

Speaking of drugs. This morning I was shocked to learn that Texas has run short of the drugs it uses in its lethal injection cocktails the state uses for its many executions. The state has had to come up with a new mix of drugs in order to be able to successfully kill Cleve Foster, with that execution scheduled for April 5.

In other drug related news, the West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska's drug suppliers are running low on potassium iodine due to panicked people depleting the stocks due to fear of a radiation cloud arriving from Japan, with potassium iodine possibly preventing thyroid cancer caused by radiation exposure.

I learned yesterday during the 15 minutes I can stand listening to Rush Limbaugh that the Bulgarians are claiming that drinking red wine is as beneficial in preventing radiation caused thyroid cancer as potassium iodine.

So, I got several boxes of really red wine yesterday and have been taking a medicinal dose ever since. So far, no thyroid cancer, near as I can tell.

Change of subject from cancer, drugs and wine.

Yesterday the Fort Worth Zoo had a record breaking crowd due to it being half price Wednesday and Spring Break Week for area schools.

This had me thinking would it not make sense for the Fort Worth Zoo to make it Half Price Spring Break Week? It seems as if they would get way more visitors than what crammed into the zoo on Wednesday. And in the end make way more money.

Change of subject again.

It is 65 degrees outside according to my supposedly accurate temperature information source. I am well past my usual morning swim time, but rather than bail on the swimming, due to the balmy temperature, I am heading to the pool now.

Talk to you later.

Texas Executes #16: Terry Lee Hankins

An Arlington murderer, Terry Lee Hankins, who murdered 5, including his dad, Earnie Lee Hankins and half sister, Pearl Sevenstar, got the lethal needle last night in the Texas Death Chamber in Huntsville for the murders of his two step-children, Kevin Galley, 12 and Ashley Mason, 11. Hankins also murdered the step-children's mother, Tammy Hankins.

Hankins did not testify at his trial or sentencing hearing or have any last words. Police did find a note at the time of his arrest, written on a bank envelope, saying, "I guess to sum it all up, I'm guilty of murder, incest, hatred, fraud, theft, jealousy, envy."

Hankins was the 16th person to get the lethal needle in Texas this year. This execution was the 200th during Texas Governor Rick Perry's time in office.

200 is a number larger than all the executions that have taken place in all the other American states during Rick Perry's tenure as the governor of Texas.

2009 Texas Execution #14: Derrick Lamone Johnson

The latest execution in Texas was reported in today's Dallas Morning News in a little blurb on page 2 of the B section of the paper.

This time it was a Dallas man, Derrick Lamone Johnson, who got the lethal needle for the rape-murder of a Dallas woman, LaTausha Curry, who he abducted while she was trying use a pay phone 10 years ago.

Johnson's final words were a bit odd. He said, "Don't cry. It's my situation. I got it. Hold tight. It's going to shine on the golden child." He then told his mother, witnessing her son's execution, "I love you. That concludes the statement."

With last night's administration of the lethal needle in the Texas Death Chamber it brings the year's total in Texas to 14.

Michael Rosales Gets Huntsville Lethal Needle

It's been several weeks since we've given anyone the Lethal Needle in Texas. But last night 35 year old Michael Rosales was put to sleep in the Texas Death Chamber in Huntsville.

Rosales beat a 67 year old woman, Mary Felder, to death during a burglary in June of 1997.

It does not appear that this execution might be one that could later be determined to be a mistake due to DNA testing.

Since it has been awhile since we've had a state sanctioned killing here, I don't remember what the current count for the year is. The little blurb about last night's killing, on page 3 of this morning's Dallas Morning News, did not mention what the death total for the year is.

Rosales last words were, "I love you all. May the Lord be with you. Peace. I'm done." And then he got the Lethal Needle.

Yet One More Execution In Texas

We've exterminated another Convicted Killer in Texas.

Last night's administering of the Lethal Needle to Luis Salazar makes it two nights in a row the Huntsville Death Chamber has done its job, extending Texas' lead in the National Execution Sweepstakes en route to maintaining its position as the #1 Executing State in America.

Last night's execution was reported in a small blurb on page 4 of the A section in this morning's Dallas Morning News, next to a full page Dillard's ad. Dillard's is known, by some, as Killard's, due to a reputation for shooting and killing suspected shoplifters. That reputation may be dying down because it has been a while since a Dillard's security guard has shot and killed anyone.

Luis Salazar got the Lethal Needle for stabbing to death a San Antonio mother of three, who's oldest kid was wounded in the attack as he tried to defend his mom.

Salazar said, to his own mom, brothers and sisters and his children, prior to being killed, that "I'm going to miss them and take them with me in my heart."

Last night's was the 12th Texas Execution of 2009 in what the Dallas Morning News proudly calls "the nation's busiest capital punishment state."

Another Tarrant County Texas Killer Gets The Lethal Needle Tonight

I live in Tarrant County. In the town of Fort Worth. In Texas. In 2008 Texas only executed 2 Convicted Killers from my county.

It is only March, yet tonight Texas is on track to give the Lethal Needle to the 4th Tarrant County Convicted Killer in 2009. With another Tarrant County Convicted Killer scheduled for the Lethal Needle in June.

Tonight's planned execution is that of Convicted Killer, James Martinez. He killed his ex-girl friend, Sandra Walton and a friend, Michael Humphreys.

To give you an idea of how run of the mill executions are in Texas, tonight Michael Humphrey's dad, Brad, will witness the killing of his son's killer.

But.

This will not be Brad Humphrey's first execution witness trip. In 2001 Brad Humphrey watch Jeffrey Tucker die for the 1988 shooting of Brad's dad, Wilton Humphrey.

The majority of American states have not executed anyone in 2009. Which would mean the majority of American counties have not had a killer from their county executed this year. While here in Texas, by the time today ends, my county, Tarrant, will have had its 4th convicted killer of the year executed.

Also on this day, in 1969, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. He got 99 years and died in prison in 1998.

Also on this day, in 2004, Lee Boyd Malvo, known as the D.C. sniper, was sentenced to life in prison for his killing spree that left 10 people dead and terrorized our nation's capital.

The news of tonight's impending execution was on the first page of the second section of this morning's Dallas Morning News. We'll see where the story of the execution gets buried in tomorrow's paper.

Another Killer Bites The Dust In Texas

In what I think was the 2nd Texas Execution this week, yesterday we gave the Lethal Needle to a 38 year old man who, in 1991, shot and killed a 63 year old Houston man named James Adams during a bungled burglary.

The latest execution was reported in the Dallas Morning News on page 4 of the A section in a column of little blurbs under the heading "BRIEFS".

Every time I read of one of these executions I think "and OJ went free". Well, free until he finally did something that got him put behind bars, that being his own botched burglary, that fortunately did not include someone getting murdered.

Sirhan Sirhan, who murdered Bobby Kennedy, is alive in a prison somewhere, I assume in California. Sirhan killed Kennedy and wounded 5 others in the process. It was a political assassination affecting a presidential election. And he still lives.

While I'm not totally against capital punishment, I am not a fan of the way it is so arbitrarily executed. In Texas we seem way too cavalier, and sometimes careless, about who gets the Lethal Needle. We have had innocent people put to death here, exonerated post-humously via DNA evidence. Or improved analysis tools.

As in a couple years ago a man who was executed for setting his house on fire, killing his family, was found to be innocent after Texas killed him. Can you imagine losing your family in a fire, then being falsely accused of setting the fire, then sitting for years on Death Row, waiting for Texas to murder you? And then doing so? Who got the Lethal Needle for that murder?

I think this state should really start erring on the side of caution, rather than err on the side of killing innocent people. And when the Great State of Texas does decide it needs to kill someone, the news of that killing should be on the front page of every newspaper in the state.

Like it is in the other states that execute people.

Six January Executions In Texas

Last week, on Wednesday, we had our first execution of the year, here in Texas.

A Fort Worth man named Curtis Moore got the lethal needle for murdering three people in Fort Worth in a particularly brutal fashion, with two of the victims shot and thrown on a Fort Worth street. Then 2 other victims were driven to another part of Fort Worth, shot, set on fire and left in a car to die.

Darrek Wayne Hoyle survived the shooting and the fire, but with very bad burns which left serious scars, visible when he watched the execution of the man who tried to kill him.

Five more are slated for the lethal needle this month here in Texas, putting us on track to keep our #1 spot as the state with the most executions. There are 8 executions scheduled this month in the United States. Six of those 8 are in Texas.

Texas Executes Another Killer: Robert Hudson

Last night Texas extended its lead as America's #1 Executing State with the 18th killer put to death this year.

Bad car wrecks are bigger news than executions in Texas. Last night's Huntsville life termination was reported in a small article on page 9B of this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

In 1999 Robert Jean Hudson stabbed his ex-girl friend, Edith Kendrick, to death, after breaking into her Mesquite apartment. Mesquite is a suburb of Dallas. Hudson also seriously injured Kendrick's 8 year-old son.

Hudson's attorney appealed his case to the Supreme Court, faulting his trial lawyers for not presenting mitigating evidence that this was a crime of passion which significantly reduced Hudson's moral culpability. In his trial, jurors also did not hear about Hudson's unstable childhood, his dad's drug and alcohol problems, his mom's psychiatric problems or Hudson's own psychiatric treatment and medications taken to control his behavior and anger problem.

I used to know a nutcase who was on meds to control her behavior and anger problems. The meds can only do so much. The nutcase regularly lost control. If she killed someone during one of her fits I don't know if she should be put down for it. But I do think she should get a life sentence.

Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have granted a reprieve. But Hudson didn't get one because the rest of the Supreme Court thought he'd gotten a fair trail and needed to die.

New York Parolee Executed Thursday In Texas

The Texas Death Row lost another resident Thursday night. That makes 2 days in a row of executing here in Texas. Three more are scheduled for the lethal injection gurney next week.

Last night's latest visitor to the Texas Death Chamber was a parolee from New York named Denard Manns. He was 42.

Manns got the death penalty for robbing, raping and fatally shooting an Army medic at her apartment near Fort Hood. The victims name was Michele Robson. She was 26.

Manns came to Texas after he got out of prison in New York. He got in trouble twice there for armed robbery.

Manns claimed to be innocent of murdering Michelle Robson who lived in the same apartment complex as Manns. DNA and fingerprint evidence tied Manns to the crime.

The story of yesterday's Texas Execution was buried inside the second section of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Page 6B.

Texas Executions

We executed another murderer here in Texas yesterday. It seems barely a week goes by without at least one murderer getting murdered here by lethal injection.

Yesterday's executed killer was named George Whitaker, III. He was 37. He killed the 16 year old sister of his ex-girl friend. And wounded another sister and the sister's mother.

In Washington I only remember a couple of executions. There it such a big deal that it warrants big headlines on the front page. In Texas the executions are about as common as car wrecks, with the article about any given execution being buried far off the front page.

Many Texans don't realize the rest of America does not execute as often as Texas does. Or that Texas executions are one of the few, if not the only thing, that Texas ranks #1 in the nation.

Below is a list of some of the executed this year in Texas. I got the list from a website about Texas executions. There are several of them, including the official State of Texas Department of Criminal Justice Execution webpage.

I am not against capital punishment. I do think it is very unevenly carried out. In Washington the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, got life instead of the death penalty. He murdered dozens upon dozens of women. He should have gotten the death penalty.

11/6/2008
Elkie Taylor
Murder and robbery of a two men in their homes.
10/30/2008
Gregory Wright
Murder and robbery of a woman in her home.
10/28/2008
Eric Nenno
Murder and rape of a 7-year-old girl.
10/21/2008
Joseph Ries
Murder and robbery of a man in his home.
10/16/2008
Kevin Watts
Murder and robbery of three restaurant employees.
10/14/2008
Alvin Kelly
Murder and robbery of a couple and their baby in their home.
9/17/2008
William Murray
Rape, murder, and robbery of a 93-year-old woman.
8/14/2008
Michael Rodriguez
Murder of a policeman while on escape from prison.
8/12/2008
Leon Dorsey
Robbery and murder of two store employees.
8/7/2008
Heliberto Chi
Robbery and murder of a store manager.
8/5/2008
Jose Medellin
Rape and murder of two teenage girls.
7/31/2008
Larry Davis
Murder and robbery of a man in his home.
7/23/2008
Derrick Sonnier
Rape and murder of a woman and murder of her child.
7/10/2008
Carlton Turner
Murder and robbery of his adoptive parents.
6/11/2008
Karl Chamberlain
Rape and murder of a woman in her apartment

Texas Executions

I can think of only one or two things for which Texas is #1 in the nation. One is most litter generated per capita. With the other being that, by a large margin, Texas leads the nation in number of executions. Texas is working hard to become the most obese state in the nation, but has a ways to go to catch up with Mississippi.

There had been a moratorium on executions that was only lifted a few months ago. Since then the most recent person to have a date with the executioner, at the last minute, had his death postponed for at least a month.

Why?

Well, a man named Charles Dean Hood was given the death penalty for the murders of Ronald Williamson and Traice Lynn Wallace. That was 18 years ago when the murderer was only 20.

The prosecutor in the case was Tom O'Connell. The judge was Verla Sue Holland.

Turns out the judge and the prosecutor were doing some heavy duty hanky panky whoopee making during Charle Dean Hood's trial. Apparently this violates all sorts of ethical standards and undermines the integrity of the court.

That the judge and the prosecutor were having an affair was known by Hood's lawyers during the trial. They did not bring this up, back then, because they knew they had to argue other cases in front of the same judge and did not want to make her mad.

So, as the time ticked down for the lethal drip to begin flowing into Hood, legal maneuvering ran amok. Til the time designated by the death warrant ran out, giving Hood at least a 30 day reprieve, during which it will be argued, some more, that he did not get a fair trial before an impartial justice system. Which seems sort of true when the judge who makes the rulings is canoodling with one of the lawyers arguing a case before her.

Seems like a no-brainer. New trial, new conviction, 18 more years on death row. Then execute the guy. If he's guilty.

Texas has so many executions the state needs an execution information center. Go here to visit the Texas Execution Information Center.