John Battaglia executed for killing his daughters despite late appeals
The Dallas man who killed his two daughters in 2001 was executed Thursday night. It was the third execution in Texas and the nation this year. Full Story
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![John Battaglia and his two daughters, Liberty (left) and Faith, who he murdered on May 1, 2001.]()
Credit: Dallas County Court files -
Texas' second execution of 2018 proceeds after U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeals
William Rayford, a 64-year-old death row inmate convicted in the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, was put to death Tuesday night in the second execution of the year in Texas and the nation. Full Story
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![William Rayford]()
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Texas executes Houston serial killer Anthony Shore
The first execution of 2018 in Texas and the nation took place Thursday evening for Houston’s “Tourniquet Killer.” It was the first execution under Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat who oversaw the first year in more than 30 without an execution in the county. Full Story
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![Death row inmate Anthony Shore.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Democratic gubernatorial candidate calls for ending death penalty
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew White on Thursday called for the abolishment of the death penalty. Full Story
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![Andrew White, Democratic candidate for governor, speaks at a Texas Tribune event on Jan. 11, 2018.]()
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Heat and a hurricane had a big impact on Texas criminal justice in 2017
Weather-related prison evacuations, legal battles over execution drugs and death sentences, and reform efforts at the Texas Legislature led the state's criminal justice headlines in 2017. Full Story
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![Inmates shuffle past new fans in the Darrington prison's main hallway on a hot July day.]()
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Texas leads the nation in executions, but its death row population is dropping
Texas executed more people than any other state this year, but fewer new death sentences has led to a shrinking death row population. Full Story
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District attorney who prosecuted Jeff Wood now wants him off death row
The prosecutor in the death penalty case of a man who didn't kill anyone has asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to change his sentence to life in prison. Full Story
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![Supporters of Jeff Wood gathered on July 23, 2016, in front of the Governor's Mansion to rally against his scheduled August execution.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halts state's last execution of 2017
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stopped the state's last remaining execution of 2017, sending the San Antonio case back to court to resolve claims of false testimony at trial. Full Story
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![Juan Castillo]()
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Texas executes Mexican national despite international ire
Texas executed a Mexican national late Wednesday night despite a flurry of last-minute appeals and objections from his native country and United Nations human rights experts. Full Story
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![Ruben Cardenas was sentenced to death almost 20 years ago for the kidnap, rape and murder of his 16-year-old cousin.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Prosecutor asks for current medical standards in death penalty evaluations
The top prosecutor in Harris County is proposing a new way for Texas to determine if a death-sentenced inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution: use the current clinical books. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Bobby Moore, a man who has been on death row since 1980, in March 2017.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court examines investigatory funding in Texas death penalty case
A 1995 murder of a Houston woman led a case to the nation's highest court Monday. The U.S Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue of federal funding in death penalty investigations during the appeals process. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Potential new murder confession delays Texas serial killer's execution
The execution of Houston's "Tourniquet Killer" was delayed because prosecutors began to fear he would confess to another murder — one for which a fellow death row inmate faces execution next month. Full Story
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![Larry Swearingen (left) and Anthony Shore]()
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Texas court halts execution to review claims that co-defendant lied at trial
The execution of Clinton Young, convicted in a 2001 Midland-area murder, was stopped by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The courts will look into claims that Young's co-defendant lied in his testimony against Young. Full Story
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![Clinton Young was sentenced to death in the 2001 murder of Samuel Petrey.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Houston serial killer faces execution this week
Anthony Shore, a convicted serial killer, is set to be executed Wednesday evening. His murders in the 1980s and 1990s went unsolved until 2003. Full Story
![Death row inmate Anthony Shore.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas executes Robert Pruett, who insisted on innocence in prison guard's murder
The man convicted in a 1999 prison guard's murder always said he was framed by corrupt guards and inmates. After rounds of DNA testing that were deemed inconclusive, he was executed Thursday night. Full Story
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![Robert Pruett, seen here in a 2013 interview, was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of correctional officer Daniel Nagle.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Days from execution, man convicted in prison guard's murder insists on innocence
Robert Pruett faces his execution Thursday in the 1999 murder of a Texas prison guard. Pruett has consistently argued his innocence in the case, pushing for multiple rounds of DNA testing on crime scene evidence. Full Story
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![Robert Pruett was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of prison guard Daniel Nagle. Pruett says he was framed by corrupt guards and inmates while the prison employee union says chronic understaffing led to Nagle's murder.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Death row inmate gets new sentencing hearing because lawyer refused to present his case
Hector Medina was sentenced to death in 2008 after killing his two young children. Now, he's getting a new sentencing trial because his lawyer refused to present evidence to persuade jurors to opt for the lesser sentence of life without parole. Full Story
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![Hector Medina was convicted and sentenced to death in the shooting deaths of his 3-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter.]()
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Bexar County delays execution because of Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey has delayed the execution of a San Antonio man. Bexar County officials withdrew the execution date because part of the man's defense team works in the Houston area. Full Story
![Juan Castillo]()
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Court halts execution of convicted child killer who claims intellectual disability
A man convicted in the sexual assault and murder of an 11-year-old girl was set to die next Wednesday. But the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stopped his execution amid claims of intellectual disability. Full Story
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![Steven Long was sentenced to death for sexually assaulting and murdering an 11-year-old girl in 2005.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Texas executes man who claimed his lawyers committed fraud
Texas carried out its fifth execution of the year Thursday evening, putting to death TaiChin Preyor in the 2004 murder of a San Antonio woman. Full Story
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![TaiChin Preyor was sentenced to death in the 2004 slaying of Jami Tackett in Bexar County.]()
Credit: TDCJ