Ruling Clears East Texas Criminals For Execution
Seven death-row residents are one step closer to being put to death for Smith County capital murders dating to 1990.
On April 16 - after nearly seven months of the nation halting executions so the U.S. Supreme Court could review two Kentucky death row inmates' claims that their executions could be carried out more humanly - the high court approved the continued use of lethal injection used in Texas and dozens of other states.
The Kentucky inmates did not prove the risk of pain from the three-drug cocktail constituted cruel and unusual punishment, according to the 7-2 opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts indicated the court will not halt executions in the future unless "the condemned prisoner establishes that the state's lethal injection protocol creates a demonstrated risk of severe pain," The Associated Press reported.
If the anesthetic administered did not work, the other two drugs used to put the inmate to death would cause excruciating pain while one of the drugs would prohibit the prisoner from being able to communicate, those against using lethal injections claimed.
Since September, many executions were halted or put off because of the high court's review.
Since last week's ruling, inmates who had scheduled execution dates will have to be brought back before the state district judge who presided over their trial for a new death warrant to be issued, Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said Monday.
Those convicted of Smith County capital murders awaiting execution are:
Rickey Lynn Lewis, 45, convicted of capital murder in 1994 for the 1990 murder of George Newman during a home invasion and burglary. Lewis shot Newman and raped, bit and hit the victim's wife, Connie Hilton, and threatened to kill her. Twice sentenced to die for the crimes, Lewis has claimed he is mentally retarded and therefore should not be executed.
Robert Charles Ladd, 51, sentenced to die in 1997 for the 1996 capital murder of Vicki Ann Garner. Ladd was on parole for a Dallas murder when he raped, strangled, bludgeoned and bound the mentally disabled Ms. Garner during a robbery at her Tyler apartment. The body of Ms. Garner, 38, was set on fire to destroy evidence.
Allen Bridgers, 37, assessed the death penalty in 1998 for robbing and killing Mary Amie in 1997. The Virginia transient had been living with the 53-year-old victim when he shot her to death and stole her car, jewelry and money before fleeing to Florida. A federal judge halted Bridgers' Nov. 6 execution to review his mental retardation claims.
Troy James Clark, 40, convicted in March 2000 for the May 1998 kidnapping and murder of 20-year-old Christina Muse, believed to have been killed because Clark thought she would tell authorities about his drug dealings. Clark tormented Ms. Muse with a stun gun, bound her with duct tape and kept her in a closet in his south Tyler home for hours. Clark then beat her with a board and drowned her in his bathtub, then encased her body in cement and lime. About four months later, police found her body in a ravine in Smith County.
Gregory Lynn Russeau, 38, twice sentenced to die - first in 2002 and again in April 2007 - for the 2001 robbery and beating death of 75-year-old James Syvertson. The victim was found beaten to death in his auto repair shop in Tyler and Russeau was found the next morning driving the victim's car in Longview.
Tracy Lane Beatty, 47, sentenced to death in 2004 for the 2003 capital murder of his mother, Caroline "Callie" Click. Beatty killed his mother, stole her car, drained her credit and bank accounts to buy drugs and alcohol and gave away her personal items. After leaving her nude, contorted body in the bathtub for two days, he buried her in a shallow grave behind her mobile home in Whitehouse.
Clifton Lamar Williams, 24, sentenced to death by lethal injection Oct. 13, 2006, for killing 93-year-old Cecilia Schneider. Williams beat, strangled and stabbed Ms. Schneider to death in her Tyler home on July 9, 2005, before setting her body and her bed on fire and stealing her purse and car. Prosecutors said they also believe Williams raped the woman.
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