A 41-yr-old man has been executed in Texas for the murder of a young mother that occurred over two decades ago. It marks the 13th execution carried out in the U.S. this year, reports RTE.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed via lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville, according to a statement from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Mendoza had been convicted of the 2004 killing of 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, reports RTE.
Court records show that Mendoza sexually assaulted and murdered her, then transported her remains to a ditch where he set them on fire. Her body was found several days later.
Ms Tolleson, who had a five-month-old daughter, reportedly knew Mendoza from their high school years, as per local media outlets, reports RTE.
Although Mendoza admitted to the crime, he had requested a commutation of his sentence to life imprisonment, which was ultimately denied.
In his final statement released by Texas officials, Mendoza expressed remorse to Ms Tolleson’s family, saying: “for having robbed you of Rachelle’s life,” reports RTE.
“To Avery… I robbed you of a mother. I’m sorry for that,” Mendoza stated. “I know nothing that I could ever say or do would ever make up for that,” reports RTE.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected all legal efforts by Mendoza’s team to halt the execution.
Prosecutors reported that Mendoza abducted Ms Tolleson from her home in north Texas, leaving her infant daughter behind.
The baby was discovered the following day by Ms Tolleson’s mother; she was cold and wet but otherwise unharmed, reports RTE.
On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined Mendoza’s appeal to have his sentence reduced.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office informed the Supreme Court that a lower federal court had already ruled Mendoza’s claims of poor legal representation were “meritless and insubstantial,” reports RTE.
Officials said Mendoza had attended a party at Ms Tolleson’s residence in Farmersville, about 72 kilometers northeast of Dallas, in the days leading up to the crime.
He later confessed the murder to a friend on the day the body was found. That friend contacted authorities, leading to Mendoza’s arrest.
Police said Mendoza admitted to the murder but was unable to provide an explanation for his actions, reports RTE.
Mendoza became the third person executed in Texas this year, which remains the state with the highest number of executions historically.
Meanwhile, Alabama was preparing to execute James Osgood for a 2010 rape and murder, reports RTE.
Currently, 23 U.S. states have abolished the death penalty, while three others—California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—have official moratoriums in place.
U.S. President Donald Trump has long supported capital punishment and on his first day in office advocated for expanding its use “for the vilest crimes,” reports RTE.
Attorney General Paxton backed the execution and reaffirmed his position following Mendoza’s death.
“I will always do everything in my power to defend the law and hold criminals accountable,” he said, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
