Texas’ highest criminal court tosses death sentence of Raymond Riles, state’s longest-serving death row inmate
Riles has been deemed mentally incompetent for execution repeatedly in his decades on death row. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bbe71ba10f29b1bc51d8ff678f5c028b/Texas%20Court%20of%20Criminal%20Appeals%20MG%20TT%2001.jpg)
-
![The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
In rush of federal executions, Brandon Bernard and Alfred Bourgeois were put to death for Texas murders
Bernard and Bourgeois were the ninth and 10th people executed by President Donald Trump’s administration this year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/46c56ab8b2090084a470aa5475938656/Death%20Row%20Photo%20TDCJ%20BW%20TT.jpg)
![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
As part of revived federal death penalty, Christopher Vialva executed for Texas double murder
Vialva was the seventh man executed in the federal execution chamber this year after a 17-year hiatus of the federal death penalty. Texas, meanwhile, is expected to have a comparatively low number of state executions this year because of the pandemic. Full Story
![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas court tosses death sentence in police killing due to intellectual disability
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals resentenced Juan Lizcano to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is at least the sixth death row inmate whose sentence was reduced after the U.S. Supreme Court slammed Texas' methods for determining intellectual disability. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c238e8eb1bd841564a98c177eede36af/Texas_Prison_TT.jpg)
![Telford prison in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas executes Billy Wardlow, who was 18 when he killed a man. Experts argued that's too young for a death sentence.
Wardlow had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that he was too young to get the Texas death penalty. His execution was the first in Texas to proceed during the pandemic as the coronavirus rages across the state. Full Story
![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
U.S. Supreme Court halts Texas execution of Ruben Gutierrez during legal fight over religious advisers' access to death chamber
Gutierrez has long fought for DNA testing he says could prove his innocence in a 1998 Brownsville murder and home robbery. But the high court's ruling centered on Texas prison officials' recent decision to keep religious advisers out of the execution room. Full Story
![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
U.S. Supreme Court rules Texas death row inmate had an ineffective lawyer, orders new review
In a 6-3 opinion, the justices said Terence Andrus had ineffective assistance from his lawyer and that it was unclear if the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals properly considered whether that could have affected his sentence. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0926d08d6b9b5f22f9188a9edf5f08e1/US%20Supreme%20Court%20TT.jpg)
![The United States Supreme Court in Washington on June 11.]()
Credit: Reynolds Stefani/CNP/ABACA via REUTERS -
Texas inmate Bobby Moore granted parole after decades on death row
Moore was resentenced from the death penalty to life in prison last year after the U.S. Supreme Court determined he was intellectually disabled. Since he had already served 40 years, he was immediately eligible for parole. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/084b170258e0e5ef9a3320933109f57f/Prison%20razor%20wire%20AP%20TT.jpg)
![Birds fly overhead at the Hilltop prison unit in Gatesville, Texas, Nov. 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stops another scheduled execution because of the coronavirus
Tracy Beatty requested the court stay his execution, set for next week, after the court halted this week's execution. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c7909d9ee76c62f9ff230f269e7e3ed3/Tracy%20Beatty%20Recent%20TDCJ%20TT.jpg)
![Tracy Beatty's execution was halted because of coronavirus.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stops an execution because of coronavirus
John Hummel’s lawyer requested a stay of execution in a unique court filing Friday, but Tarrant County officials opposed it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/19c155f790d0f03b87cd36824fd5398f/John%20Hummel%20Execution%20Stay%20TT.jpg)
![John Hummel.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejects new death penalty trial requested under "junk science" law
Rigoberto Avila Jr. was sentenced to death in 2001 in the death of his girlfriend's 19-month-old son. In 2018, an El Paso judge recommended he get a new trial because of outdated science used at his trial. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dd40c89efe5aa858dcd5d8fc04a42e85/Rigoberto%20Avila%20old%20TDCJ%20TT.jpg)
![Rigoberto Avila was sentenced to death in 2001.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Texas executes Abel Ochoa, who killed five family members in Dallas shooting
Ochoa was sentenced to death after the slayings in Dallas of his relatives, including his two young daughters. His defense argued he was in a cocaine-induced delirium. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/485f91c9f049c8c5c700d03c5207a786/Abel%20Ochoa%20TDCJ%20TT.jpg)
![Abel Ochoa was sentenced to death for the murder of five relatives, including his wife and two young daughters.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Texas carries out nation's first execution of 2020 for domestic violence slaying in Collin County
John Gardner, 64, was put to death for the 2005 murder of his estranged wife. His lawyers had argued the crime wasn't eligible for the death penalty. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/20e8b3a6f30c14d29466357b609b63b3/JOHN%20GARDNER%20TDCJ%20TT.jpg)
![John Gardner was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of his estranged wife, Tammy Dawn Gardner.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Cesar Fierro spent 40 years on Texas death row. A court tossed his sentence Wednesday for faulty jury instructions.
Fierro was sentenced to death in El Paso in 1980 for the murder of a taxi driver. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7e87649da1ac4e83cdbcf3a780483458/Cesar%20Fierro%20TDCJ%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Cesar Fierro has been on death row in Texas since 1980 for the 1979 murder of a cab driver in El Paso.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Texas executed Travis Runnels for a prison murder. His lawyers said false testimony put him on death row.
A Texas court has twice overturned death sentences because of one man’s false testimony on restrictions placed on prisoners. Runnels argued the same man’s testimony should have stopped his death, too. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f35d4310e3509c03def98b393a5e6c9b/Travis%20Runnels%20TDCJ%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Travis Runnels was sentenced to death for the 2003 murder of prison employee Stanley Wiley.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
Rodney Reed's execution was set for Wednesday. A Texas court stopped it last week.
The Texas Tribune takes a look at Reed's case as it is sent back to the local court, which will review claims that he is innocent of the murder that put him on death row. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bb83d676afd0c20ce5b65b0164f6d8c1/Rodney%20Reed%20KXAN%20TT.jpg)
![Rodney Reed was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Courtesy KXAN -
Texas court stops Rodney Reed’s execution to further review claims of innocence
The ruling came hours after the Texas parole board recommended that Gov. Greg Abbott delay Reed’s death for 120 days. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6843b94d091df11935ea512a55d21c72/Rodney%20Reed%20YT%20TT.jpg)
![Rodney Reed is scheduled to be executed next Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019.]()
Credit: YouTube screenshot -
Pressure is mounting to stop Rodney Reed's execution. Where does his case stand?
Dozens of lawmakers — both Republicans and Democrats — have asked Gov. Greg Abbott and the parole board to stop Reed's execution. There are also multiple appeals in the courts. Full Story
![Rodney Reed was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Courtesy KXAN -
Federal judge delays execution of “Texas Seven” prisoner over claims of religious discrimination
For the second time, a court has stopped Murphy's execution over concerns that the Texas prison system's execution procedures discriminate against non-Christian inmates. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3ccd10ef75924f8c25ed05cca3c922fe/Patrick_Murphy_Death_Row_TT.jpg)
![Patrick Murphy.]()
Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Bobby Moore's death sentence is changed to life in prison after lengthy court fights over intellectual disability
Moore was sentenced to death in 1980 in the fatal shooting of an elderly store clerk during a Houston robbery. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d35c84ee1f4091909a1424e6900dda40/Bobby%20Moore%20TDCJ%20TT.jpg)
![Bobby Moore.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice