Texas authorities executed Marvin Wilson, a 54-year-old death row
inmate, on Tuesday night after his attorneys failed to convince state
and federal courts that he was mentally retarded and ineligible for the
death penalty under a 2002 Supreme Court ruling.
Wilson was declared dead at 6:27 p.m. local time. He cried out to his
gathered family members as he expired, Texas officials said.
"Give mom a hug for me and tell her that I love her," Wilson said.
"Take me home, Jesus. Take me home, Lord," he continued. "I ain't left yet, must be a miracle. I am a miracle."
The Supreme Court late in the afternoon rejected without comment a
last-ditch appeal by Wilson's lawyers, clearing the way for his death by
lethal injection. The appeal cited a 2004 psychological exam that
pegged Wilson's IQ at just 61. The Texas benchmark for mental
retardation is an IQ of about 70 or less.
Read on...
1 comment:
What a travesty that the court should refer to a fictional character to justify imposing the death penalty instead of facts. Steinbeck's son says it all.
Post a Comment