In short
- Jamaal Howard, 46, received a fatal dose of pentobarbital at the state prison in Huntsville, Texas, and was pronounced dead at 20:03 local time on Wednesday.
- It was the first execution carried out in the United States since the failed attempt to put Christa Pike to death in Tennessee last week.
- Howard was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2000 murder of convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout, 42, during a robbery in which he took a carton of cigarettes and $114 from the register.
- A court denied Howard’s appeals twice and the US Supreme Court turned down a late appeal on Wednesday, the day of the execution.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, did not grant a request from Howard’s attorneys to delay the execution by 30 days.
Jamaal Howard, 46, was executed by lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday evening, the first execution carried out in the United States since Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute Christa Pike last week. He received a fatal dose of pentobarbital and was pronounced dead at 20:03 local time.
What was Jamaal Howard convicted of?
Jamaal Howard was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Vickie Swartout, a 42-year-old convenience store clerk, during a robbery in Texas in 2000. Howard was 20 years old at the time, shot Vickie Swartout while she was working at the store, and stole a carton of cigarettes and $114 from the register.
What was the link to Christa Pike’s case?
Tennessee’s attempt to put Christa Pike to death last week was not completed, and lawyers for Pike have argued that the pentobarbital used in her case had become degraded, CBS News reported. Texas planned to inject Jamaal Howard with pentobarbital from its own supply, the same drug used on Pike, and Howard’s lawyers alleged that Texas’ supply had degraded as well.
Why did Howard’s lawyers ask for a pause?
Lawyers for Jamaal Howard asked a judge to pause the execution in light of Pike’s botched injections, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. They argued that because Texas planned to inject Howard with the same drug that was used on Pike, he faced the same risks. A court denied their appeals twice, and the US Supreme Court also turned down the appeal late on Wednesday.
“Texas should not be eager to follow in Tennessee’s footsteps; a stay would keep that from happening,” Howard’s attorneys argued, CBS reported.
Did Texas Governor Greg Abbott intervene?
Jamaal Howard’s attorneys also asked Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, to delay the execution by 30 days so they could seek additional information about the drug used in the execution. The governor did not grant the delay, and the execution went ahead as scheduled.
What did Howard say before he was executed?
Asked if he had a final statement, Jamaal Howard apologized to Vickie Swartout’s family, who watched from a witness room, US media reported.
“I wish that you accept my apology, and I wish for your forgiveness,” Howard said. “I’m sorry for what happened. I wish you can learn to forgive me one of these days.”
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jamaal Howard?
Jamaal Howard was a 46-year-old death row inmate in Texas, convicted of murdering convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout, 42, during a robbery in 2000. He was executed by lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville and pronounced dead at 20:03 local time.
Why was Howard’s execution the first in the US since Christa Pike’s case?
Texas executed Jamaal Howard on Wednesday, the first execution carried out in the United States since Tennessee’s failed attempt to put Christa Pike to death the previous week.
Did the US Supreme Court stop Howard’s execution?
No. A court denied Howard’s appeals twice and the US Supreme Court turned down a late appeal on Wednesday, so the execution went ahead in Huntsville.
What did Jamaal Howard say before he was executed?
Howard apologized to Vickie Swartout’s family, who watched from a witness room, and asked for their forgiveness: “I’m sorry for what happened. I wish you can learn to forgive me one of these days.”
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)