Terence Tramaine Andrus — black, age 20
Sentenced to death in Fort Bend County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: October 15, 2008
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Andrus was found guilty of the murder of Avelino Saucedo Diaz (age 31) and Kim Phuong Bui (age 49), who were shot to death in a Kroger parking lot. Witnesses at trial testified to Andrus violent history, as well as three Harris County Sherriff’s Office deputies, two Ford Bend County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and several victims of aggravated robbery who all testified Andrus had assaulted them. Andrus admitted to being under the influence of PCP and cocaine at the time of the shootings. Defense attorneys claimed Andrus had a dysfunctional home life as a mitigating factor.
Sources: Houston Chronicle (TX) 11/14/12 (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Man-sentenced-to-death-in-Fort-Bend-County-4038527.php), ABC-TV 11/16/12 (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8888720).
Carl Buntion — white, age 45 (re-sentence after appellate reversal)
Sentenced to death in Harris County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: June 27, 1990
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Buntion was convicted of killing Houston police officer James Irby (age 37) during a routine traffic stop. Buntion was the passenger in the car and John Killingsworth was the driver. After shooting Irby, Buntion ran off firing shots at three other people, none of whom were hit. Buntion’s original sentence was overturned because the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said the jury did not get to consider Buntion’s troubled childhood and mental health issues during the punishment phase of the trial.
Sources: Dallas Morning News (TX) 3/21/91 (1991 WLNR 4451897), Dallas Morning News (TX) 12/21/97 (1997 WLNR 6686099), ABC-13 NEWS 2/27/12 (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8560508).
Tyrone Cade — black, age 36
Sentenced to death in Dallas County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 27, 2011
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Cade was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Mischell Fuller (age 37), and her daughter Desaree Hoskins (age 18), following an argument by the couple. Cade also sexually assaulted Fuller after he stabbed her. Cade was convicted of another sexual assault in 2002. Cade confessed to the murders after walking into a police station following the attacks.
Sources: 3/28/11 AP Alert – TX 21:49:59, Dallas Morning News (TX) 8/29/12 (2012 WLNR 18427433), 8/30/12 AP Alert – TX 11:30:44.
Kimberly Cargill — white, age 43
Sentenced to death in Smith County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: June 18, 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Cargill killed Cherry Walker (age 29), her babysitter, in an attempt to keep her from testifying in a child welfare hearing regarding Cargill’s 4 year old son. Cargill claimed to have panicked after Walker died from a seizure and she dumped her body and set it on fire. Cargill’s ex-husband testified that Cargill had them wrongly arrested by making up stories. Her sister also testified that Cargill was manipulative and “the devil.”
Sources: 7/30/10 AP Alert – TX 22:00:01, Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX) 7/30/10 AP Alert – TX 20:40:22, Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX) 5/19/12 AP Alert – TX 03:07:42, 6/1/12 AP Alert – TX 12:58:35.
Ricky Donnell Cummings — black, age 22
Sentenced to death in McLennan County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 2011
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Cummings was convicted of shooting Tyus Sneed (age 17) and Keenan Hubert (age 20). Marion Bible (age 22) and Deontrae Majors (age 20) were wounded in the shooting. Cummings claimed the murders were in retaliation for the April 2010 shooting death of Emuel Bowers (age 21), a close friend of Cummings. Relatives of Cummings were arrested on charges relating to harassment of a witness during the trial.
Sources: 11/7/12 AP Alert – TX 23:03:29, 11/7/12 AP Alert – TX 21:07:43.
Stanley Griffin — black, age 45
Sentenced to death in Brazos County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: September 19, 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Griffin was found guilty of murdering Jennifer Marie Hailey (age 29), and brutally attacking her son, 9, inside their College Station apartment. Defense attorneys argued that Griffin has mild mental retardation and that he likely wouldn’t be seriously violent if sentenced to prison. They also discussed his violent and unstable childhood to support their claim that evidence existed that diminished his moral responsibility.
Sources: Eagle (TX) 6/26/12 (2012 WLNR 13312806), Eagle (TX) 6/28/12 (2012 WLNR 13534323), Eagle (TX) 6/29/12 (2012 WLNR 13613801).
Roderick Harris — black, age 24
Sentenced to death in Dallas County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 17, 2009
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Harris shot and killed Alfredo (age 45) and Carlos Gallardo (age 36) during a home invasion. Witnesses testified Harris entered the home and confronted six family members inside, demanding wallets and valuables. When Harris tried to force the family into a walk-in closet, the brothers tried to defend the family (Gallardo’s wife and three children, ages 5,8, and 13) and were shot. Harris netted $2, a ring, and a necklace from the robbery.
Sources: Dallas Morning News (TX) 1/3/12 (2012 WLNR 115038), Dallas Morning News (TX) 5/8/12 (2012 WLNR 9758864), 5/11/12 AP Alert – TX 03:43:03.
Steven Nelson — black, age 24
Sentenced to death in Tarrant County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 3, 2011
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Nelson was convicted of murdering Reverend Clint Dobson (age 28) at an Arlington church where he was a pastor, and beating a church secretary, Judy Elliot, before stealing her car. Dobson was beaten, bound, and suffocated with a plastic bag. The secretary was beaten so badly she suffered a broken jaw and memory problems. Nelson was later charged with strangling a mentally ill inmate, Jonathan Holden, who was in a jail unit with him. Nelson blamed the two other men who were with him of the murder and claimed he only went to the church to steal a laptop.
Sources: 10/9/12 AP Alert – TX 08:33:06, 10/15/12 AP Alert – TX 22:46:08, 10/16/12 AP Alert – TX 22:50:52.
Kwame Rockwell — black, age 34
Sentenced to death in Tarrant County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 23, 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Rockwell was charged with the shooting death of Jerry Burnett (age 70), who was delivering bread, and Daniel Rojas-Torres (age 22) the store clerk, during a convenience store robbery.
Sources: 1/18/12 AP Alert – TX 09:31:57, 1/27/12 AP Alert – TX 23:04:17, Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) 1/27/12 AP Alert – TX 22:02:28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) 12/11/12 AP Alert – TX 14:37:09.
Mark Soliz — Latino, age 28
Sentenced to death in Johnson County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of crime: June 29, 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Soliz was convicted of the shooting murder and robbery of Nancy Weatherly (age 61). Soliz was a well-known gang member with a criminal record that dated back to his elementary school years. Soliz was also charged with capital murder of Ruben Martinez (age 28) in a separate incident in Tarrant County.
Sources: 3/11/12 AP Alert – TX 08:31:40, 3/23/12 AP Alert – TX 21:46:15 Star Telegram (TX) 3/23/12 (http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/23/3832009/johnson-county-jury-gives-soliz.html).