Texas Executes Second Inmate This Week, More to Follow

Texas has executed a second inmate, Gilberto Reyes 33, just one day after the execution of Lionell Roderiguez.

Another inmate, Patrick B. Knight, is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday. Knight has been noted for his "Dead Man Laughing" campaign where he has solicited jokes for his final statement and will read the "winning joke" from his gurney on Tuesday. Seven more Texas executions are expected to take place throughout the summer.

Reyes challenged the constitutionality of lethal injection but his lawsuit was dismissed by a federal Judge in Houston Monday, and his execution was carried out. Reyes was pronounced dead 8 minuets after the lethal drugs were administered.

Reyes was convicted and sentenced to death for the stalking, raping, and murder of his ex-girlfriend Yvette Barraz, who was 19 at the time of her death. In March of 1998 she failed to return home from the restaurant where she worked in Muleshoe Texas, and her parents reported her missing. Her body found days later stuffed in her car under some clothing miles away from home. Reyes was arrested about 3 months later in New Mexico.

Reyes trial lawyer David Martinez said Thursday, "We kept hoping with his age and boyish looks, I might be able to convince a jury to give him life, but I wasn't able to". Martinez also said there was no question about his guilt.

Reyes and Barraz had what is known as a stormy relationship. His feeling being so strong toward her his attitude by the jury was that "if your not going to be my girl, your not going to be anyone else's" according to Associated Press writer Michael Graczyk. About a month earlier it was also reported that Reyes chased and shot Barraz with a rifle, and was arrested and out on bond.

He was also reported to have a big grin on his face and said "I love y'all and I'm going to miss y'all", never looking toward the victims family who were watching through the window.

Scheduled to be executed this July are Rolando Ruiz, Lonnie Johnson, in August, Kenneth Parr, Johnny Conner, Daroyce Mosley, John Joe Amador, and Kenneth Foster.

Sources:

Associated Press, Man convicted of stalking, killing ex-girlfriend to die Thursday, http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8PT2SEO0.html