Texas completes execution for murder committed 23 years ago

As reported in this AP article, a “Texas man who admitted he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and fatally shot an 18-year-old woman in 2001 was executed Wednesday evening. Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. CDT following a chemical injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the January 2001 killing of Bridget Townsend.” Here is more:

Gonzales was repeatedly apologetic to the victim’s relatives in his last statement from the execution chamber. Just before he spoke, a spiritual adviser sang a prayer, resting her left hand on his chest….

Gonzales kidnapped Townsend from a rural home in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio.  He later took her to his family’s ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her before killing her.  Her body wasn’t found until October 2002, when Gonzales led authorities to her remains in southwest Texas after he had received two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined a defense plea to intervene about 1 and 1/2 hours before the scheduled execution start time.  The high court rejected arguments by Gonzales’ lawyers that he had taken responsibility for what he did and that a prosecution expert witness now says he was wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger to society….

Gonzales’ execution was the second this year in Texas and the eighth in the U.S.  On Thursday, Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Richard Rojem for the 1984 abduction, rape and killing of a 7-year-old girl.