The Texas Department of Corrections carried out the execution of one man and is set to carry out the execution of another, while a judge delayed the execution of a third man.
Gary Green, 51, was executed via lethal injection in the Huntsville State Penitentiary on March 7.
Green’s execution follows his conviction for the murder of his estranged wife, 32-year-old Lovetta Armstead, and her 6-year-old daughter, Jazzmen Montgomery, in their home in September 2009. He had allegedly committed these murders by fatally stabbing Armstead and drowning the little girl in a bathtub, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Green had also attempted to kill Armstead’s two sons, 9-year-old Jerrett and 12-year-old Jerome, but both boys survived the encounter.
During the execution, Green apologized to the families impacted when asked if he had any final words.
“I apologize for all the harm I have caused you and your family,” said Green, according to The Associated Press (AP). “We ate together, we laughed and cried together as a family. I’m sorry I failed you,” he continued.
The execution was slightly delayed due to technicians having to place IV needles in Green’s left and right hands instead of his arms. Green was pronounced dead at 7:07 p.m., 33 minutes after the start.
Ray Montgomery, the father of Jazzmen, said that Green’s execution was simply the justice system at work and was not excited about the perpetrator’s death. “It’s justice for the way my daughter was tortured. It’s justice for the way that Lovetta was murdered,” said Montgomery, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Green’s attorneys did not file an appeal for a stay of execution but had previously appealed his conviction, arguing that he was mentally disabled and suffered from other mental conditions. These appeals, however, were rejected.
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) maintained that Green’s mental state justified the governor granting a reprieve so that more intellectual disability testing could be done.
“Evidence developed about Green’s mental health established that his cognitive and mental health challenges diminished his ability to fully understand and regulate his actions,” the organization said in a release.
Montgomery said he maintains a close relationship with Armstead’s surviving children and that both are moving forward with their lives, according to AP.
Green’s execution is the first of two scheduled executions this week. Arthur Brown Jr.’s execution date is set for March 9.
State District Judge Jim Fallon delayed the execution of 39-year-old Andre Thomas, scheduled for April 5, after lawyers pushed for a review of his competency. Thomas had allegedly gouged out both of his eyes due to a severe mental illness, according to NBC News.
The Supreme Court has already ruled that a person cannot be executed if he becomes mentally incompetent while on death row.
“We are confident that when we present the evidence of Mr. Thomas’s incompetence, the court will agree that executing him would violate the Constitution,” Maurie Levin, one of his attorneys, said in a statement, according to NBC News. “Guiding this blind psychotic man to the gurney for execution offends our sense of humanity and serves no legitimate purpose,” she continued.
Thomas was convicted for the murders of his estranged wife, 20-year-old Laura Christine Boren, and their four children, having cut out the hearts of two. Thomas told police that God instructed him to commit the murders because they were demons.
