Moises Mendoza Final Words Before Texas Execution
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A Texas man convicted of fatally strangling and stabbing a mother more than 20 years ago was executed Wednesday evening.
Moises Mendoza, 41, who was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of 20-year-old Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson, received a lethal injection at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, with members of the victim's and his own family present.
Newsweek has contacted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for comment outside of regular working hours.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening.
Uncredited left) and Kiichiro Sato right)/Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP (left and AP (right
The Context
Mendoza was the third person executed in Texas this year, and the 13th in the U.S.
After the injection was administered, Mendoza was heard making two loud gasps and then began snoring, according to The Associated Press (AP). He subsequently stopped moving and was pronounced dead 19 minutes later at 6.40 p.m.
What To Know
In his final moments, Mendoza addressed each member of the victim's family by name — Tolleson's parents, one of her brothers, a cousin and an uncle.
"I am sorry for having robbed you of Rachelle's life," he said, according to AP.
He also apologized to Tolleson's daughter — who was not present at the execution — of having robbed her of her mother. "I'm sorry for that. I know nothing that I could ever say or do would ever make up for that. I want you to know that I am sincere. I apologize," he said.
He then spoke to his wife, his sister and two friends in Spanish. "I love you, I am with you, I am well and at peace," he said, according to an English translation.
Prosecutors said that Mendoza had abducted Tolleson from her home in north Texas, leaving behind her six-month-old daughter, who was found unharmed by Tolleson's mother the following day. Six days after the abduction, Tolleson's body was discovered in a field near a creek.
Investigators said Mendoza attempted to burn the body to destroy evidence, including his fingerprints. Identification was confirmed through dental records.
Mendoza confessed to police shortly after Tolleson's body was discovered, telling investigators he had choked, sexually assaulted, stabbed her, and attempted to burn her body to conceal evidence. He was arrested after telling a friend about the crime, who then contacted authorities.
Hours before the scheduled execution on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal by Mendoza's attorneys to stop the execution.
The defense argued in court filings that Mendoza had been denied the chance to claim ineffective assistance of counsel during earlier stages of his appeal.
Texas Attorney General's Office said the allegation had already been deemed "meritless and insubstantial" by a lower federal court.
On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined Mendoza's request to commute his death sentence to a lesser punishment.
What People Are Saying
Pam O'Neil, the victim's mother, witnessed the execution and later told reporters: "He's been on death row 20 years. That ended today. He was put to sleep. He felt no pain. I wish I could say the same about my daughter's death."
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement, according to the Texas Tribune: "Nothing can undo what Rachelle's loved ones have endured. But justice is not about erasing the past — it's about honoring the life that was taken."
Abraham Bonowitz, director and co-founder of the anti-death penalty organization Death Penalty Action, told Newsweek: "No one is any safer because of this execution. The Moises Mendoza who was killed last night was not the same person who killed Rachel Tolleson 21 years ago. He took full responsibility for his crime and expressed deep remorse. Moises has been living his faith, had not been disciplined in prison for over 17 years and had many positive relationships with friends and family."
He added: "Capital punishment is a failed public policy morally, economically and socially. Death Penalty Action opposes executions in all cases because government can't be trusted with the power to kill, to be consistent and fair in its application, or to get it right every time."
What Happens Next
On Thursday, Alabama plans to execute James Osgood for the 2010 rape and murder of a woman.
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