Texas man executed for 2004 murder offers apology to victim's children before death
Houston: A 41-year-old man who was convicted of murdering a young mother over two decades ago was executed in Texas on Wednesday and spent his final moments apologizing to her children for the pain he had caused.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for murdering 20-year-old Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson in 2004. Court documents state that he raped Tolleson, killed her, and then burned her body and left it in a ditch. Her body was found days later.
Tolleson, mother of a five-month-old infant, had known Mendoza since high school. He pleaded guilty to the crime and petitioned to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment, but all legal options were ultimately exhausted. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his last appeal earlier on Wednesday.
In a statement released just before his execution, Mendoza spoke to the victim's family, stating, “To Avery… I robbed you of a mother. I’m sorry for that.” He conceded that no apology would make up for the damage he had inflicted, and he apologized to Tolleson's family.
His execution is the 13th in the United States this year. Although the means used to kill Mendoza was lethal injection, some of the most recent executions involved nitrogen gas and firing squads, tactics that have been strongly criticized by international human rights organizations. The death penalty is a point of national contention, with 23 U.S. states abolishing it and others holding moratoriums.
After the execution, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reaffirmed his belief in capital punishment, saying, "I will always do everything in my power to defend the law and hold criminals accountable."
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Anna University student suicide case: Five held
Tiruchirappalli (PTI): Five people have been arrested in connection with the death of the Anna University student, who jumped in front of a speeding train in Pudukottai district, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, a third-year student from Virudhunagar district, was found dead on the railway track near Mandaiyur on the night of September 20 by the railway police, who later recovered a suicide note from his hostel room.
The student had, in the letter, alleged sexual assault, blackmail, and extortion by five men.
Following this, the police arrested the five suspects. A case has been registered, and further investigation is on.
