US: Texas executes man convicted of killing 3 in San Antonio

[webfact]

Texas executes man convicted of killing 3 in San Antonio
By MICHAEL GRACZYK

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A 41-year-old Texas prisoner was put to death Wednesday evening for the slayings of three people during a robbery at their San Antonio home more than 21 years ago.

Arnold Prieto, who spurned a plea deal for a sentence of less than life in prison, became the first inmate to receive a lethal injection this year in Texas, which carried out 10 executions in 2014.

He was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. CST, 20 minutes after a lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing into his veins.

Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Prieto replied: "There are no endings, only beginnings. Love y'all. See you soon."

As the injection began, he said he could smell it, then uttered, "Whoa."

He immediately began snoring, each snore a bit more quiet. After about five snores, he stopped moving.

Prieto was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die for his role in the September 1993 fatal stabbings of Rodolfo Rodriguez, 72, his wife, Virginia, 62, and Paula Moran, their 90-year-old former nanny who lived with them. Each victim was stabbed or cut multiple times with an icepick, screwdriver or knife.

The attackers took jewelry and about $300.

Prieto's sister was among witnesses watching through a window. Four sons and a daughter-in-law of the slain couple watched through a window in an adjacent room. They declined to speak with reporters afterward.

Prieto smiled and nodded to the people he selected to watch him die as they walked into a witness room. He made no eye contact with relatives of the victims in the other room.

Prieto two decades ago turned down the plea deal, refusing to testify against one of other men with him during the robbery.

"There was a way out," one of Prieto's trial lawyers, Michael Bernard, recalled last week. "We just couldn't get there."

No late appeals were filed in the courts Wednesday to try to halt his punishment.

Prieto and two brothers related to the Rodriguezes were arrested in Carrollton, a north Dallas suburb, seven months after the killings. The case went unsolved until an informant's tip led police to Carrollton, where a grandnephew of the slain couple implicated himself, his brother and Prieto.

Prieto was the only one of three to get the death penalty.

Authorities said Prieto told them he and brothers Jesse and Guadalupe Hernandez believed the Rodriguezes had about $10,000 cash used for a checking-cashing business they operated out of their home.

Prieto told police the three had been using cocaine and continued to do so during their 300-mile drive from Carrollton to San Antonio. Virginia Rodriguez fed them breakfast after they arrived. Then she, her husband and Moran were attacked.

Prieto previously was jailed for more than a year and received probation for vehicle burglaries. He also was indicted in January 1994 on federal charges of engaging in organized criminal activity for the theft of 163 laptops worth $676,000 from a Dallas warehouse where he'd worked.

Jesse Hernandez, now 38, is serving a life sentence for the slayings. He was the fiance of Prieto's sister and father of her child. The killings occurred a day before his 17th birthday, making him too young for the death penalty. Charges against his brother, Guadalupe, were dropped because of insufficient evidence.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-01-22

[Nemesis7]

How come this time others are no posting any comment about this capital punishment?

Why cause it took place in the western world?

Lord if this was in asia or middle east,the same punishment for the same reason, there would be comments flooding from the sick and decrementing people.

[sanuk711]

"decrementing" ---??? ---The act or process of decreasing or becoming gradually less.

2. The amount lost by gradual diminution or waste.

3. Mathematics The amount by which a variable is decreased;----http://www.thefreedictionary.com/decremented

-------------------------------. -

.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia ---- Fear of long words.............................

Edited January 22, 2015 by sanuk711

[MrWorldwide]

How come this time others are no posting any comment about this capital punishment?

Why cause it took place in the western world?

Lord if this was in asia or middle east,the same punishment for the same reason, there would be comments flooding from the sick and decrementing people.

Beat me to it - like the gun lobby here, they fall silent when things dont go according to their scripts. When Indonesia executes convicted criminals, they're 'barbaric' but when Texas enacts the same punishment the peanut gallery takes the day off.

[PepperMe]

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[luckynero]

Killing savagely 3 old people with knife, ice pick etc.. I'm sad that they didn't torture him before killing him! If nobody replies, it probably is because there is not so much to criticize... Imagine the dead being ur family, u would want him to get of the hook?

[SinCityGr8One]

Thank You, The Great State of Texas, for taking the trash out! But, why did ya'll wait 21+ Years to do it?

[rotary]

It is times like this that bring a little tear of happiness to my eye. This POS killed innocent people for $300. I am sorry he appeared to check out without pain.

Edited January 22, 2015 by rotary

[samran]

Reading between the lines, sounds like if this guy ratted on his mates during the trial for a lesser sentence then he would have been a victim of a less pleasant death.

Though I think the death penalty is an abomination, in this case, it might just have been the best of two bad choices. But maybe I'm just reading too much into the tea leaves.

[ChoakMyDee]

How come this time others are no posting any comment about this capital punishment?

Why cause it took place in the western world?

Lord if this was in asia or middle east,the same punishment for the same reason, there would be comments flooding from the sick and decrementing people.

Beat me to it - like the gun lobby here, they fall silent when things dont go according to their scripts. When Indonesia executes convicted criminals, they're 'barbaric' but when Texas enacts the same punishment the peanut gallery takes the day off.

Dude you're way off here. There is no comparison. Executing someone for a victimless crime like drug possession is a far cry from executing a cold-blooded killer who hacked 3 elderly people to death after he was invited into their home. Nice try though. Happy trolling.

[SinCityGr8One]

It is times like this that bring a little tear of happiness to my eye. This POS killed innocent people for $300. I am sorry he appeared to check out without pain.

I agree with you 100%. Executions in Texas are in a rather Clinical setting, with various chemicals injected to put the condemned to sleep first, then to stop the heart from beating. It's kinda like nighty-night! Texas had the electric chair known as, "Old Sparky" from 1924-1964 and it was used successfully to terminate 361 condemned prisoners lives. It is now on display at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, Texas. I personally believe it should be brought back into use once again. Those that commit Capital or Heinous Crimes don't deserve to die peacefully but rather with some terror in their heart and have the few remaining seconds to reflect on the crime they committed that got them to sit in the "Hot Seat", before the switch is thrown. IMHO.