Texas Inmate Who Killed Cop 30 Years Ago Is First Person Executed In US In 2019

Source: ABC13 Houston

Robert Jennings was put to death at the age of 61.

A man who was on Texas' death row for close to 30 years has been executed, becoming the nation's first execution of the year.

Robert Jennings was sentenced to death for murdering Houston police officer Elston Howard back in 1988. The incident took place at an adult bookstore Jennins was planning to rob. Howard was already there at the bookstore to arrest a store clerk when Jennings arrived. The clerk testified that Jennings shot Howard multiple times.

Jennings was injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital in Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville according to the Texas Tribune. His final words to his friend and family were it was "a nice journey."

"To the family of the police officer, I hope this finds you peace," he said. "... Enjoy life's moments because we never get them back."

As the Tribune notes, death penalty law had changed between Jennings' sentencing and execution, and his lawyers tried to halt his execution and get him a life sentence instead. Per the Tribune:

"In their last attempt to halt Jennings' execution, his lawyers zeroed in on changes in how death penalty juries weigh 'mitigating evidence' — factors that can lessen the severity of the punishment that are largely based on the defendant's background, like an abusive childhood or intellectual disability."

"An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out that, at the time of Jennings' trial, Texas juries were not told they could opt for a sentence of life in prison rather than death if they believed the defendant’s background or character warranted mercy — a key aspect of death penalty trials now."

But prosectuion brought up Jennings' criminal history for the jury including that "he had been to prison multiple times for aggravated robbery and had been released on parole only two months before Howard's murder." The jury also heard Jennings' recorded confession for Howard's shooting, where he admitted that he was drinking and using drugs around the time of the shooting, which he was remorseful for.

The jury ended up sentencing Jennings to death.

"It gets extremely complicated because the law evolves, and then the question is: Do new decisions get applied retroactively?" Randy Schaffer, one of Jennings' lawyers, said to the Tribune.

Jennings' execution was the first of the year in the state and nation.

Source: Texas Tribune