James Autry

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James David Autry (August 27, 1954 – 14 March 1984) was a convicted murderer in the U.S. state of Texas, executed by lethal injection.

He had been convicted of shooting convenience store clerk, Shirley Droust between the eyes with a .38 caliber pistol on April 20, 1980. He then shot two witnesses in the head, one of whom, Joe Broussard, died instantly, while the other, a Greek seaman, survived but was left with permanent brain damage.

In October 1983 he had been strapped in the gurney in the execution chamber, with the needles in his arms, when a stay of execution came through. He would be later executed on 14 March 1984, in the second execution in Texas since the reintroduction of the death penalty in the state after Gregg v. Georgia.

He declined to make a final statement but did request a last meal of a hamburger, french fries, and a Dr Pepper.

[edit] See also

• Capital punishment in the United States
• List of individuals executed in Texas

[edit] References

• Offender information from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
• Last statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
• Last meals from The Memory Hole
• "When someone is executed by lethal injection, do they swab off the arm first?" from The Straight Dope