Elroy Chester
| Elroy Chester | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 14, 1969 Jefferson County, Texas |
| Died |
June 12, 2013 (aged 43) Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas |
| Cause of death | Executed by Lethal injection |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 5 (convicted of 1 and confessed to 4 others) |
| Country | United States |
Elroy Chester (June 14, 1969 – June 12, 2013) was an inmate on the Texas death row who was executed at the Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, two days before his 44th birthday.[1] He was convicted in 1998 of fatally shooting Willie Ryman III, a firefighter in Port Arthur, Texas. He did so after raping Ryman's two nieces.[2] He had confessed to four other killings,[3] and his DNA was linked to three rapes, including that of a ten-year-old girl.[1][2][4] After his arrest, he said he committed these offenses because he was out of his mind "with hate for white people."[5] He was originally scheduled for execution on April 24, but, due to an error in the death warrant, the date was pushed back.[6]
The Texas court system ruled that Elroy was legally competent to be executed,[6] despite scoring below 70 on IQ tests and being previously placed in Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Mentally Retarded Offenders Program.[7] In the prosecution's closing arguments, it was argued that his disability was not a sufficient reason to stay his execution.[7] Since Chester was capable of hiding facts and lying to protect his own interests, using masks and gloves, cutting exterior phone lines before entering homes to burglarize, he showed persuasively that he was capable of forethought, planning, and complex execution of purpose. Therefore, the court found the evidence insufficient to support the claim that Chester was mentally retarded.[2] In October 2012, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Elroy.[4]
References
- 1 2 "Elroy Chester, Texas man who confessed to 5 killings, executed by lethal injection - Crimesider". CBS News. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- 1 2 3 The Police News, Condemned Port Arthur Killer Waits for Execution Date by Breck Porter, 2008
- ↑ Dilts, Elizabeth (13 May 2013). "Lawyers worry new measure of mental retardation could prompt more executions". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- 1 2 "Elroy Chester, Texas Death Row Inmate, Gets Case Turned Away By Supreme Court". The Huffington Post. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ↑ Elroy Chester executed for killing Port Arthur fireman, 12 News, 13 June 2013
- 1 2 Smith, Jordan (7 June 2013). "Death Watch: Chester to die June 12". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- 1 2 Smith, Jordan (19 April 2013). "Smart Enough to Die: In 2002, the Supreme Court banned the death penalty for mentally retarded defendants. Still, Texas finds a way.". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 9 June 2013.