Texas set to execute man for fatally shooting a convenience store clerk during robbery in 2000
Howard’s lawyers say Texas’s pentobarbital supply may be degraded as they seek a stay of the state’s seventh execution this year.
- On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Texas scheduled the execution of 46-year-old death row inmate Jamaal Howard by lethal injection, marking the 30th execution in the United States this year. Howard was convicted of the 2000 robbery and shooting death of convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout in Silsbee.
- Howard's attorneys argue he is intellectually disabled, citing the 2002 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits executing individuals with such impairments. They report Howard has an IQ of 65, falling below the 70-point threshold for intellectual disability.
- Citing the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week, lawyers warned that Texas's pentobarbital supply may be degraded, noting the drugs are "far past the original beyond-use dates that the pharmacopeia allows for drugs of this kind."
- Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not respond to a 30-day reprieve request, while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and federal courts rejected last-minute stay efforts. Legal avenues have been exhausted.
- Dr. Jeff Hood, Howard's spiritual advisor, reported that the inmate believes the warden will "just come and shoot me in the head," revealing a profound lack of comprehension regarding the lethal injection process. This misunderstanding underscores concerns about executing someone with an IQ of 65.
97 Articles
97 Articles
A Texas man, whose execution is scheduled for Wednesday for shooting an employee of a convenience store in 2000, will be the first person to be executed in the United States since a frustrated attempt last week against a death row in Tennessee. Christa Pike: Convicted who woke up and spoke again after two lethal injections in the United States remains handcuffed to bed in the hospital Want to read more news from the World? Follow the channel on …
Lawyers Want Texas Execution Blocked Due to Christa Pike
Lawyers for a Texas man who fatally shot a convenience store clerk are asking a Texas judle to stay his execution by lethal injection set for Wednesday, citing the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. This would be the first execution schedule in the US since Pike....
Christa Pike, sentenced to death, survives two poison injections in Tennessee. A few days later, Texas wants to use the same drug in a convicted murderer. The defense points to the risks and calls for a postponement.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
