Killer Apologizes Profusely In Final Moments Before Being Executed For Double Murder

A Texas man apologized profusely earlier being put to decease past week for fatally stabbing his girlfriend and her 8-year-old boy successful 2013.

Cedric Ricks, 51, was pronounced dormant astatine 6:55 p.m. CDT aft being fixed a lethal dose of nan sedative pentobarbital astatine nan authorities penitentiary successful Huntsville.

He was convicted of nan May 2013 killings of 30-year-old Roxann Sanchez and her boy Anthony Figueroa astatine their flat successful nan greater Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Bedford. Sanchez’s 12-year-old son, Marcus Figueroa, was stabbed 25 times and feigned decease successful bid to survive.

Ricks apologized many times to 7 relatives of his victims who looked on, peculiarly Marcus Figueroa. The onslaught subsister showed nary emotion, watching done a solid model conscionable steps from wherever Ricks was strapped to a gurney.

On nan backmost of Marcus Figueroa’s neck, visible supra his garment collar and beneath his hair, were respective scars apparently from nan attack.

“I want to opportunity that I’m sorry for taking Roxann and Anthony from y’all,” Ricks said erstwhile asked by nan prison guard if he had a last statement. “I’m gladsome to beryllium capable to speak to show y'all that look to face.”

He said he hoped 1 time that his victims’ relatives would beryllium capable to find it successful their hearts to forgive him. He besides addressed Marcus Figueroa, saying he hated that he took his mother and relative away.

“I ever thought astir you and I’m sorry that I took your mom and your relative away. I dislike that you had to acquisition that, I conscionable can’t imagine, but I’m genuinely sorry for what I’ve done, and I wish y’all bid and joyousness arsenic overmuch arsenic you tin but I’m sorry, that’s each I tin say," Ricks said. His sound cracking and tear forming successful his eye, he added that he hoped to find nan female and her boy successful eden and “tell them I'm sorry look to face.”

“I dream y’all spell successful peace. I really do. I’m sorry," he concluded earlier nan injection began.

As nan supplier took effect, he took 19 speedy breaths, past made 10 snoring sounds, followed seconds later by immoderate intermittent gurgles. Then each activity and sounds stopped, and he was pronounced dormant 30 minutes aft nan injection had begun.

Among nan different witnesses were Roxann Sanchez’s stepfather and brother, and Anthony Figueroa’s father, relative and grandmother. None of them showed immoderate emotion successful nan decease enclosure witnesser area and declined to speak pinch reporters afterward.

The nighttime of nan killings, prosecutors said, Ricks and Sanchez had been arguing successful their flat erstwhile nan woman's 2 sons from a erstwhile matrimony tried to break up nan fight. Ricks grabbed a weapon from nan room and began to stab Sanchez aggregate times, tribunal records showed.

Marcus Figueroa ran to his chamber closet and tried to telephone police. After sidesplitting Anthony Figueroa, Ricks began stabbing Marcus Figueroa, who played dormant until his attacker near nan apartment, authorities said. Ricks did not harm his ain then-9-month-old boy Isaiah, according to tribunal records. Ricks fled and was later arrested successful Oklahoma.

At his ensuing superior murder trial, Ricks testified that he had anger issues and had been defending himself against nan 2 boys aft they had travel to their mother’s defense.

“Explaining my rage, I was upset. Things happen. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I wish I could bring them back, like, correct now,” said Ricks, who besides apologized astatine nan clip for nan killings.

A time earlier nan stabbings, Ricks had appeared successful tribunal aft having been charged pinch assaulting Sanchez during a erstwhile incident.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Ricks' last entreaty without comment. His attorneys had based on that prosecutors violated Ricks’ law authorities by eliminating imaginable jurors connected nan ground of title while selecting nan proceedings panel.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office said tribunal records show nan prosecution’s assemblage action decisions were “race neutral” and little courts person already concluded that prosecutors’ actions were not discriminatory.

And earlier this week, nan Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks’ petition to commute his death sentence aliases assistance a 90-day reprieve.

Ricks was nan 2nd personification put to decease this twelvemonth successful Texas and nan sixth successful nan country. Texas has historically held much executions than immoderate different state.

Charles “Sonny” Burton, a 75-year-old inmate successful Alabama, had been scheduled for execution Thursday. But Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey connected Monday commuted his decease condemnation to life successful situation without nan anticipation of parole. Burton had been condemned for a fatal shooting during a 1991 robbery astatine an car parts shop moreover though he didn’t propulsion nan trigger.