Manuel Garza: Cop Shooter, Chop Chewer

Manuel Garza Jr. was executed by the state of Texas tonight for shooting a police officer in the head with the man’s own gun back in 2001. Garza, who had already racked up a long list of criminal offenses by then, blamed the police officer for the tragedy.  “I truly think this was the cop’s fault,” Garza said. “I don't see why he wanted to pull out his gun.” The police officer was part of a squad investigating property crimes at apartment complexes, and Garza became hostile when he was stopped for questioning.

Because Texas no longer allows inmates to order special last meals, Garza was given the same food as others in his unit. For his last meal, Garza had a grilled pork chop, sweet potatoes, green beans, black beans, cornbread, and peach cake, with a choice of water, tea, or punch to drink.

Cold Last Meal for Cold Killer Cole

Following a last-minute round of unsuccessful appeals, Andre Cole was executed by the state of Missouri last night. Cole earned his death sentence when he stabbed his ex-wife's boyfriend to death after an argument about child support payments. When Cole fell behind on his payments and the state began automatically deducting them from his paycheck, Cole became enraged and used a tire iron to break into his ex-wife's house, then stabbed both her and her boyfriend repeatedly. The man died, while Cole's ex-wife survived.

Cole chose not to order a special last meal and was given the same food tray as others in his unit. His last meal was a turkey and bologna sandwich, a cookie, and fruit punch.

Just Beans, No Sprouts, for Sprouse

Kent Sprouse obviously wasn’t in his right mind when he shot and killed two men, including a police officer, outside a Dallas convenience store in 2002. His lawyers have argued that Sprouse was mentally ill at the time, but have recently offered a more logical explanation: “He started hitting the meth and just went crazy,” Sprouse’s lead trial lawyer now says. “Even his family was afraid of him.”

Sprouse was executed by the state of Texas tonight by lethal injection. Since death row inmates there are no longer allowed to order special last meals, Sprouse was given the same food as others in his unit. For his last meal, Sprouse had beef noodle casserole, peas & carrots, black beans, and cornbread, with a choice of punch, tea, or water to drink.

(Bad) Luck of the Irish

Some people might say it's a no-brainer to execute a man who killed a cop. But attorneys for Cecil Clayton, who landed on Missouri's death row for doing just that, tried to save their client's life by claiming that Clayton himself was a no-brainer.

To clarify, Clayton's attorneys attempted a last-minute appeal to the US Supreme Court based on the fact that a small portion of Clayton's brain had to be removed following an accident at a sawmill in 1972 which sent a chunk of wood into Clayton's noggin. They claimed that accident played a key role in Clayton's murder of a sheriff's deputy decades later, in 1996. But the appeal was denied, and Clayton was executed by the state of Missouri on St. Patrick's Day.

Instead of a traditional Irish feast for his last meal, Cecil Clayton requested fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and cola.

Death and Taxes and Texas

As Benjamin Franklin said, nothing in this world is certain except death and taxes. And in Texas, the two sometimes go hand in hand.

Convicted killer Manuel Vasquez was executed by the state of Texas tonight for a murder that took place in 1998. Vasquez, who was working as a hit man for the Mexican Mafia at the time, beat and strangled a female drug dealer who refused to pay taxes to a local gang.

Because Texas no longer allows special last meal requests, Vasquez was given the same food as others in his unit. For his last meal, Vasquez was served Pepper Steak, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, carrots, ranch style beans, sliced bread, and apple glazed cake, with a choice of water, tea, or punch to drink.