Texas executes John Ramirez who won SCOTUS case to have pastor lay hands on him and pray audibly as he died
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS: Texas death row inmate John Henry Ramirez who won a reprieve on Wednesday, September 8 evening, from execution for killing convenience store worker 46-year-old Pablo Castro during a 2004 robbery was put to death on Wednesday night, October 5, in Huntsville, Texas Tribute reported.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, John Henry Ramirez was given lethal drugs at 6.27 pm inside the state's Huntsville Unit, and he was pronounced dead 14 minutes later. Pablo Castro, 46, was fatally stabbed 29 times during a robbery while he was taking out the trash at the convenience store where he worked, and Ramirez had been given the death penalty for his murder almost after 15 years.
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'I am ready to go'
Ramirez addressed Castro's children, Chavon Hernandez, Pablo Castro Jr, Fernando Castro, Roberto Salcedo, and Andrea Salcedo, his daughter-in-law, who were present for the execution as witnesses, prior to the lethal injection and expressed his deep regret for what he had done to them. "I just want to say to the family of Pablo Castro, I appreciate everything that y’all did to try and communicate with me through the victim’s advocacy program," Ramirez said to them, as per TDCJ. "I tried to reply back, but there is nothing that I could have said or done that would have helped you. I have regret and remorse, this is such a heinous act." He continued, "I hope this finds you comfort. If this helps you then I am glad. I hope in some shape or form this helps you find closure. To my wife, my friends, my son, grasshopper, Dana and homies, I love y’all. Just know that I fought a good fight, and I am ready to go. I am ready, warden."
'He is receiving his true judgment with our Lord and Savior'
Pablo Castro's son, Aaron Castro, claimed in a statement that only God could judge his father's killer. The statement reads, "Peace and Love and justice for Pablo G. Castro may his name not be forgotten, and may God have mercy in JHR for it is not up to us." It continued, "He is receiving his true judgment with our Lord and Savior. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. A Life taken away is not to be celebrated but closure can definitely take place."
Ramirez's request to have the pastor during his execution was granted
Ramirez's request to have his execution carried out alongside Dana Moore, the senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, was granted. He made the request during his scheduled execution one year ago. Initially, his request to have his spiritual adviser touch him and vocalize prayers when he is executed has been turned down by Texas prison officials, who have argued that direct contact poses a security risk and the vocal prayer could be disruptive. When rejecting the request by the 37-year-old prisoner, US District Judge David Hittner ruled last week, "[The Texas Department of Criminal Justice] has a compelling interest in maintaining an orderly, safe, and effective process when carrying out an irrevocable, and emotionally charged, procedure." The judge added that TDCJ "will accommodate Ramirez's religious beliefs by giving Ramirez access to his pastor on the day of execution and allowing him to stand nearby during the execution."
Gonzalez's moral opposition to the death penalty
The district attorney's office in Nueces County attempted to object to Ramirez's execution, but it proceeded regardless of their objection. An employee of Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez's office accidentally filed for a new execution date after the Supreme Court's ruling on the killer's right to have a pastor in attendance, despite Gonzalez's moral opposition to the death penalty. The state took his life after a Texas state district judge rejected Gonzalez's request to change the execution date for this week.
Attempts to halt the execution failed
Ramirez had used up all of his appeals, according to his lawyer Seth Kretzer and the US Supreme Court had not received a final petition to stay the execution. Gonzalez provided support for Ramirez's legal team as they submitted motions to halt the proceedings to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the state district court in Nueces County. Both attempts, however, were unsuccessful in stopping it. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also unanimously rejected Ramirez's clemency request on Monday, October 3.
Ramirez was the third prisoner executed this year in Texas
In 2008, Ramirez was convicted for the 2004 killing of 46-year-old Pablo Castro. Castro was taking the trash out from a Corpus Christi convenience store when prosecutors say Ramirez accosted him. Castro had nine children and had reportedly worked at the convenience store for more than a decade when he was killed. During a series of robberies in which the inmate and two women sought money following a three-day drug binge, Ramirez went on to stab Castro 29 times. He slashed Castro's throat and stabbed him over two dozen times in a robbery that garnered just $1.25. Ramirez was the third prisoner executed this year in Texas and the eleventh in the US.