David Santiago Renteria, who was sentenced to death for the murder of a five-year-old girl he kidnapped from a store twenty years ago, was executed in Texas. The incident in Texas was the second execution within a few hours in the United States, after Alabama also executed a 1993 murder inmate moments earlier.
The last time two prisoners were executed in one day was exactly one year ago, on November 16, 2022. Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
“I’m sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made”
The last words witnessed by the family and the victim (from different rooms) were: “I am sorry for all the mistakes I have made. I also apologize to those who called for my death and were about to kill me. Forgive them.” Renteria’s victim and his mother in a different crime incident also witnessed the execution. Renteria was previously convicted of indecent exposure to a child in El Paso and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Murder By Alexandra Flores Dating back to November 18, 2001
On November 18, 2001, Renteria took advantage of the distraction of the parents of five-year-old Alexandra Flores to kidnap her from a Walmart store in the border city of El Paso. Security cameras show the man picking up the little girl from the store where the family was doing their Christmas shopping on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The little girl’s body was found the next morning, naked and burned, in an alley about 25 kilometers from the scene of the abduction. IThe autopsy revealed that Alexandra had drowned. Investigators later determined there were no signs of sexual assault. He is remembered as One of the most heinous crimes ever committed in El Paso. The palm print on the plastic bag found above Alexandra’s head belonged to Renteria; The death penalty dates back to 2003. Various reviews of the trial over the years later confirmed this. After the 2008 decision, Renteria and his lawyers filed dozens of appeals.
Last appeal rejected
“I’ve always been a supporter of the death penalty, and from a law enforcement perspective, I think some people are too dangerous to be a part of our society, and this is certainly an individual for whom I think the death penalty is absolutely appropriate.” said El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles.
Less than three hours before the lethal injection, Renteria’s lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution; because the state’s supply of pentobarbital, the drug he would be injected with for his execution, had deteriorated. They claimed it could contain contaminants that would cause “horror” and “severe pain.” The request was rejected and he was executed. At 7pm last night, Renteria was injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital and died. 11 minutes later. He was 54 years old.
Death penalty in the USA
The United States is currently one of 55 states in the world where the death penalty is prescribed. Since 2004, public support for the death penalty has declined sharply (from 80% to 60%, according to various polls); As a result, the number of executions and convictions also decreased, and the number of crimes punishable by death penalty was limited by Congress to the most serious crimes. There were 18 executions in the United States in 2022 (there were 11 the previous year). Renteria is the eighth person executed in Texas this year.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
