Death sentences from Walker County juries (partial)

Between 1923 and 1923, Walker County sentenced four (4) people to death ("Offenders Sentenced to Death 1923 - 1973 by County," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/prefurman/countysentenced.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009). Three of the four were executed by the method then authorized by state law, electrocution ("Electrocutions by County," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/prefurman/countyelectrocuted.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009).

As of February 5, 2009, Walker County juries had sentenced eight (8) people to Texas' Death Row between the restoration of the death penalty in Texas in 1976 and February 2009 (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Total Number of Offenders Sentenced to Death from each County," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/countysentenced.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009).

Two people were executed based on Walker County jury death sentences between December 7, 1982, and July 5, 2009 (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "County of Conviction for Executed Offenders," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/countyexecuted.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009). They were:

1) Jesse Jacobs, a white man, 44 years of age at his execution on January 4, 1995, convicted of the murder of Etta Ann Urdiales, 25 years old, on February 21, 1986, in Montgomery County. The case was tried in Walker County on a change of venue (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/statistics/deathrow/executed/jacobs.jpg, last accessed July 5, 2009).

and

2) Terry Washington, a Black man, 33 years of age at his execution on May 6, 1997, convicted of the January 1987 robbery and slaying of Beatrice Louise Huling, a 29 year old white woman, in College Station. The case was tried in Walker County on a change of venue from Brazos County (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/statistics/deathrow/executed/washnton.jpg, last accessed July 5, 2009).

As of June 9, 2009, two people were on Death Row following Walker County sentences (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offenders on Death Row," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/offendersondrow.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009). They were:

3) Raphael Holiday, a Black man, born on July 20, 1979 and convicted of an September, 6, 2000 or 2001 offense (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offenders on Death Row," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/offendersondrow.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009) (The information on the TDCJ website gives contradictory information about the date.) According to the TDCJ, Mr. Holiday killed three children - 7, 5, and 1 year old girls -- by burning their house. The youngest girl was his daughter and the older girls were his stepdaughters. The trial took place in Walker County on a change of venue from Madison County (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offender Information - Raphael Holiday," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/holidayraphael.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009).

and

4) Gary Johnson, a white man, born on October 17, 1950, and convicted of an April 30, 1986 offense (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offenders on Death Row," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/offendersondrow.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009). According to the TDCJ, Mr. Johnson shot and killed 28-year old James Matthew Hazelton and 23-year-old Peter Joseph Sparagna when they surprised Johnson and his brother committing burglary at a ranch. These events and the trial all took place in Walker County. Johnson's brother and co-defendant was convicted and sentenced to 99 years. All four were white men (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offender Information - Gary Johnson," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/statistics/deathrow/drowlist/johnsong.jpg).

Sentenced to death but not executed and no longer on death row

Died in prison:

5) Ramon Mata, Jr. was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. He died of septic shock in prison on July 6, 2000 (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Offenders No Longer on Death Row," http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/permanentout.htm, last accessed July 5, 2009, and Diane Jennings, "Walker County DA at ease with role in state death machine," Dallas Morning News, April 20, 2008, http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/..., last accessed July 5, 2009).

Sentence commuted

6) Raymond Levi Cobb was convicted of capital murder, the 1993 murder of more than one person in the course of a single criminal transaction. A Walker County jury sentenced Mr. Cobb to death. His case went up to the U.S. Supreme Court and back on a Sixth Amendment question about his right to counsel, Texas, Petitioner v. Raymond Levi Cobb, (2001), . Ultimately, however, his death sentenced was commuted to life because Cobb was 17 years old when he committed the crime. On March 1, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons that the execution of minors (including people who were minors at the time of the crimes for which they were sentenced to death) violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

Recommended reading:

Diane Jennings, "Walker County DA at ease with role in state death machine," Dallas Morning News, April 20, 2008, http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/..., last accessed July 5, 2009