|
|
| Texas Murderer Executed |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/21/2003 |
|
A retired Army sergeant was executed Wednesday for shooting his 17-month-old step-granddaughter to death in her high chair during a rampage in which his wife and 5-month-old daughter also were killed. Christopher Black declined to make any statement before dying by injection. He groaned as the drugs began flowing and was pronounced dead seven minutes later. Black was convicted of killing Katrease Houston at the Killeen home of his estranged wife Gwendolyn Black, the toddler's grandmother. Katrease was found slumped in a high chair, shot five times in the chest. Her grandmother was shot 10 times. Black's daughter, Christina Marie, was shot once. 'I ran out of bullets,' Black told a 911 operator he called after the Feb. 7, 1998, attack. Black is the 18th Texas inmate to die by injection this year and the second in as many weeks. Two more are scheduled for execution later this month. The U.S. Supreme Court in April refused to consider Black's appeal and no additional appeals were made, according to his lawyer, Jack Hurley. Black bought a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol the day before the shooting. He mailed cassette tapes to relatives explaining plans to kill his 36-year-old wife and anyone else in the house. The tapes were timed to arrive after the shooting. Relatives said Gwendolyn Black, who worked as an elementary school teacher, was seeking a divorce. It took a jury in Killeen 15 minutes to convict Black of the capital murder of Katrease. In Texas, murder of a child under the age of 6 can invoke the death penalty, and the jury deliberated about seven hours before choosing that punishment. Black was charged, but never tried, in the slayings of his wife and daughter. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think