Texas executes inmate for 2002 double murder
Texas executed a man sentenced to die for the 2002 murder of two Subway sandwich shop employees, despite calls for a reprieve over claims of prosecutorial misconduct.
Terry Edwards, 43, received a lethal injection and was declared dead at 10:17 pm (0417 GMT Friday), said Jason Clark, public information director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
His final words were "Yes, I made peace with God. I hope y'all make peace with this," Clark said in a brief statement.
Texas is the state with the highest number of executions in the country ©PAUL BUCK (AFP/File)
Edwards' attorneys argued that their client, who was African-American, was sentenced by a 12-person all white jury following a trial in which he was poorly defended. The attorneys said that black people were systematically rejected from the jury pool.
Edwards was killed despite appeals that went up to the US Supreme Court, which rejected the case just hours before the execution.
Edwards was sentenced to die along with his cousin Kirk Edwards for the 2002 double murder in Dallas.
The two fled with $3,000 taken from the cash register.
Edwards had been fired from the sandwich shop a few weeks earlier. A witness claimed to have seen him discard his weapon in a nearby garbage can after the robbery.
Edwards' attorneys argued that an expert showed his gun had not been fired.
Unlike his cousin -- who reached a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for 25 years in prison -- Edwards had no criminal record.
Texas is the state with the highest number of executions in the country.
