Larry Swearingen's last words were, according to a spokesman for the Texas judiciary, "Lord, forgive them, they do not know what they're doing." The 48-year-old was sentenced to death in 1998 for rape and murder of a 19-year-old student in 1998, but until recently he asserted his innocence. Nevertheless, the prison authorities have now executed Swearingen.
A total of five execution dates had been set against Swearingen since the ruling in 2000. On Wednesday, he received a deadly injection, according to the spokesman, at 18:47 local time he was pronounced dead.
Accusation of lawyers: evidence ignored?
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Swearingen was already the twelfth inmate to be executed in the US in 2019 - and the fourth in Texas. The state has executed more prisoners than any other state since the Supreme Court allowed the death penalty in 1976. Only a week or so ago, Tennessee had executed a convicted double murderer - using the long-disputed electric chair.
In the case of Larry Swearingen, his lawyers had tried in vain to stop the execution. They argued that the judiciary had ignored important evidence that would relieve their client. However, the prosecution left no doubt about Swearingen's guilt.
Executions since 1976
A jury convicted Swearingen in 2000 for the murder of Melissa Trotter. She disappeared on December 8, 1998. Twenty-five days later, she was found dead in a wooded area in the Sam Houston National Forest, with tights around her neck. A prosecutor spokesman said he had "absolutely no doubt" that Larry Swearingen had killed the young woman.
Melissa Trotter's family expressed themselves in a statement disseminated by the Texas judiciary after the execution. "Today Melissa got justice," it says. "We thank God for guiding us through this terrible ordeal, we think we can move forward now and begin the healing process."
During the trial, the prosecution gathered testimonies, mobile phone clues, and numerous other pieces of evidence to prove Swearingen's guilt over the young woman's death. The prosecutors described him as a criminal sociopath who was violating violence against women. He also had apparently wanted to persuade a fellow inmate to take responsibility for the crime.
The Texas authorities rejected a pardon from Swearingen on Monday. On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court ruled against a suspension of execution. On the day of this decision, Larry Swearingen received the lethal injection.
