EXECUTION #10

Dale Scheanette
Executed February 10, 2009 06:21 p.m. CDT by Lethal Injection in Texas
10th murderer executed in U.S. in 2009
1146th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
7th murderer executed in Texas in 2009
430th murderer executed in Texas since 1976

Summary:
On 17 September 1996, the body of Christine Vu, 26, was found lying face down in a half-filled bathtub in her Arlington apartment. Her hands, ankles, and neck were wrapped with duct tape. An autopsy showed that she had been raped, strangled, and drowned. A fingerprint was found in her apartment, and a DNA sample was collected during the autopsy, but this evidence did not lead to any suspects. On 24 December 1996, 20-year-old Wendie Prescott, who lived in the same apartment complex, was found lying face down in her bathtub. Her neck, wrists, and ankles were wrapped in duct tape and were all connected together with a band of duct tape down her back. An autopsy showed that she had been sexually assaulted and bound in this fashion prior to her death, which was caused by manual strangulation. Investigators recovered a high-quality fingerprint from a television stand in Prescott's apartment, and sperm samples were recovered, but no matches were returned from law enforcement data bases. The killings, which the media dubbed the work of the "Bathtub Killer", remained unsolved for years. In 2000, Arlington police resubmitted the fingerprint and sperm samples to the FBI, who found a conclusive match with Scheanette. After his arrest, Scheanette was also connected to the sexual assaults of four other women in their apartments the Dallas-Fort Worth area from September 1998 to October 1999. A jury convicted Scheanette of the capital murder of Wendie Prescott in January 2003 and sentenced him to death. Scheanette was charged with Vu's murder, but was not tried.
Final/Special Meal:
Two spicy fried leg quarters, french fries and ketchup and two spicy fried pork chops.
Final Words:
"My only statement is that no cases ever tried have been error-free. Those are my words. No cases are error-free." He did not acknowledge the six witnesses who attended on behalf of his victims.
The Execution
The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m.