EXECUTION #20

Luis Cervantes Salazar
Executed March 11, 2009 06:20 p.m. CDT by Lethal Injection in Texas
20th murderer executed in U.S. in 2009
1156th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
12th murderer executed in Texas in 2009
435th murderer executed in Texas since 1976

Summary:
Salazar entered Martha Sanchez’s home through a window, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and entered Sanchez’s bedroom, where he began stabbing the woman in the chest. Sanchez’s son, 10-year-old Erick, woke up to his mother's scream and went into his mother's bedroom, where he saw Salazar stabbing her. When Erick attempted to grab the knife, Salazar stabbed the boy in the chest. Sanchez ran to get help from a neighbor. Salazar later called 9-1-1 to turn himself into police, and confessed to the crime. The medical examiner testified that Sanchez suffered physical injuries that indicated an attempted sexual assault. In testimony at his trial, Salazar did not deny stabbing Sanchez and her son, but that he felt good during acts of violence and that he had dreamed of killing people.
Final/Special Meal:
A cheeseburger, a meat pizza, four slices of ham or bologna, chicken, three pieces of fried fish with lemons, french fries with no skin, a cup of extra olives and pickles and orange or grape juice.
Final Words:
Salazar expressed love to friends and relatives, asked for forgiveness and laughed several times from the death chamber gurney. "My heart is going ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump," Salazar said, adding a "Hah, hah!" He never acknowledged the crime, however, or addressed the mother, son, two sisters and brother of his victim who watched through a window. After reciting the Lord's Prayer and in the midst of a confession asking for forgiveness for the "sins that I can remember," the lethal drugs took effect. Nine minutes later he was pronounced dead.
The Execution
With his last statement completed, the lethal injection was started. He was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.