Texas inmate Ramiro Gonzales to be executed on teenage victim's birthday

Lina Portman1 week ago

9 3 minutes read

A man convicted of raping and murdering an 18-year-old woman is scheduled to be executed in Texas on Wednesday, the same day the victim would have turned 41.

Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection more than 20 years after he kidnapped, raped and killed 18-year-old Bridget Townsend before dumping her body in a field in Bandera, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.

If the execution goes ahead, Gonzales will be the second inmate put to death in the state this year and the eighth in the country.

Gonzales filed a wave of appeals and a clemency petition, asking Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to give him a lesser sentence or more time. He also says he is a changed man who has found God and is “deeply sorry” for his crimes.

Meanwhile, Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, plans to have a front row seat for the execution, telling USA TODAY it will be a “joyful occasion” for her family.

Here's what you need to know about the execution of Ramiro Gonzales:

Last minute appeals rejected, execution planned

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday denied three motions filed on behalf of Gonzales to stop the execution.

The Texas Board of Parole and Pardons also rejected Gonzales' request for clemency the same day, voting 7-0 on commuting the death penalty to a lesser sentence.

Only a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court or a pardon from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott could stop the execution now. Abbott, who called the death penalty “Texas justice,” has overseen the execution of 73 inmates since taking office in 2015 and granted clemency in one case.

Attempts at repair sought, cites change in character

As a boy, Gonzales endured physical and sexual abuse throughout his childhood, often from close relatives, and was the epitome of an “unwanted child,” clinical psychologist Kate Porterfield said in a pardon video submitted to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on June 4.

The death of a beloved aunt, killed by a drunk driver, “plunged Ramiro into inconsolable grief” at age 15 and led him to turn to drugs, his clemency petition states.

Gonzales claims his “deep descent into addiction” played a role in the criminal acts that unfolded in January 2001, arguing in a court filing this month that he is no longer the same 18-year-old years in trouble that he once was and no longer poses a threat to society.

“During the 18 years that Mr. Gonzales spent on death row, he committed no violent criminal acts or, in fact, any criminal acts of any kind,” the filing states. “Instead, he devoted himself seriously to self-improvement, contemplation and prayer, and became a mature, peaceful, kind, loving and deeply religious adult. »

Gonzales contacted Bridget's family over the years to express his “deep remorse” for their untold pain and anguish.

Bridget's mother rejects Gonzales' apology and doesn't feel sorry for him

Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY she doesn't buy Gonzales' remorse.

“He doesn’t deserve pity,” she said. “His childhood should have nothing to do with it. I know a lot of people who had difficult childhoods… He made his choice.”

Townsend spent nearly two years searching for his daughter after the murder, all the time hoping she would be found alive somewhere. Bridget's body was only found after Gonzales confessed to the crime while serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman; he then led authorities to Bridget's body.

Townsend, who lives in San Antonio, drove four hours to be among the witnesses to Gonzales' execution.

She said she found some comfort in learning that Gonzales was set to leave the world the same day Bridget arrived.

“When they told me on June 26, I started crying and crying and crying,” she said. “It is his birthday.”

Ramiro Gonzales execution date, time and last meal

Gonzales is expected to be executed at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston.

The execution will take place at 6 p.m. PT or anytime thereafter on Wednesday, June 26. Gonzales will be put to death by lethal injection, the most common method of execution in the United States, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The types of drugs or drug combinations vary by jurisdiction, with states using one, two, or even three drugs to put inmates to death. Drugs used in past executions have become increasingly difficult to obtain, resulting in what the Death Penalty Information Center considers to be long and painful executions.

Hannah Haney, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, told USA TODAY Tuesday that pentobarbital would be used to put Gonzales to death.

Gonzales will choose his last meal from the “menu available to all inmates in the Huntsville Unit” because sentenced inmates in Texas no longer make last meal requests, according to Haney.

Last minute appeals rejected, execution planned

Attempts at repair sought, cites change in character

Bridget's mother rejects Gonzales' apology and doesn't feel sorry for him

Ramiro Gonzales execution date, time and last meal

Lina Portman

Related Articles

Madison Township Fire Insurance Rate Lowered for First Time in Years

California man convicted of murder of University of Pennsylvania student

Everything in Helldivers 2 Viper Commandos Warbond

Oshkosh teen wins $40,000 Amazon scholarship and internship