Execution Report: Desmond Jennings

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A jury convicted Jennings of capital murder in July 1995 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in April 1997. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

John Freeman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Jennings warned prison officials that he would not cooperate with his execution. When a team came to remove him from his cell on death row, they used pepper spray to subdue him. He was placed on the van and transported from the Ellis Unit, near Huntsville, to the execution holding cell in the downtown "Walls" unit. It was the first time in 193 executions since 1982 that prison officials had to use force to move a prisoner into the death house.

When the scheduled time came, Jennings resisted again and had to be forcibly removed from the holding cell adjacent to the death chamber, although no gas or spray was used. When the warden asked whether he had last statement, Jennings said, "No, I do not." He was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 13 November 2002.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's Office, Associated Press.