Execution Report: James Knox

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In 1978, Knox was convicted of armed robbery of a pharmacy in Alabama and received a 12-year sentence. He was paroled in 1980.

Knox was not arrested for Sanchez's murder until 1985. A jury convicted him and sentenced him to death. State courts upheld his conviction, but in March 1991, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed his conviction on the basis of improper jury instruction. Knox was retried, reconvicted, and resentenced to death in 1994. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal courts were denied.

Knox declined media interviews throughout his stay on death row and did not seek clemency from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. When asked if he had a final statement at his execution, Knox replied, "No, I'm ready". He was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m.

At the time Knox's case was prosecuted, George Holland and Gary Morgan faced capital murder charges for allegedly helping Knox set up the robbery and elude police. No further information was available about their cases.

By David Carson. Posted on 19 September 2001.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's Office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Houston Chronicle.