Execution Report: T. J. Jones

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A jury convicted Jones of capital murder in October 1994 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in December 1996. Jones' state habeas corpus appeals were denied, but in 2001, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to hear his case. Jones' lawyers contended that a juror in his case was influenced by out-of-court information, and that the trial court improperly excluded a potential juror. The Fifth Circuit rejected these claims in September 2001.

"I would like to say to the family, I regret the pain I've put you through. I hope you can move on after this," Jones said in his last statement. "Mom, I love y'all. Take care. I'm ready." The lethal injection was started, and Jones was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m.

Jones' three co-defendants were convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity and received long prison terms.

By David Carson. Posted on 12 August 2002.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's office, Associated Press.