Execution Report: Ricky Morrow

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Morrow had a lengthy criminal record. Beginning in 1968, he had convictions for robbery, burglary, larceny, damage to property, and drug possession. In July 1970, he began serving a 25-year prison sentence. He was paroled in October 1975. In August 1976, he was returned to prison with a new conviction for aggravated robbery, which carried another 25-year sentence. He was paroled again in August 1981.

A jury convicted Morrow of capital murder in November 1983 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction in March 1988, citing an error by the prosecution when questioning potential jurors. A second trial was halted in 1989 when the judge declared a mistrial. Morrow was tried again, and in November 1990, a new jury convicted him of capital murder and subsequently sentenced him to death. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed that conviction and sentence in May 1995. All of Morrow's subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

Specific information regarding charges against Linda Ferguson Morrow was not available for this report.

At his execution, Morrow expressed love to his family. He was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 21 October 2004.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, Dallas Morning News.