Texas Execution Information Center

Execution Report: Robert Morrow

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A jury convicted Morrow of capital murder in November 1997 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in June 2000. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

Four days before his scheduled execution, Morrow told a reporter that Allison went willingly with him from the car wash to smoke crack cocaine. As they were driving down an isolated road near the Trinity River, Allison's car got a flat tire. She became upset with him for not changing the tire quickly enough, he said, and she stabbed him in the leg with a screwdriver. "I'm high on cocaine, and it blew my fuse," Morrow said. "So, I knotted up and slapped her and beat the (expletive) out of her." She then ran from him, so he chased her and dragged her back to the car, throwing her in the trunk so he could change the tire. "When I opened the trunk again, she came at my like a raving ... maniac. So, I had to whop her upside the head with a jack handle."

Lisa Allison's father was a Liberty city councilman, and she had relatives in local law enforcement, including a cousin who was a deputy sheriff. "I knew who her family was," Morrow said. "I was a convicted felon that had been to the pen three times. I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. I did what I had to do." He then cut Allison's throat. "I wish it didn't happen, but I can't change it," he said. "When you do drugs, there's no telling what can happen. I did that night, and it got out of hand."

Morrow said that he should not be executed for Allison's murder because he did not kidnap her. By law, only murder cases that include an aggravating factor, such as kidnapping, are eligible for the death penalty.

Liberty County District Attorney Mike Little called Morrow's account "totally preposterous." He said that tests found no trace of any drugs in the victim's system at the time of her death. He said that Morrow was attempting to manipulate the system by smearing the family's memory of Lisa.

Morrow told a Houston Chronicle reporter that he had arranged for his ashes to be sent to family members in Ireland, but "I want you to tell the Allison family that I have arranged for a friend to get my ashes and scatter them over their daughter's grave," he said with a loud laugh.

Morrow said that he was ready to die. "I'd have to be retarded or stupid to want to live on death row," he said. "They're doing me a big favor. I'm getting set free."

Morrow's execution was delayed briefly as prison workers had difficulty finding suitable veins to use for the lethal injection.

At his execution, Morrow addressed Lisa's parents by name and said, "I would like to tell you that I am responsible and I am sorry for what I did and the pain I caused." He also expressed love to his friends. He then said, "Set me free, warden. Father, accept me." As the lethal injection began flowing, Morrow turned again to the Allisons and said, "I do hope my death brings you all some closure." He then blurted out, "I feel it," and gasped slightly three times. He was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m.

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By David Carson. Posted on 5 November 2004. Minor syntax error corrected on 22 October 2014.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, Beaumont Enterprise, Houston Chronicle.

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