Execution Report: James Porter

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At his capital murder trial, Porter stated outside the jury's presence that he wanted to be convicted and sentenced to death. He put on little defense. A jury convicted him of capital murder in March 2001 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in April 2003. Porter's state appeals were exhausted in July 2003, and he opted not to pursue any federal appeals.

Porter's body was covered with tattoos expressing his allegiance to white supremacy groups. One tattoo spelled "HATE" on four fingers of his right hand. In an interview the week before his execution, Porter said that, as a child, he was raped by one of his stepfathers. He ran away from home at about age 14. He joined white supremacist groups because of their hatred of homosexuals.

In the death-row interview, Porter said that he killed Delgado because he made a pass at him. "Dude was a homosexual," Porter said. "[He] asked me several times if that was something I might dig. One day, frustration started eating on me, like a little old black shroud covering my eyes. I'm going to kill someone. I guess at that time I just lost all my cool and didn't care anymore."

Porter recalled the letters that he wrote to District Attorney Elliott, bragging about the murder. He said that at the time, he was proud of what he had done. "That dude never touched any little boys again," he said. But Porter also said that he realized he was wrong "to re-punish him for something he was already punished for."

"I'm sorry it happened," he said. "That's all I can say."

In an interview, Elliott said of Porter, "I think he was pretty well determined to get out of the system by murder, and that's what he did."

Porter said that he no longer considered himself a white supremacist. "I'm over that ... There's too much ignorance that comes with it."

Porter said that he found salvation while in prison, and that "although I don't deserve it," he was certain that he would go to Heaven after his execution. "I know where I'm going. I know what's going to happen. I'm set. I'm secure in that and I'm at a real peace with it. I've never felt that kind of peace. And I like it, instead of all the hate, the chaos, the anger, and the aggravation I usually feel."

Porter did not pursue any final appeals, nor did he request clemency. "I'm the type of individual to face up to my responsibility and my mistakes," he said.

"I am sorry for the pain I have caused you," Porter said to the relatives of his victims at his execution. "I know it is a great loss, and I want to apologize. I am sorry. And to my family, I love you , and I will see you all in Heaven." The lethal injection was then started. Porter was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m.

Anna Acevedo, Delgado's sister, witnessed the execution. Afterwards, she told a reporter, "I believe he was taken out too easy. He didn't feel the same pain my brother did. I would have been happy to see him feel the same pain my brother felt. His apology wasn't good enough for me."

By David Carson. Posted on 7 January 2005.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Associated Press.