Execution Report: Carlos Granados

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Granados had no prior criminal convictions, but prosecutors presented evidence of a history of domestic violence. A former girlfriend testified that Granados punched and choked her, and that she found bite marks and bruises on her three-year-old son after he visited Granados. Granados admitted to a case worker that he bit the boy and had spanked him, leaving bruises. Other testimony showed that Granados once injured a family member by assaulting him or her with a beer bottle.

In Texas, killing a child under the age of 6 is a capital offense. A jury convicted Granados of capital murder in April 1999 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in May 2002. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

Jiminez watched Granados' execution from a viewing room reserved for victims and their families. In his last statement, Granados spoke to her while looking at the ceiling. "Kathy, you know I never meant to hurt you," he said. "I gave you everything, and that's what made me so angry. But I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry." Granados also expressed love to his family and supporters. The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 11 January 2007.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's office, Associated Press, Huntsville Item.