Robert Hudson

Robert Jean Hudson, 45, was executed by lethal injection on 20 November 2008 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder and robbery of his ex-girlfriend in her home.

On 6 May 1999 at about 11:00 p.m., Hudson, then 36, telephoned his ex-girlfriend, Edith Kendrick, 35, at her apartment in Dallas County. Hudson heard a man's voice in the background and became upset. He arrived at Kendrick's apartment after midnight. He knocked on the door, but she did not open it. Hudson then began yelling and kicking the door, saying he was going to kill Hudson and her visitor. Hudson kicked the door open. He saw Kendrick standing next to the bed and Michael Spearman getting up from the couch, putting his pants on. Hudson came at Spearman with a knife. When Kendrick intervened, Hudson began swinging the knife at her while Spearman ran outside to call the police from a pay phone. As Hudson was slashing Kendrick, her 8-year-old son, Colby, tried to intervene. Hudson slashed at Colby, inflicting severe cuts on his neck and fingers. Colby ran to a neighbor's apartment, where the police were called. Kendrick also ran outside, but she fell on the balcony and hit her head on the stair rail. Hudson then caught up to her, grabbed her hair, and pulled her backwards. He stabbed her repeatedly and left her in a pool of blood. Kendrick died from seven stab wounds to her upper torso.

Hudson was arrested at a neighborhood convenience store. In Kendrick's apartment, police found an open purse on the couch. Spearman told police that the purse contained cash and a new watch, and that it was not on the couch when Hudson arrived. At the police station, police found a ladies' watch and $275 with blood on it in Hudson's pocket. Hudson confessed to the murder. "I loved Edith", his confession stated. "I am sorry for what happened and have told the truth about the incident."

At Hudson's trial, in addition to his confession and the above evidence, the state presented eyewitnesses who saw the attack on Kendrick's balcony. Witness Michael Munoz testified that he saw Hudson stab Kendrick six to eight times while she was on her back, each time raising his arm as high as he could.

Hudson had three prior felony convictions. He served less than 2 years of a 5-year sentence for burglary in 1986 and 1987. A year later, he was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and sentenced to 6 years in prison. He was paroled in April 1989 after four months. (At the time, early release was common in Texas due to strict prison population caps imposed by U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice.) In March 1992, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for forgery. He was paroled in October 1998. State records also show a conviction for murder in 1987, but no details about it were available for this report.

A jury convicted Hudson of capital murder on March 2000 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the verdict and sentence in March 2002. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

In his last statement, Hudson expressed love to his wife and a friend who attended his execution. "I will take you to Heaven with me," he told them. He did not acknowledge the relatives of his victim who attended. He asked the chaplain who stood at his feet to pray with him. Hudson prayed the Lord's Prayer and then said, "I love you, Chantal, I love you baby. I am yours and we are one. Let's go, warden." The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m.

Hudson's execution was the 18th and final one in Texas in 2008.