Execution Report: Rogelio Cannady

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

In his later appeals, Cannady claimed that he did not kill the two runaway teens, at all, but was coerced into signing a confession. "I got scared," he said in an interview from death row. "I was afraid I'd get the death penalty. Ironically, I did."

Cannady also maintained that he killed Bonal in self-defense because he was making sexual passes at him. "I think anybody would have done the same thing," he said.

Cannady's execution was attended by two of his brothers, a niece, and three friends. "I'm going to be OK," he told them as they watched through a window. "Y'all take care of yourself ... May God have mercy on my soul." With his last statement concluded, the lethal injection was started. Cannady then laughed and lifted his head from the gurney. "I thought it was going to be harder than this," he said, grinning. "I'm going to sleep now. I can feel it. It's affecting me." He then lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 20 May 2010.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, public records, Associated Press.