Execution Report: Bobby Hines

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A jury convicted Hines of capital murder in March 1992 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in May 1995. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied. This included an evidentiary hearing in August 2009 which determined that he was not mentally retarded.

Hines had previously been scheduled for execution in June 2012, but the prosecutor voluntarily postponed the execution so that the state could conduct DNA testing on fingernail clippings found on the victim's body. The execution was rescheduled after the DNA test showed a match to Hines.

Hines declined to speak with reporters while on death row, but a letter he wrote was posted to a web site maintained by opponents of the death penalty. In the letter, Hines did not discuss the murder of Michelle Haupt and did not profess either innocence or guilt in the case. Instead, he made a case against being put to death. He wrote that one witness for the state lied about his past criminal record. He also wrote that the "randomly picked out" jurors at his trial were unqualified to determine whether he was a continuing threat to society. "None that I remember were even a doctor of any kind!" he wrote.

In his last statement at his execution, Hines confessed to the murder and asked for forgiveness. "I know that I took somebody special from y'all," he said as Haupt's father watched from a viewing room. "I know it wasn't right; it was wrong. I wish I could give it back, but I know I can't. I wish there was something I could do."

Despite admitting guilt, Hines reiterated his belief that he should not be executed. "I don't believe that taking my life will solve anything," he said. "I believe being locked up for the rest of my life, having to think about what I did, that would be more of a punishment. To do this is setting me free."

Hines also expressed love to his family and declared that he was "going home." The lethal injection was then started. He stated that he could feel it, but stopped in mid-sentence as he lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 25 October 2012.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, Huntsville Item, deathrow-usa.us.