Execution Report: Derrick Charles

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Charles pleaded guilty to capital murder. A hearing was held before a jury to determine his punishment. Evidence indicated that he was angry with Mrs. Bennett for reporting him to the police for having sex with her underage daughter. He said in court that he smoked marijuana soaked in embalming fluid before the killings and had hallucinations while committing them.

A jury sentenced Charles to death in May 2003. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence in February 2005. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied. On the day of his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his last-ditch appeal claiming that he was mentally incompetent.

Six of the Bennetts' relatives attended Charles' execution. He made no eye contact with them. When the warden asked if he wanted to make a final statement, he answered, "Nah, I'm ready to go home." The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 13 May 2015.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, cbs11tv.com, Houston Chronicle.