Execution Report: Jose De La Cruz

Jose de la Cruz, 31, was executed by lethal injection on 4 May 1999 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder and robbery of a 24-year-old man.

On Monday, 1 June 1987 in Corpus Christi, De la Cruz, then 19, stabbed Domingo Rosas six times with a kitchen knife and broke his neck before robbing him of his driver's license and credit cards. He also stole a television, video recorder, and stereo.

The victim was De la Cruz's girlfriend's cousin. He was physically and mentally impaired from an accident that occurred when he was 3 years old, and was wheelchair-bound. De la Cruz had been at Rosas's home and drank with him a few evenings before the murder.

De la Cruz was arrested for public intoxication later that night. He presented the victim's identification and was released.

Rosas's body was found inside his apartment a couple of days later after family members reported that they had been unable to contact him.

De la Cruz was arrested on 3 June when he attempted to withdraw $350 from Rosas's savings account at the Nueces National Bank. The teller noticed that the signature did not match the one on file. Another bank employee had read that Rosas had been killed.

Rosas initially denied any involvement in the murder, but led detectives to people who bought the stolen items from him. Blood stains on his clothing were also matched to the victim.

De la Cruz had a prior conviction for burglary in 1986. He received a 5-year prison sentence, but was released on parole after serving less than 4 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.)

De la Cruz was offered a deal to plead guilty to aggravated robbery for a 50-year sentence. He declined, telling the media that he wanted to see the criminal justice system operate. A jury then found him guilty of capital murder in June 1988 and sentenced him to death.

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