Execution Report: Michael McBride

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At McBride's trial, Karen Tidwell testified that she had known McBride for ten months and had seen him lose his temper in violent outbursts many times. Another mutual friend of Fisher and McBride, Leslie Holder, testified that earlier in the month, she heard Fisher yelling for help in her apartment. After McBride left and Holder arrived, they found a teddy bear with its head ripped off and a threatening, profanity-laced note from McBride stuffed inside. A former apartment manager testified that McBride's apartment had "fist-sized holes" in almost every wall.

A jury convicted McBride of capital murder in February 1988 and sentenced him to death. The conviction and sentence were upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in June 1993. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

At his execution, McBride referred to a written last statement he had prepared, which contained some Bible passages and a poem. He said that he prepared the statement because "I pretty much knew that I would not be able to memorize so much." He then apologized to his witnesses and commented on his execution, saying that it will appear to them that he's falling asleep, but "I won't be here after that point. I will be dead at that point. It's irreversible. God bless all of you. Thank you."

By David Carson. Posted on 1 April 2002.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's office.