Execution Report: Mark Stroman

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A jury convicted Stroman of capital murder on 2 April 2002 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 2003. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.

Stroman was also charged, but not tried, for the murder of Waqar Hasan.

Although at the time of his trial, Stroman made no secret of his white supremacist views and his desire to take revenge on Arabs for the September 11 terrorist attacks, in later years, he downplayed or denied these views. "I'm not the monster the media portrays me," he said in an interview from death row the week before his execution.

On a web site operated by death-penalty opponents, Stroman expressed remorse for the killings, but said his judgment was affected by a personal loss. "I lost my sister in the World Trade Center," he wrote. "I remember sitting at home watching the nightmare on TV. And knowing she was on the top floors of the North Tower ... Let's just say that I could not think clearly anymore and I am sorry to say that I made innocent people pay for my rage, anger, grief, and loss. I have destroyed my victim's families as well as my own. Out of pure anger and stupidity I did some things to some men from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia - and now I sit on Death Row awaiting execution. And by no means am I proud of what I have done."

In court documents, prosecutors stated there was no evidence Stroman had a sister who died in the September 11 attacks.

Among the final appeals filed on Stroman's behalf was one by shooting survivor Bhuiyan, who stated that he was never given the opportunity to testify of his opposition to the death penalty. He also stated that he forgave Stroman and wanted to spend time with him to learn why the shootings occurred.

"I'm praying to God to spare his life, to give him a chance," Bhuiyan told a reporter. "We all make mistakes as human beings."

"Killing him is not the solution," Bhuiyan said. "He's learning from his mistake. If he's given a chance, he's able to reach out to others and spread that message to others."

Regarding Bhuiyan's lawsuit, Patel's widow said in a statement made via the Dallas County district attorney's office that no one had permission to speak on her behalf.

The courts denied Bhuiyan's lawsuit, delaying Stroman's execution by about 2½ hours.

"Even though I lay on this gurney, seconds away from death, I am at total peace," Stroman said in his last statement. "Hate is going on in this world and it has to stop. Hate causes a lifetime of pain." He repeated that he was at peace and called for Jesus to be with him. "I am still a proud American, Texas loud, Texas proud. God bless America, God bless everyone."

"Let's do this damn thing," Stroman said next to the warden. While the lethal injection was administered, he expressed love to his friends who were in attendance. "It's all good," he continued. "It's been a great honor. I feel it; I am going to sleep now. Goodnight. One, two, there it goes." He was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 21 July 2011.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, CBS News, Huntsville Item, deathrow-usa.us.