A Texas man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend has been executed by lethal injection, with his final words now coming to light.
Charles Victor Thompson, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, after receiving a lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, marking the first execution in the United States this year.
Thompson was convicted for the 1998 shooting deaths of his former girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new partner, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at Hayslip’s apartment in the Houston area.
Moments before the injection was administered, Thompson addressed the victims’ families, asking for forgiveness and saying he hoped they would find healing.
There are no winners in this situation, he said after prayers were offered by a spiritual adviser. He added that his execution only creates more victims and traumatizes more people 28 years later.
In his final statement, Thompson said, I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for what happened. I love you all. Keep Jesus in your life and keep Jesus first.
Witnesses said Thompson gasped loudly as the injection took effect, took several deep breaths that later turned into snoring sounds, and then stopped moving.
He was pronounced dead about 22 minutes later, according to the Associated Press.
After the execution, Dennis Cain, father of Darren Cain, reacted simply, saying, He’s in hell.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Tear, whose office prosecuted the case, said the execution brought closure. This chapter is closed. It was justice a long time coming, he stated.
Court records revealed that on the night of the murders, Thompson went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment around 3 a.m., got into an argument with her new boyfriend, and was ordered by police to leave the complex.
He later returned about three hours later and shot both victims.
Cain died at the scene, while Hayslip succumbed to her injuries one week later.
Although Thompson’s original death sentence was overturned, he was again sentenced to death after a retrial in 2005.
He later escaped from jail and was on the run for three days before being captured in Louisiana while allegedly trying to arrange wire transfers to flee to Canada.
About an hour before the execution, the US Supreme Court rejected Thompson’s final appeal, while the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles had earlier denied his request for clemency.
