Inmate Dominique Green was executed this evening despite last-minute legal battles and pleas from relatives of the murder victim that Green's life be spared. "There was a lot of people that got me to this point and I can't thank them all," he said, speaking in a barely audible voice. "But thank you for your love and support. They have allowed me to do a lot more than I could have on my own. ... I have overcame a lot. I am not angry but I am disappointed that I was denied justice. But I am happy that I was afforded you all as family and friends," he said looking at five friends. "I love you all. Please just keep the struggle going. ... I am just sorry and I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be. But I guess it only hurts for a little while. You are all my family. Please keep my memory alive." Green gasped slightly a couple of times as the lethal drugs took effect and was pronounced dead nine minutes late, at 7:59 p.m. U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas had blocked Green's execution for the slaying of a Houston man a dozen years ago after his attorneys argued that boxes of improperly stored and catalogued evidence kept by the Houston Police Department crime lab and recently discovered could contain information relevant to the case. But the stay was later lifted by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant a stay. [more]
- Pictured above: Dominique Green on Texas' death row.