6TH LAST MINUTE APPEAL WAS AT LAST TEXAS MAN’S FINAL APPEAL

In a written statement to The Washington Post shortly before his death, Larry Swearingen warned that “Texas murdered an innocent man,” adding that he hoped his “wrongful’ execution could serve as a ‘catalyst to change the insane legal system of Texas which could allow this to happen.”

BarkGrowlBite
August 22, 2019

After five last minute appeals had stopped five scheduled executions of Larry Swearingen, his 6th final appeal failed, and at last on Tuesday evening, the state of Texas was finally able to send him to his maker.

Swearingen, 48, had been convicted and sentenced to death for the 1998 stragulation murder and rape of 19-year-old college student Melissa Trotter. He maintained his innocence to the very end, claiming the scientific evidence against him was rigged and that he was locked up in jail at the time of Trotter’s brutal strangulation.

In a written statement to The Washington Post shortly before his death, Swearingen warned that “Texas murdered an innocent man,” adding that he hoped his “wrongful’ execution could serve as a ‘catalyst to change the insane legal system of Texas which could allow this to happen.”

After Swearingen was strapped down on the death chamber gurney, the warden asked if he had any last words. Swearingen then spoke: “Lord, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.”

They knew exactly what they were doing in putting a convicted brutal murderer to death.

The execution by a single dose of pentobarbital went without a hitch. Swearingen even gave a play-by-play description of his execution, saying he could hear the drug going into his arm, before saying he could “taste it.” “It's actually burning in my right arm. I don't feel anything in the left arm.” Then he took a short breath before starting to snore quietly. Swearingen was pronounced dead 12 minutes after the dose of pentobarbital was administered.

Swearingen became the 12th condemned inmate to be put to death in the US this year. He became the fourth killer to be executed in Texas this year. Eleven other murderers are scheduled to be put to death in Texas by the end of this year.