Texas Breaks Record For Executions

H U N T S V I L L E, Texas, Dec. 5 -- Texas prison officials have conducted arecord 38th execution this year, the most by any state in U.S.history, putting a condemned killerto death for the rape-slaying of a 7-year-oldWest Texas girl.

In a last statement tonight, Garry Dean Miller turned to his victim’s mother Marjorie Howlett and said, “Maggie I am sorry. I always wanted to tell you, but I just didn’t know how. I have been praying fory’all. I hope that y’all find the peace that y’all have beenwanting,” he said as Howlett sobbed quietly.

Then he prayed, asking God for peace and thanking the Lord forhis family, for “my brothers on the row” and for his spiritualfamily.

“Be merciful to me a sinner,” he added after asking for mercyfor those who were “actively involved with the taking of mylife.”

Then he looked at Warden Jim Willett and said, “All rightwarden, I am ready to go home.”

He took a deep breath then gasped slightly and stoppedbreathing. He was pronounced dead 12 minutes later, at 7:23 p.m.EST.

More Texas Executions Expected

Miller’s execution topped the previous record of 37 set three yearsago.

He isn’t likely to hold the record long. Two moreexecutions were set for the next two nights: on Wednesday, Daniel Joe Hittle, 50, is set to die for the 1989shooting death of a Garland police officer, one of at least sevenpeople believed slain by the Minnesota man.The following night, Claude Howard Jones, 60, is scheduled for lethal injection for the 1989 robbery and shooting death of a San JacintoCounty liquor store owner.

Their punishments would close out the state’s record executiontally at 40, five more than last year. At least seven condemnedkillers already have execution dates set for 2001, three of them inJanuary.

According to the Washington-based Death Penalty InformationCenter, the Texas total is the highest in a state since 1862 when39 Native Americans were hanged on a single day in Minnesota. Thoseexecutions, however, were carried out by the military and not thestate, the records indicate.