Death Sentence in Car Wash Slayings

D A L L A S, Sept. 29 -- A fired employee was sentenced to lethal injectiontoday after being convicted of killing two former co-workers at anIrving car wash.

The Dallas County jury deliberated several hours beforesentencing Robert Wayne Harris to death. He could have receivedlife in prison.

Harris, 28, was found guilty Tuesday of two counts of capitalmurder in the deaths of Mi-T-Fine Car Wash employees cashier RhodaWheeler, 45, and assistant manager Augustin Villasenor, 36, inMarch.

Also killed were Villasenor’s brother, Benjamin Villasenor, 32;Roberto Jimenez Jr., 15; and 48-year-old car wash manager DennisLee. Harris was not tried for those three deaths, although he ischarged in those slayings. He has also been charged in theunrelated death of an Irving woman.

The car wash workers were shot in the back of the head justthree days after Harris was fired from the business.

‘Do What the Lord Tells You’

Harris has confessed to the killings several times, although hepleaded innocent when the trial began Monday.

On Thursday, defense psychiatrist Dr. Jay Crowder testified the28-year-old Harris suffers from depression and anti-socialbehavior, which are compounded by a low IQ. Crowder also saidHarris’ stutter was the result of Tourette’s syndrome, aneurological disorder characterized by exaggerated tics.

Harris’ brother, William Harris, later testified about thepair’s difficult upbringing, including the violent death of theirfather, who was strangled.

William Harris, 30, was questioned about the capital punishmentbeing considered against his brother.

“All that I would ask you to do, as Christian people, is thatyou do what the Lord tells you to do,” he told jurors.