US state of Texas executes Rick Rhoades for double murder 30 years ago

On Tuesday night, 57-year-old Rick Rhoades was executed with a lethal injection, an overdose of pentobarbital, in Huntsville, Texas.

He was sentenced to death for the September 1991 murders of two brothers, ages 31 and 33. The two victims were killed less than a day after Rhoades was paroled after serving a sentence for burglary.

Rhoades had a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and auto theft in Florida, Iowa and Texas, when he broke into the brothers’ home in the Houston suburb of Pasadena.

At trial, prosecutors told jurors that the brothers were asleep when Rhoades entered their home in the early morning hours. An arrest in the case did not occur until about a month later, when Rhoades was caught burglarizing an elementary school.

In custody, Rhoades confessed to killing the brothers. However, he claimed it was in self-defense after an argument. Rhoades waived last words and did not have a clergyman with him in the execution chamber.

Source: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article254577662.html