Texas: Kosoul Chanthakoummane executed – against the will of the victim’s father
On Wednesday night, 41-year-old Kosoul Chanthakoummane was executed with a lethal injection, an overdose of pentobarbital, in Huntsville, Texas.
He was sentenced to death for allegedly killing a 40-year-old real estate agent with more than 30 stab wounds in 2006. Chanthakoummane himself repeatedly claimed his innocence over the years.
The fact is that in the trial against him, evidence such as bite marks or testimony under hypnosis was accepted. Bite mark evidence is now no longer allowed in Texas due to its unreliability.
The use of hypnosis in witness interviews was stopped a year and a half ago. His current appellate attorney declined to file a final appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, saying it was a waste of time.
Chanthakoummane’s mother attended her son’s execution as a witness. No one from the victim’s side was present. The victim’s father, who died the previous year, had forgiven Chanthakoummane and repeatedly spoke out against the execution, including in a moving video clip.
The organization Death Penalty Action was on site and reported as part of an online vigil. Video conferences for updates had already been held the previous days, with Kosoul Chanthakoummane himself participating by telephone.
More information:
Death Watch: Father Forgave, Texas Doesn’t
Witness of Mercy: A Father’s Forgiveness (video)