[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 27



TEXAS----execution

Texas executes man who fatally shot game warden


A man convicted of killing a Texas game warden became the 2nd person executed 
by the state of Texas this year on Wednesday.

James Freeman, 35, was killed by lethal injection just after 6 p.m. inside the 
Walls Unit, more than 9 years after he fatally shot Justin Hurst.

Freeman was illegally hunting in Wharton County the evening of March 17, 2007, 
when a game warden stopped to cite him. Freeman fled the scene and led police 
on a 90-minute chase before bailing from his truck and firing on officers with 
a pistol. After he emptied his clip, Freeman pulled out an assault rifle and 
fatally shot Hurst, who was celebrating his 34th birthday.

Freeman was shot 4 times.

More than 100 game wardens with the Texas Parks and Wildlife stood outside the 
Walls Unit in support of Hurst on Wednesday.

James Clark, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said 
Freeman appeared unemotional in the hours before he was executed.

"He didn't have anything to say, other than yes and no," Clark said.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month refused to review Freeman's case. On 
Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined a clemency petition for 
Freeman.

Freeman becomes the 2nd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Texas 
and the 15th overall since Greg Abbott became governor in January 2015. Freeman 
becomes the 533rd condemned inmate to be put to death in Texas since the state 
resumed capital punishment on December 7, 1982.

Freeman becomes the 4th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the 
USA and the 1426th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 
1977.

(sources: Associated Press & Rick Halperin)

**********************

Executions under Greg Abbott, Jan. 21, 2015-present----15

Executions in Texas: Dec. 7, 1982----present-----533

Abbott#--------scheduled execution date-----name------------Tx. #

16---------February 16--------------Gustavo Garcia--------534

17---------March 9------------------Coy Wesbrook----------535

18---------March 22-----------------Adam Ward-------------536

19---------March 30-----------------John Battaglia--------537

20---------April 6------------------Pablo Vasquez---------538

21---------April 27-----------------Robert Pruett---------539

22---------June 2-------------------Charles Flores--------540

23---------July 14------------------Perry Williams--------541

(sources: TDCJ & Rick Halperin)