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American executed for rape and murder of drug dealer’s girlfriend in 2001

Theo

Washington:

On Wednesday, an American was executed in Texas for the murder of a woman in 2001.

In 2006, Ramiro Gonzales was found guilty and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of Bridget Townsend when both were 18 years old.

Gonzales, now 41, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. local time (11:50 p.m. GMT). He was executed by lethal injection.

“To the Townsend family: I am sorry that I cannot express in words the pain I have caused you. The pain I have taken from you and that I cannot give back,” Gonzales said in his final statement.

In January 2001, Gonzales kidnapped, raped and shot Townsend, his drug dealer’s girlfriend.

The case remained unsolved for 18 months until Gonzales confessed to the crime while in custody in another rape case. He also told authorities where Townsend’s remains could be found.

Gonzales’ lawyer had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution, but the request was rejected on Wednesday.

Gonzales’ execution is the second in Texas this year and the eighth in the United States, not counting last February’s execution in Idaho because the lethal dose was not administered by the legal deadline.

In 2023, the United States carried out 24 executions, all by lethal injection.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states. In six other states – Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee – there is a moratorium on executions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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