HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man was put to death Wednesday evening for fatally stabbing his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son in 2013, apologizing profusely to her older son who survived with multiple stab wounds and witnessed the execution.
Cedric Ricks, 51, was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. CDT following a lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
He was condemned for the May 2013 killings of 30-year-old Roxann Sanchez and her son Anthony Figueroa at their apartment in Bedford. Sanchez’s surviving son, Marcus Figueroa, was stabbed 25 times but managed to feign death.
Ricks apologized to the victims’ family members present, especially to Marcus, who watched through a glass window as Ricks was strapped to a gurney. Visible scars on Marcus' neck reflected the brutality of the attack.
Ricks expressed deep remorse, stating, I want to say that I’m sorry for taking Roxann and Anthony from y’all... I hope one day you’ll find it in your hearts to forgive me. He added, I hope y’all go in peace. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done. As the execution proceeded, he took his final breaths and was declared dead shortly after.
Prosecutors described that during a violent argument, Ricks, after stabbing Sanchez, proceeded to attack Marcus, who only survived by pretending to be dead. Ricks fled the scene but was arrested in Oklahoma a short time later.
At the trial, Ricks claimed he was acting in self-defense, despite admitting to committing the murders. He was previously charged with assaulting Sanchez, hinting at a history of violent behavior.
His attempts to appeal the sentence were unsuccessful, as the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal without comment on the matter. Ricks was the second person executed in Texas this year, a state noted for leading the nation in executions.
In related news, Alabama's Governor has commuted the sentence of an inmate originally scheduled for execution, stirring discussions about capital punishment across the nation.
