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The Latest Breaking News from Texas Department of Criminal Justice

A Texas woman was on death row for 27 years. But questions over a key witness could have her soon walk free from prison

Brittany Holberg’s murder conviction has been passed down to the district court after the prosecution failed to provide a key piece of evidence: their lead witness was a paid informant, James Liddell writes.

The Independent UK

She shot and killed Latin superstar Selena 30 years ago. Now she’s up for parole and could be set free

Yolanda Saldívar fatally shot Grammy-winning Latin superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez, 23, in a Texas hotel room on March 31, 1995. Thirty years later, she is up for parole. Andrea Cavallier delves into the tragic killing

The Independent UK

Texas Father Dies Trying To Save Son In Tragic Accident

Tragic incident in Texas City results in the accidental shooting death of a 17-year-old boy and his father, a well-known tattoo artist. Community mourns th...

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Texas executes man, 41, who committed murder as a teen then served as spiritual advisor to prison inmates

Ramiro Gonzales died by lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6.50pm at the State Penitentiary in Huntsville

The Independent UK

Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdown

The killing of inmate Billy Chemirmir in the Coffield Unit occurred during a statewide lockdown of prisons, promoted by a rise in inmate homicides. A day before the lockdown, another incident at the same prison resulted in the firings of seven correctional officers and the resignations of another six.

The Texas Tribune

Billy Chemirmir preyed on elderly women in a murder spree that landed him behind bars. Then he was killed by his own cellmate

Under the guise of being a healthcare aide, he would slip into their rooms where he’d smother them and steal their valuables. How a jewelry box led police to a Texas serial killer. Andrea Cavallier reports

The Independent UK

Life with Parole

Probation and parole systems remain understaffed and buggy in Texas, causing people to fall through the cracks and land in prison.

Texas Observer

Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies

Many state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.

The Texas Tribune

Texas executes Wesley Ruiz despite ongoing fight over state’s use of old lethal injection drugs

Ruiz was convicted in the 2007 shooting death of Dallas police Senior Cpl. Mark Nix after a high-speed chase.

The Texas Tribune

Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that “cruel” treatment.

Men sentenced to death in Texas are held in isolation until their execution dates, with little human contact, medical care or legal help, according to a lawsuit filed to improve treatment of the condemned.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Texas executes Robert Fratta after high courts reject challenges to expired lethal injection drugs

Fratta was convicted in the 1994 murder-for-hire of his wife. Lawyers unsuccessfully challenged Texas’ routine of extending the expiration dates of its lethal drugs, a practice begun when many pharmacies began refusing to provide doses for executions.

The Texas Tribune

Chronically understaffed Texas prisons set stage for prison bus escape and massacre of family

Investigative reviews by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and independent consultants found the severely short-staffed prison routinely bypassed crucial security checks, leading to a convicted murderer’s escape.

Salon

Extreme heat killing prisoners in Texas

Texas officials claimed that no prisoners have been killed by heat. A new report shows they're wrong

Texas Observer

Heat Kills Hundreds In Texas Prisons

During the hottest part of the year, up to 13 percent of deaths at Texas prisons without air conditioning were due to extreme temperatures.

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The Texas Tribune

Texas executes Tracy Beatty for strangling mother to death

Beatty’s lawyers argued unsuccessfully that the 2003 Smith County murder didn’t qualify for the death penalty. Neither the Supreme Court nor Texas Gov. Greg Abbott intervened on Wednesday.

Tribune News Service

Prison staff shortages take toll on guards, incarcerated people

HOUSTON — The pay is rising — but so are average temperatures, and because many of the workplaces are not air-conditioned, toiling for this employer often means broiling in the Texas heat. The job is stable and recession-proof but also potentially dangerous, with an ever-present threat of violence.

The Independent UK

‘How can I give back life?’ Texas death row prisoner asks for execution reprieve to donate kidney

Ramiro Gonzales, 39, is scheduled to be executed on 13 July

Daily Mirror

Four children and an adult found dead in home near to where prisoner escaped

Convicted murderer Gonzalo Lopez has been shot dead police believe he may be linked to the deaths of four children and an adult at a home near to where he escaped

Tribune News Service

Escaped Texas prisoner suspected of killing 2 adults, 3 children

FORT WORTH, Texas — The man who authorities said escaped law enforcement custody May 12 by stabbing a bus driver after getting out of his shackles is now suspected of murdering five people, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced.

The Independent UK

Fugitive suspected of taking truck from five found dead

State prison officials say a convicted murderer on the run since escaping a prison bus after stabbing its driver on May 12 may be driving the truck linked to the deaths of five people

The Independent UK

Texas inmate who escaped bus got out of restraints, cage

Authorities say a Texas inmate who was serving a life sentence for murder when he escaped from a transport bus last week got out of his restraints and a caged area before stabbing the driver

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