Texas has carried out the first execution in the United States since Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived a botched lethal injection last week. Jamaal Howard, 46, was pronounced dead at 8:03 pm at the state prison in Huntsville after receiving a fatal dose of pentobarbital.
Howard had been convicted of the 2000 shooting death of 42-year-old clerk Vickie Swartout during a convenience store robbery in Silsbee, Texas. According to witnesses, he gasped and took a few breaths as the drug took effect, then made snoring sounds and coughed before all movement ceased within about 30 seconds. He was pronounced dead 19 minutes later.
Before the execution, Howard addressed members of Swartout's family, apologising and asking for forgiveness. "I wish that you accept my apology and I wish for your forgiveness," he said. "I'm sorry for what happened. I wish you can learn to forgive me one of these days." He added that he was "in a good state of mind to find peace and the Lord, so I thank y'all" and concluded, "Hey, enjoy life, and peace to y'all."
Legal challenges rejected
Howard's attorneys had made last-minute attempts to halt the execution. They filed a motion with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals questioning the quality of the state's execution drugs, and also argued to the Supreme Court that Howard was intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution under the Eighth Amendment. The Texas court denied the drug-related request and a second filing without comment. The Supreme Court declined to intervene late on Wednesday, also without comment, clearing the way for the execution.
The state had argued that Howard's lawyers did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that he met the legal criteria for intellectual disability. While the Supreme Court has barred the execution of intellectually disabled individuals, it has given states some discretion in determining such disabilities.
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, an advocacy group, had urged the public to pressure Governor Greg Abbott to grant a reprieve, so that Howard's lawyers could "obtain critical records from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice about when the drug was bought, how it was stored, and what testing was done and when."
Including Howard, Texas has executed seven people so far this year, up from five in both 2025 and 2024. Two more executions are scheduled for November: death row inmates John Rubio and Reinaldo Dennes.
The execution comes just days after Christa Pike remained conscious a week after her failed execution, raising renewed questions about the reliability of lethal injection protocols across the United States. Pike's case, in which she survived the procedure and remains in critical condition, has intensified scrutiny of the drugs used and the training of execution teams.
While this story is rooted in the American criminal justice system, it resonates in Europe, where the death penalty is universally abolished and often viewed as a fundamental human rights issue. European institutions, including the European Union, have consistently advocated for a global moratorium on executions. The recent events in Texas and Tennessee may further fuel transatlantic debates on capital punishment, particularly as European countries watch closely how the United States handles such cases.
The case also highlights broader concerns about the use of lethal injection drugs, which have sometimes been sourced from European manufacturers. Several European pharmaceutical companies have refused to supply drugs for executions, citing ethical objections, leading to shortages and the use of alternative, often untested, combinations.
As the United States continues to carry out executions, the contrast with European practice remains stark. For many Europeans, the botched execution in Tennessee and the subsequent execution in Texas serve as reminders of the risks and moral complexities inherent in capital punishment.
