A killer on death row in Texas used his final moments to address his victim's family as they watched his execution.
Ramiro Gonzales was convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for the sexual assault and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, per CNN.
The crime occurred in January 2001, when Gonzales contacted the home of his drug supplier, who was Townsend's boyfriend, seeking drugs, according to a 2009 Texas appeals court opinion.
When Townsend informed Gonzales that her boyfriend was not home, he went to the house, stole money, and kidnapped Townsend.
He tied her hands and feet, drove her to a location near his family's ranch, where he raped and fatally shot her.
The case remained unsolved for 18 months until Gonzales, already in jail after pleading guilty to the rape of another woman, confessed to Townsend’s murder and led authorities to her body.
Gonzales had pleaded for mercy, claiming he had reformed and was no longer a danger to society. However, his appeals were repeatedly denied.
He was executed via lethal injection at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville on June 26 - what would have been Townsend's 41st birthday.
In his final moments, Gonzales addressed Townsend’s family, who were present at the execution.
"I can’t put into words the pain I have caused y’all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back," he said.
"I hope this apology is enough. I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me."
After a moment of silence, his final words were: “Warden, I’m ready.”
Texas inmates no longer have the privilege of last meal requests and instead receive the standard prison fare.
This is because of an outrageous request made by Lawrence Russell Brewer back in 2011.
Gonzales’s execution was marked by seven breaths that sounded like snores before all movement ceased within a minute of the lethal dose of pentobarbital, per News.com.au.
For Townsend’s family, the execution brought a complex mix of emotions. “She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people,” Patricia Townsend, Bridget's mother, told USA Today.
“Every time she was with somebody she hadn’t seen in a while, she had to hug ‘em … She didn’t deserve what she got.”
She expressed relief over Gonzales’s execution, stating: “He doesn’t deserve mercy. His childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood. You shouldn’t feel sorry for him because of that. He made his choice.”
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