Texas plans to put to death Elroy Chester III Wednesday in Huntsville. Execution Watch will provide live radio coverage and commentary on the state killing, Texas’ 499th of the modern death-penalty era.
Unless a stay is issued, we’ll broadcast live: Wednesday, 12 June 2013, 6-7 PM Central Time, KPFT FM Houston 90.1 and Online…
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TEXAS PLANS TO EXECUTE:
ELROY CHESTER III, who pleaded guilty to shooting to death an off-duty firefighter in Port Arthur when he interrupted the burglary Chester was committing. Chester’s attorneys argued on appeal that he is ineligible for execution because he is mentally impaired, but a divided federal appeals court upheld the sentence. Chester’s previous execution date of April 24, 2013, was delayed by the trial court in response to a motion he filed. Chester’s execution would be the 499th in Texas in the modern death-penalty era.
Wrongful Convictions Blog 
You forgot to mention that he also raped to teenage girls.
You also forgot to mention that the Supreme Court’s decision which prohibits execution as “cruel and unsual punishment” only refers to those who are MENTALLY RETARDED, not to those “mentally challenged” or “mentally impaired”. Those are two completely different standards + the Supreme Court left it to each state to determine who fits the definition of mentally retarded.
You also forgot to mention that he sodomized a 10 yr old little girl and murdered 4 other people besides the fire fighter.
I was not familiar with this case until this post. I did some research and it most certainly does appear that this man meets the definition of mentally retarded (intellectually impaired) as he was in special ed classes, never learned to read or write, and exhibits many other factors that appear to weigh in his favor. What seems to be happening is that Texas is making it impossible for the mentally retarded (intellectually impaired) to be found too disabled to execute. We must learn that no matter how bad the crime, if a person cannot understand fully the moral reason not to do it or understand the consequences, then death is not the answer.
none of which matters, jackass…if he did the crime, he deserves the penalty…you libs trying to save this human filth is the travesty in this case…
FInd it hard to understand that he is not capable of knowing what he did was wrong, when he killed four or more times.
mentally retarded, huh? he was smart enough to shave his whole pubic area
before he went on his last crime spree so that he wouldn’t leave any DNA evidence (pubies) after he horrifically sexually assaulted 2 young girls at gun point.
mental retardation doesn’t excuse the pure EVIL that is this person’s life style. He cannot be reformed from his evil ways and the world’s a far better place without him in it. He is the perfect example of why the Death Penalty is necessary. He is NOT wrongly accused nor was he wrongly convicted. There are no mistakes about this one! Pick another individual that truly deserves assistance.
The U.S. is only one of several of the industrialized countries that still has the death penalty. We join Saudia Arabia, China in this evil practice that is done arbitrarily, against the poor/middleclass , and without logic. No wonder terrorist want to harm us as we profess to be so “righteous” –yet, are not!
I live in Port Arthur and experienced what this piece of trash did to these innocent individuals. He sodomized a ten girl. Absorb that in your mind for a minute while you call us “barbaric” and concern your self more with the human rights of a cold-blooded killer who is the incarnate of evil.
Japan still has executions.
When will the united states realise the death penalty does not work the state is no different than the murderer. Life with no parole is a much better option executions are costly they dont deter crime and it is barbaric that american people enjoy knowing that a murder by the state is about to happen. America lives in the dark ages texas and perry are the most evil on the planet and perry will burn in hell for all the murder he has committied. I british and so glad we dont have this evil barbaric practice. Texas is blood thirsty and i really dont understand why texans are such evil vile nasty people. Maybe one day you will come out of the stone age and become modern but the state that murders the judge and jury who authourize it the gov and the blood thirsty people who relish an execution are just as bad as the killer and will burn in hell. And lets not forget the corrupt Lawyer who lie so much just to get a person murdered they are the worst and it happens a hell of a ot your lawyers are a joke and when found out to have lied should spend the rest of their lives living on death row its what the district attorny deserve they are all dodgy corrupt viscious thugs
Ok, you just said executions “are costly”. But an offender serving a LIFE sentence is cheaper? Do you even know how much it costs to house an offender on a daily basis? It isn’t cheap. So let’s do it your way and let these “humans” be maintained on our dime. Please.
The Bible is the final source of what is right and what is wrong. The thief on the cross admonished the other thief who was being crucified.
He stated we deserve our punishment and Jesus didn’t correct him!
Luke 23:32-43
“Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
If your against executions it is ok but don’t use religion as an excuse, Jesus never spoke against executions.
Richard, it is you who is using religion to justify your point. These practices are as barbaric as the scieties that your free press loves to chastise. Texas is up to 500 executions – thats only one state!! It would be interestingto compare to Iran, China, Afghanistan. I recall a story about Jesus intervening in the stoning of a prostitute asking ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone’.
His crimes were premeditated and this is something a mentally retarded person can not do. He killed, sodomized, raped, and made juvenile girls commit sexually-oral acts. He has confessed his guilt and boasted about his crimes during his trial. It is amazing that he has been able to sit on death row for nearly fifteen years.
@Casey Jimenez
To all those advocating for life without parole instead of the death penalty — I agree with you on one condition: that you (or your own family members) get jobs as prison guards at the facilities housing these inmates. If you think society shouldn’t execute someone who repeatedly murdered in cold blood, and/or who attacks other inmates and/or prison staff — then fine… We’ll sentence them to LWOP, but _YOU_ must be their guard…
I dare you to maintain your position after a few months of trying to “manage” them in prison + constantly being afraid one of them might “snap” one day and attack you with a shank or throw urine or feces at you!
I agree with you on one count: if prosecutor/judge intentional misconduct is proven and the inmate is found innocent, the prosecutor/judge should get the same punishment.
He’s the prime example of why the death penalty is necessary. The has no remorse Android he’s causing responsible citizens you money. Of the escapes from prison hell kill rob Android rape again.
Ernest;
I find the discussion regarding this as absurd. The constant ‘cruel and unusual punishment debate’ is crass an barbaric. First the prisoner is imobilised, so the witnesses are not offended by death throes or the groans associated withthe expiration of life. Then they are prevented from breathing. Yet judges love to debate whether this is cruel and unusual. In the supposedly, most advanced nation on the earth, do we still subscribe to state sanctified murder. He desrved life, no privelages, to think aboput what he did. The executiion pratice and proticols are a joke. Why don’t you just hang ’em on a crane like the iranians. Your practices are no better.
I was his very first victim..so xxx him in his xxx an I hope he burn in hell.I was lucky I lived but my thought an pray still go out to those how suffers so much from terror he cause back then.I since had 21 surgery from the gun shot wound he cause ….so really really I hope he burn for ever an ever in hell.
Why do you, Guy McDonald refer to “anotherboomerblog” as a “Jackass”?
Are you so far down the interlectual order of things that you have to resort to infantile name calling to those who can give a reasoned argument while you clearly can not!
I’m one of those libs and I feel that the death penalty is appropriate in this case. I’m interested in hearing what the alternative would be. Life in prison? Execution is easier on the person. Life in a mental hospital? Execution is easier on the person. Plus, he could rape/kill/steal in prison and in a mental hospital. Death isn’t that bad y’all. We’re all going to die someday.
Whenever someone is a repeat offender of violent crimes, and research has shown that they cannot be rehabilitated (sex offenders, mentally retarded) then I feel death is the best option for everyone involved.
And, to the victim, I hope his death brings you a level of peace that you haven’t felt before.
Look, this trial has made me and my family question our values. We lost an Uncle, my cousins lost their childhood. This man stalked his victims before choosing them. He cut phone and cable lines-but not the power lines. So no one could call for help-but he still had lights to see what he was going to do. He made sure he had all the tools he needed available to torture his victims before even approaching them. He filed the serial numbers off of the gun. He told my cousins that they would not live through it, because he could not leave any witnesses. He did numerous other things to prepare for each crime-but they are too graphic to explain publically. The point is, these crimes were all pre-meditated. He admitted in court that he was having fun. He understood right from wrong, and the consequences of his actions. He pleaded guilty & he admitted to everything-so there was no Lawyer who needed to lie to obtain the death penalty. The death penalty was given based on his own admitted guilt! At this point-we just want this chapter to be closed. This will always be a part of our lives, but maybe we can all sleep with the lights off tonight.
I’m from the uk, where nearly everybody who i have spoken to who lives in this democratic country, would like the death penalty brought back as a punishment for pure evil like this man, unfortunatley our governrment will not give us a chance to vote for the death penatly, we have the likes of Ian Huntley, Rose west & others who should not be be allowed to draw breath.
The best thing that could ever happen for anyone who murders, rapes and fully intends to commit it again. He was not mentally insane or incompetent, he plotted and planned each attack and murder. I don’t understand how anyone can say he is, unless they just don’t understand that he just enjoyed what he did, because he was lazy, a thief, and arrogant enough to believe that he could hide it behind calling those who catch him, judge him or sentence him as racist. Neither does he deserve to be housed, clothed or fed any longer. Taxpayers had to pay for his trial, what a waste of tax money. Thank goodness we don’t have to pay for his food, clothing or lawyer expenses anymore. The money can be better spent for the victims of his crimes.
Richard Thornton hit the nail on the head, Jesus never condemned executions, and I would rather see a menace to society executed than live out the rest of their life on our dime. If you are religious then you believe in the afterlife so death is only a passage to final judgement.
With all that said I knew the family of the two girls who were sexually assaulted by that (fill in the blank) and did not blink when they executed him nor defended him to anyone. I’ve waited for this day since this horrible crime was committed and although it can never bring closure the house is even again.
This man confessed his crimes just before his execution – his words being recorded. While I’m opposed to the death penalty, there appears to be no question of guilt.