A man who experts said was intellectually disabled has become the 600th person executed in Texas since the state resumed carrying out the death penalty in 1982.
Did he cut his hair? Trevor Lawrence stars in Jaguars 2026 schedule release videoBattle over beer brewing: Hastings church appeals pizza restaurant’s alcohol approval Read full article: Battle over beer brewing: Hastings church appeals pizza restaurant’s alcohol approval State Rep.
Angie Nixon, D-Fla. , speaks loudly on the House floor as the House voted on HB1D, a redistricting bill, during a special session of the Florida Legislature, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida House panel issues rare reprimand to Rep.
Angie Nixon over protest against approved congressional mapAttorney for off-duty JSO officer accused in skate park takedown pleased after client clearedFILE - Edward Busby Jr., left, confers with attorney Steve Gordon on the second day of his capital murder trial, Nov. 10, 2005, in Fort Worth, Texas.
– A man who experts for both prosecutors and defense attorneys had said was intellectually disabled became the 600th person executed in Texas since 1982, put to death Thursday evening for the killing of a retired 77-year-old college professor.was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m. local time following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, hours after a divided Supreme Court lifted a stay over his disabilities claims. The execution followed a series of last-minute legal efforts by Busby's attorneys in a bid to spare his life after the nation’s high court lifted a stay hours earlier.
Busby was condemned for the suffocation death of Laura Lee Crane, a 77-year-old retired professor from Texas Christian University who prosecutors say was abducted from a grocery store parking lot in January 2004 and left to suffocate in the trunk of her car with duct tape wrapped around her face. Busby appeared extremely contrite when asked by the warden if he had a final statement, repeatedly apologizing and asking for forgiveness — before the drugs began flowing.
Busby’s execution had been in doubt after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a stay of execution to further review his claims of intellectual disability. But the Supreme Court allowed the execution to proceed after overturning the stay Thursday at the request of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Later Thursday evening, Busby’s lawyers again asked the 5th Circuit for an 11th-hour stay but were quickly denied.
The Supreme Court in 2002 barred the execution of intellectually disabled people. But it has given states some discretion to decide how to determine such disabilities. Busby's attorneys had argued against his being put to death because a defense expert as well as one hired by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, both found he was intellectually disabled. The district attorney’s office had previously recommended that Busby’s sentence be reduced to life in prison.
But the trial judge in Busby’s case disagreed with the findings of intellectual disability and in 2023 upheld the death sentence. In a statement Wednesday, the district attorney's office said it requested Thursday's execution date because it believed that under current law Busy was not intellectually disabled. The Texas Attorney General’s Office had urged the Supreme Court to lift the stay, arguing Busby’s claims of intellectual disability are “meritless” and based on “conflicting evidence.
” The attorney general’s office also argued that Busby’s claims of intellectual disability merited no further review because they were “time barred” and similar appeals were previously rejected. Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, a national anti-death penalty group, criticized the attorney’s general’s for pressing for the execution to be carried out without a review of the merits of Busby's intellectual disability claims.
“The merits of this case are significant,” Bonowitz said before the execution was carried out. “How can anyone claim this is fair due process? ” Prosecutors have said Busby and his co-defendant, Kathleen Latimer, abducted Crane in her car from a Fort Worth grocery store parking lot and later put in her vehicle’s trunk as they drove around.
Prosecutors said she died in the trunk after suffocating from having 23 feet of duct tape wrapped over her entire face, covering her mouth and nose. Busby was arrested in Oklahoma City driving Crane’s car and led authorities to her body in Oklahoma just north of the Texas border.
After his arrest, Busby told investigators Latimer was the person who had pushed him to abduct Crane, restrain her with the tape and that he “never meant for her to get hurt or anything. ” Latimer remains in prison after receiving a life sentence for murder. Busby was the fourth person put to death this year in Texas and the 12th in the country. Texas has historically held more executions than any other state.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Pt. 2: Batteries out.
Parts off.
New tools and toys for This Old Golf CartNews4JAX ride-along with JSO DUI Patrol on Cinco de Mayo ends with arrestJacksonville unveils Riverfront Music Garden, reopen Northbank Riverwalk to honor city’s heritageJoshua Phillips withdraws bid for sentence review, cites need for professional counselingShanna Gardner, Henry Tenon return to court for another pre-trial hearingAffordable housing project planned for Springfield as development reshapes neighborhoodSimple Ways You Can Save on Your Electric Bill this Summer with Florida Power & LightNothing beats getting after it in the weight room with your guys 💪JSO searching for woman after man shot twice during fight at bar in Woodland AcresEverything you need to know about the inaugural Ironman Jacksonville competitionLoved ones gather at Naval Station Mayport as USS Cooperstown deploys
Please follow us on Google to support us Juan A. Lozano Edward Busby Laura Lee Crane Jim Graves Abraham Bonowitz Raymond Johnson Kathleen Latimer
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Colorado Buffaloes Struggle to Keep Up with Texas Tech in 2027 Recruiting ClassColorado Buffaloes face stiff competition from Texas Tech in the upcoming recruit rankings, with Texas Tech having eight of the top 10 recruit commitments in the Big 12.
Read more »
Gas tops $4 in Texas as bipartisan group of lawmakers back tax pause to cut pricesWith the average price of a gallon of gas in Texas topping $4, some leaders from Austin to Washington, D.C. are backing a temporary pause on gas taxes as a way
Read more »
Supreme Court clears way for Texas' 600th execution since 1982A Texas man deemed intellectually disabled by experts for both prosecutors and defense attorneys is facing a scheduled evening execution for the death of a retired college professor decades ago.
Read more »
Texas can execute death row inmate Edward Busby, U.S. Supreme Court saysBusby’s execution, set for Thursday evening, had been halted by a federal appeals court less than a week ago.
Read more »