Brade
A Texas man convicted of the brutal murder of a young mother over two decades ago was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening. MOISES SANDOVAL MENDOZA, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m. at the Huntsville state penitentiary, according to The Associated Press.
Mendoza was found guilty in the March 2004 killing of 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, a mother of a 6-month-old daughter. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice stated that he sexually assaulted and strangled Tolleson before stabbing her in the throat and dragging her body to a field behind his house. He later transported her remains to a rural dirt pit in Collin County, Texas, where he set her body on fire and buried it under a brush pile in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The crime came to light after Mendoza‘s friend alerted authorities. Tolleson’s body was identified using dental records, and Mendoza eventually confessed to the murder, though the motive remains unclear. Tolleson’s infant daughter was discovered unharmed the following day by her grandmother.
Prior to the murder, Mendoza had a history of violence, including attacks on female family members and the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl, according to The Associated Press.
Mendoza‘s legal team sought a stay of execution and a writ of certiorari from the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing ineffective counsel during his appeals. However, the justices denied his petition on Wednesday. Similarly, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected a request to commute his death sentence earlier this week.
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) highlighted Mendoza‘s transformation during his two decades in prison, describing him as an empathic man of faith who earned certificates in self-improvement and faith-based programs. The organization noted his positive influence on fellow inmates, guards, and chaplains.
Mendoza was the third person executed in Texas this year and the thirteenth nationwide.
[Source: The Associated Press](https://apnews.com)
[Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice](https://www.tdcj.texas.gov)
[Source: Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty](https://www.tcadp.org)
