Texas executes Jamaal Howard despite concerns over lethal injection drug used in failed Tennessee execution

Jamaal Howard, 46, was executed by lethal injection in Texas on Wednesday evening for the 2000 murder of convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout. His execution marked the first in the U.S. since a failed attempt to execute Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. Howard's legal team filed multiple appeals seeking to halt the execution, citing concerns that Texas's supply of pentobarbital might be degraded or lead to a botched outcome similar to Pike's case. They also argued Howard was ineligible for the death penalty due to intellectual disability. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court denied all requests for a stay, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not grant a 30-day delay. Howard was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m. after apologizing to the victim's family.

Jamaal Howard, 46, was executed by lethal injection in Texas on Wednesday evening for the 2000 murder of convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout. His execution marked the first in the U.S. since a failed attempt to execute Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. Howard's legal team filed multiple appeals seeking to halt the execution, citing concerns that Texas's supply of pentobarbital might be degraded or lead to a botched outcome similar to Pike's case. They also argued Howard was ineligible for the death penalty due to intellectual disability. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court denied all requests for a stay, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not grant a 30-day delay. Howard was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m. after apologizing to the victim's family.