22 January 2015 :

Arnold Prieto, 41, Hispanic, was executed. He was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. CST, 20 minutes after a lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing into his veins. As the injection began, he said he could smell it, then uttered, "Whoa." He immediately began snoring, each snore a bit more quiet. After about 5 snores, he stopped moving. Prieto was sentenced to death in Bexar County in June 1995. Prieto was one of three men convicted in the September 11, 1993 robbery and murder of Rudolfo Rodriguez, 72, his wife, Virginia, 62, and Paula Moran, 90. Prieto was the only one of the three to get the death penalty. Prieto told police that the day of the killing the three had been using cocaine. Prieto becomes the 1st inmate to be put to death this year in Texas, the 519th overall since the state resumed capital punishment on December 7, 1982, the 1st to be put to death since Greg Abbott became governor of the state; Abbot was inaugurated just yesterday, Jan. 20. Prieto becomes the 4th inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1398th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.