HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Condemned killer Reginald Blanton lost his appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court today, clearing the way for his execution tonight in Huntsville.
The 28-year-old death row inmate is to die for the April 2000 robbery and shooting death of Carlos Garza at Garza's San Antonio apartment.
Blanton says he's innocent, but a security video submitted at his capital murder trial showed him pawning two gold necklaces and a religious medal belonging to Garza momentsd after the shooting. When he was arrested four days later, he was wearing more of Garza's jewelry.
Blanton's twin brother, Robert Blanton, told police his brother broke into Garza's apartment, believing no one was home, and shot Garza when he appeared.
Blanton would be the 19th inmate executed in Texas this year. At least six more lethal injections are scheduled before the end of the year, including Khristian Oliver, 32, set to die next week for the beating death of a Nacogdoches County man during a burglary in 1998.
___
On the Net:
Texas Department of Criminal Justice execution schedule: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/scheduledexecutions.htm
Reginald Blanton: http://www.myspace.com/freereggieb
©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
