The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a request for a Brownsville man who was convicted of beheading his three children.

John Allen Rubio, 45, was originally sentenced to death in 2003 after being found guilty of killing his 2-month-old daughter Mary Jane Rubio, and his two stepchildren, Julissa Quesada, 3, and 1-year-old John E. Rubio.

Rubio's common law wife, Angela Camacho, is serving a life sentence in connection with the killings. 

Rubio's initial conviction was overturned, and a retrial was ordered, but Rubio was again convicted in July 2010 and sentenced to death. Rubio filed multiple appeals since.

In May 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a certificate of appealability for Rubio, officially ending his last attempt to challenge the denial of federal habeas relief.

The appellate court concluded that Rubio's "long-standing attempts to void the execution - now spanning more than 15 years - were without merit," according to a news release.

In September, Rubio filed for a writ of certiorari, which if approved by the Supreme Court would’ve meant the justices would review and hear the case.

Records on the Supreme Court website show the writ was denied on Monday.

According to the original petition, Rubio has a history of mental illness and was even diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder while in prison. The petition said he and his wife decapitated the children because he believed they were possessed by his dead grandmother. 

Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz issued the following statement in full following the denial.

“Today the United States Supreme Court DENIED John Allen Rubio’s Petition for a Writ of Certiorari.

This means that the Supreme Court will not overrule the past rulings made by the 107th District Court, the State of Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the Brownsville Federal District court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  All of these rulings have upheld his execution.

The defendant, nonetheless, will probably seek to continue manipulating the criminal justice system by filing other frivolous and dilatory motions to try to escape accountability.

As for the District Attorney’s Office, we will seek an execution warrant and an execution date as soon as possible.  Mary Jane, Julissa, and John Estefan, never shall we forget you!  To John Allen Rubio, the people of Cameron County want you to know that ‘Justice is Coming!!’”