Condemned Dallas carjacker set to die Thursday; 9th execution in Texas in 2004

Associated Press ^ | March 4, 2004 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Condemned Dallas carjacker set to die Thursday

07:10 AM CST on Thursday, March 4, 2004

Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Frank Meziere had watched a Dallas Mavericks basketball game at a restaurant with a friend and before heading home stopped at a self-service car wash to clean his black Mustang convertible.

The 23-year-old Plano stockbroker, a 1996 Texas A&M University graduate, never made it home.

His body was found the next day, March 26, 1998, along the side of a road in an industrial area of Oak Cliff, an area of south Dallas. He had been shot in the head 10 times. His car was found about five miles away, abandoned and with the lights on.

"Having dealt with murders, you think you've seen it all," said Jason January, a former Dallas County assistant district attorney. "But this innocent victim was shot almost for sport.

"It was just the sheer overkill of the thing that was ludicrous."

Yokamon Hearn bragged to friends about how he "domed" Meziere, meaning he shot him in the head. Hearn was set to die Thursday evening for the slaying.

He would be the ninth condemned Texas prisoner to receive lethal injection this year and the second in as many nights.

In an appeal filed this week, lawyers for Hearn said the inmate may be mentally retarded and asked the courts to halt the punishment so they can pursue their claim. The U.S. Supreme Court has barred execution of the mentally retarded. Prosecutors said questions about Hearn's mental competence never surfaced previously.

Hearn, 25, refused to speak with reporters as his execution date neared. The U.S. Supreme Court in November denied his request seeking a review of his case.

"It's hard sometimes to know what a death penalty case is, but after a while you know one when you see it," said January, the lead prosecutor at Hearn's trial. "And this just screamed out for the death penalty."

Dallas jurors agreed, deliberating less than an hour to convict Hearn and about an hour before deciding on punishment.

Hearn was 19 at the time of the crime and had a lengthy record that included burglary, robbery, assault, a sexual assult and weapons possession.

"I remember having a big map of the city showing places he had hit and pulled guns on people," January recalled this week. "He was an equal opportunity carjacker -- women, black, white, everybody."

Hearn, along with two other Dallas men and one woman from Oklahoma City, were seen on a security camera video at a convenience store adjacent to the car wash. They had been out looking for someone to carjack, authorities said.

According to testimony at his trial, Hearn drove Meziere's car after he and companion Delvin Diles forced the victim into the car. The two others, Dwight Burley and Teresa Shirley, were in a second car in a convoy that took them to an area near Dallas' wastewater treatment plant. Meziere was shot there with a Tec-9 automatic, then with a .22-caliber pistol. Hearn drove off with his car.

Shirley, driver of the second car, testified Meziere had his arms raised near his head and appeared to beg for his life as Hearn swung the Tec-9, a 9 mm assault-style rifle stolen from an apartment the previous day, back and forth before opening fire. After the victim hit the ground, Hearn shot him several more times, she said. Diles added some shots from his revolver.

Hearn drove off with Meziere's car and kept the victim's license. A witness testified at his trial that Hearn later bragged at a party about the shooting.

Physical evidence linked both Hearn and Diles to the car.

Diles, 19 at the time, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to consecutive life terms for Meziere's death and an unrelated aggravated robbery. He and Hearn were arrested within days of the slaying.

Shirley, then 19, and Burley, then 20, were arrested more than eight months later. Each pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and received 10-year prison sentences.

Hearn was to head to the death chamber 24 hours after convicted killer Marcus Cotton, 29, received lethal injection for fatally shooting Gil Epstein, 27, a Fort Bend County assistant district attorney, during a robbery in Houston in 1996.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/030404dntexexecute.4fc79c1f.html

[Kaslin]

Unfortunally all they do to him is putting him to sleep by lethal injection, just like a vet puts a pet to sleep. What punishment is that? He won't feel no pain

[onyx]

Dang, Yudan. I like you more and more. We are on the same page. I want them tortured.

[bk1000]

"shooter is black, yet not even a vague reference to this being a hate crime!"

Article states the perp was an equal oppertunity carjacker.

[smokinleroy]

What's this "Condemned Dallas carjacker" crap in the headline? Why does it not say "Vicious, cold-blooded murderer" instead. Then again, if I'd been given the name "Yokamon", I might have grown up a little bitter myself.

[writer33]

Now, Yudan. I can see you're not getting in touch with your feelings. We must be compassionate for these murderers. We have to understand them. :)(Sarcasm alert)

Otherwise, I'd absolutely agree with you.

[John123]

Yeah.

A good example on California's reluctance to execute convicted murderers, Kevin Cooper killed a family of three and severely injured a young family friend in 1983. Would you believe his scheduled execution date in February was put on hold by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals?

[jjm2111]

Rule no. 1, never get in a car w/ a criminal. Run and weave, die fighting if you must, shoot back if you can, but never, ever, get in a car w/ the carjacker.

[KJacob]

Would you believe his scheduled execution date in February was put on hold by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals?

yes I believe it I am just suprised they did not declare him innocent on the spot.

[jalisco555]

Funny how everyone on death row is suddenly retarded.

What's truly ironic is that liberals have been telling us for years that IQ is merely a cultural construct and measuring intelligence is simply a way of prolonging the oppression of minorities. Now, suddenly, they are telling us that IQ should determine who on death row should live and who should die.

Are these people never consistent?

[stylin_geek]

I'm assuming your question is rhetorical, however, the short answer is "yes."

[MeekOneGOP]

... He won't feel no pain

True. But the good news is that he won't cause any more either.

[PaulaB]

If you ever have doubts about it in the future...remember what God said


Genesis 9:6:

"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Thanks - I forgot about that passage. Too true . . .

[John123]

Not only that, California hasn't had an execution in two years.

Damn, people just die all on their own out in that state. All the evil, murdering pychopaths must live in Texas and the White House. (sarcasm button off)

[Taylor42]

Happy Trails...

[MeekOneGOP]

What's this "Condemned Dallas carjacker" crap in the headline? Why does it not say "Vicious, cold-blooded murderer" instead. Then again, if I'd been given the name "Yokamon", I might have grown up a little bitter myself.

Hey, this is a GOOD title compared to ANOTHER one just recently!:

01-14-2004
Ex-pizza delivery man set to die

When I first saw that one, I imagined a man delivering cold or bad pizza and the state putting him away for that ...

well, i actually knew that couldn't be the case, but you get my drift ! Media anti-DP bias ...

[End Times Sentinel]

His body was found the next day, March 26, 1998...

He would be the ninth condemned Texas prisoner to receive lethal injection this year and the second in as many nights. ...

GREAT WORK OUTTA YOU, TEXAS!!!  Less than six years from murder to grave!

Here in PA, we're at 22 years and counting waiting for this P.O.S. to meet allah in hell.

Wesley Cook (aka Mumia Abu Jamal)

Murdered Officer Daniel Faulkener Dec 8, 1991

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

 

[american spirit]

But it didn't say he was an equal opportunity murderer.

[MamaTexan]

There must be something about "Do not mess with Texas."

Yessir. We take a pretty dim view of folks that kill other folks just for the helluv it!

[MamaTexan]

Are these people never consistent?

No. That's what makes them so hard for us 'logical' types to figure out!