Texas Carries Out 15th Execution Of The Year

KWTX ^ | 10-20-2005 | KWTX

[COEXERJ145]

Texas carried out the 15th execution of the year just after 6 p.m. Thursday as convicted killer Luis Ramirez was given a lethal injection for his role in the 1998 shooting death of a San Angelo firefighter who had dated Ramirez’s ex-wife.

Ramirez was sentenced to die for initiating the murder-for-hire plot that led to the death of firefighter Nemecio Nandin, 29.

An accomplice, Edward Bell, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors described Ramirez as a jealous ex-husband so obsessed with his former wife that he paid $1,000 for help in a plot leading to Nandin's death.

The 42-year-old inmate denied any involvement in the 1998 shotgun slaying.

[COEXERJ145]

Goodbye troll.

[umgud]

I wonder how many people are on death row in TX? I'm glad TX is taking care of business.

[umgud]

I wonder how many people are on death row in TX? I'm glad TX is taking care of business.

[Michael Goldsberry]

Bye!

Man convicted in firefighter's murder executed

HUNTSVILLE — Professing his innocence, Luis Ramirez was executed Thursday night for organizing and carrying out what authorities said was a murder-for-hire scheme that culminated with the shotgun slaying of a San Angelo firefighter who was dating his ex-wife.

"I did not kill your loved one, but I hope that one day you find out who did," Ramirez told four siblings of Nemecio Nandin. "I wish I could tell you the reason why or give some kind of solace. You lost someone you love very much, the same as my family and friends are going to lose in a few minutes.

"I am sure he died unjustly, just like I am. I did not murder him. I did not have anything to do with his death."

Ramirez turned toward a couple of friends he selected to watch him die and told them he loved them. "Even though I die, that love for you will never die," he said.

As the drugs began flowing into his arms, Ramirez told witnesses that "it's OK. It's all right. I'm not afraid." He gasped several times and eight minutes later at 6:18 p.m. he was pronounced dead.

Ramirez, 42, denied any involvement in the 1998 murder of Nandin, 29, whose body was found in a shallow grave in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of San Angelo.

Ramirez was the 15th prisoner executed this year in the nation's most active capital punishment state.

"Had you told me in 1998 they can do this to people, I would say that's absurd, insane," Ramirez said in a recent interview. "It's just a crazy thing from start to finish. The big question is: Why? Why blame me? Why am I here?"

Prosecutors described Ramirez as a jealous ex-husband, so obsessed with his former wife that he paid $1,000 to an accomplice to help with the plot that resulted in Nandin's death.

Ramirez's lawyers went to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to halt the lethal injection, challenging testimony from an informant who tied the scheme to Ramirez and accomplice Edward Bell.

Bell received a life prison term for his participation.

"You never give up hope, but in this area ... you just better hope and pray," Ramirez's lawyer, Rusty Wall, said.

About an hour before he was scheduled to die, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles refused this week to commute Ramirez's sentence to life and rejected a request for a 120-day reprieve.

Testimony in the capital murder trial showed Ramirez remained obsessed with his ex-wife some two years after a 1995 divorce ended their eight-year marriage. Investigators who questioned the woman said she learned from their children that Ramirez had been asking them about her relationship with Nandin the weekend before the firefighter disappeared and told their children he would "take care of the problem."

Authorities believed Ramirez, working with Bell, lured Nandin to the rural area under the pretense of a repair job. Nandin had a side job as an appliance repairman.

Evidence showed Nandin was handcuffed, taken to a chicken coop, shot twice with a shotgun and buried. His body was found more than a week later.

Bell was arrested in Tyler. Inside his wallet were Ramirez's business card, a hand-drawn map to the home of Ramirez's ex-wife, a description of her vehicle and license plate number, all in Ramirez's handwriting. Also in Bell's vehicle was a pair of jeans covered with Nandin's blood.

Bell's girlfriend took detectives to a spot where she said Bell tossed a pair of latex gloves. They found a glove and the keys to Nandin's truck.

"I have no idea who did this," said Ramirez, who worked at a San Angelo mortgage company. He insisted he was checking out a property some 70 miles away at the time of the slaying.

During the punishment phase of his trial, Ramirez's former wife told jurors she was verbally and physically abused and threatened after they separated. The wife from an earlier marriage testified he abused her as well. There also was testimony about property violence aimed at the women.

"It's just an example of why we need in our society to clamp down on incidents of domestic violence as quickly as we can, to keep these things from growing into a larger problem," Steve Lupton, the prosecutor in the case, said this week. "In this case, it was murder."

[Slings and Arrows]

Luis Ramirez?! Now we'll never be able to prove that the TANG memos were real! Call Dan Rather! Unfire Mary Mapes! Coverup! Perfect Rovian storm!

*whisperwhisperwhisperLUCYramirezwhisperwhisper*

Oh. Never mind.

[COEXERJ145]

As of tonight, 410 on death row.

[TheDon]

Actually, they've had quite a few more than 15 murders in Texas this year. So, they have some catching up to do!

[johniegrad]

Tell me about this "very strong law".

[TADSLOS]

There's also a strong law of averages that zots come to those who post a response like yours on day one of sign up. Enjoy the jolt.

[joem15]

Hey Luci,or Luiz, whatever, you got some splaining to do:

"Burkett now maintains that the source of the papers was Lucy Ramirez, who he says phoned him from Houston in March to offer the documents. USA TODAY has been unable to locate Ramirez."

I guess you don't Mess With Dan "The Texan" Rather.

[Ditter]

You signed up today just to say that? Buh bye!

[texianyankee]

As was mentioned previously, 410 is the latest number.

http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/deathrow.htm

[umgud]

Here in CA, we have 648 death row inmates. Would have had more, but our supreme court many years ago invalidated the death penalty (this comuted Charles Manson's sentence among others). We have had 11 executions since 1976. Texas has had 349 in the same period.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

That's way too many. There's a very strong law of averages which says they're executing a certain number of innocent people.

We do not convict people in Texas for violating the "law of averages". We try the accused in court, and either convict them or clear them. Once convicted and sentenced, there is an appeals process. Even if the appeals process finds that all is proper, there is a clemency process. We make certain that innocent people are not executed. Please cite the exact case of the last time Texas was found to have executed an innocent person.

[johniegrad]

Don't look for specifics from someone who can't even understand bias and generalities.

[willyd]

can you name one innocent person that has been put to death?

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Just as well. The chickenchoker has been zotted.