Current:Home > NewsTexas inmate set to be executed on what would have been teen victim's 41st birthday -FutureFinance
Texas inmate set to be executed on what would have been teen victim's 41st birthday
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:30:15
A Texas man who admitted that he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and fatally shot the 18-year-old girlfriend of his drug dealer was set to be executed on Wednesday — what would have been the victim's 41st birthday.
The remains of Bridget Townsend weren't found until October 2002, nearly two years after she vanished, when Ramiro Gonzales, having received two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman, led authorities to the spot in Southwest Texas where he left her body.
His execution by lethal injection was planned for Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
Patricia Townsend, the victim's mother, told USA Today that June 26 is her daughter's birthday. She would have turned 41 years old Wednesday.
"When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying," she said. "That's her birthday."
Gonzales, 41, was condemned for fatally shooting Townsend after stealing drugs and money and kidnapping her in January 2001 from a home in Bandera County, located northwest of San Antonio. He took her to his family's ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her.
Gonzales' lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution, arguing that he has taken responsibility for what he did and that a prosecution expert witness now says he was wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger to society, a legal finding needed to impose a death sentence.
"He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult. He acknowledges his responsibility for his crimes and has sought to atone for them and to seek redemption through his actions," Gonzales' lawyers wrote Monday in their petition. A group of faith leaders have also asked authorities to stop Gonzales' execution.
Gonzales' lawyers argue that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has violated his constitutional rights by declining to review his claims that a prosecution expert, psychiatrist Edward Gripon, wrongly asserted Gonzales would be a future danger. After re-evaluating Gonzales in 2022, Gripon said his prediction was wrong.
"I just want (Townsend's mother) to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother," Gonzales, who was 18 years old at the time of the killing, said in a video submitted as part of his clemency request to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. "So, every day it's a continual task to do everything that I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took."
"Unforgivable acts"
Bridget Townsend's brother isn't persuaded. In various petitions and posts on Change.org, David Townsend has criticized efforts to portray Gonzales as anything other than a convicted murderer who committed "unforgivable acts." He said the death sentence should be carried out.
"Our family seeks not revenge, but closure and a measure of peace after years of heartache - a quest that is hindered, not helped, by decisions that allow the perpetrator of our pain to remain in the public eye," David Townsend wrote.
Earlier this month, a group of 11 evangelical leaders from Texas and around the country asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to halt the execution and grant clemency to Gonzalez, saying he now helps other death row inmates through a faith-based program.
"We are writing as Christians calling for you to spare the life of another Christian – Ramiro Gonzales. Ramiro has changed. Because he has changed, we believe the circumstances surrounding him should change as well," they wrote.
On Monday, the parole board voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzales' death sentence to a lesser penalty. Members also rejected granting a six-month reprieve.
Prosecutors described Gonzales as a sexual predator who told police he ignored Townsend's pleas to spare her life. They argued that jurors reached the right decision on a death sentence because he had a long criminal history and showed no remorse.
"The State's punishment case was overwhelming," the Texas Attorney General's Office said. "Even if Dr. Gripon's testimony were wiped from the punishment slate, it would not have mattered."
If Gonzales' execution proceeds, it would be the second this year in Texas. Convicted murderer Ivan Cantu was executed in February. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Texas currently has 185 people on death row.
"She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," Patricia Townsend told USA Today about her daughter. "Every time she was with somebody she hadn't seen in a while, she had to hug 'em ... She didn't deserve what she got."
She told USA Today the execution will be a "joyful occasion" for her and her family,
- In:
- Death Penalty
- Texas
- Execution
veryGood! (995)
Related
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Judge dismisses cruelty charges against trooper who hit loose horse with patrol vehicle
- D-Day anniversary shines a spotlight on ‘Rosie the Riveter’ women who built the weapons of WWII
- Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle testifies about his drug use in federal gun trial
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- China's lunar probe flies a flag on the far side of the moon, sends samples back toward Earth
- Virginia governor says state will abandon California emissions standards by the end of the year
- Ohio State football gets recruiting commitment for 2025 class from ... Bo Jackson
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Amanda Knox’s Slander Conviction Upheld by Italian Court in Meredith Kercher Murder Case
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Arizona voters to decide whether to make border crossing by noncitizens a state crime
- Texas county to pay female constable deputies $1.5 million to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit
- Ohio State football gets recruiting commitment for 2025 class from ... Bo Jackson
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Proof Emily in Paris Season 4 Is Already Shaping Up to be Très Magnifique
- Angel Reese is not the villain she's been made out to be
- Washington man sentenced for 20 ‘swatting’ calls of false threats in US, Canada
Recommendation
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
The 10 Top-Rated, Easy-to-Use Hair Products for Root Touch-Ups and Grey Coverage in Between Salon Visits
Judge tosses out Illinois ban that drafts legislative candidates as ‘restriction on right to vote’
Pritzker signs $53.1B Illinois budget, defends spending with ‘sustainable long-term growth’
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Alaska father dies during motorcycle ride to honor daughter killed in bizarre murder-for-hire scheme
Lax oversight by California agency put LA freeway at risk before 2023 blaze, audit finds
Toddler killed and mother injured during tornado in Detroit suburb