Texas Man Executed for 1989 Murder of Twins, Marks 6th US Execution

Photo : AP

A Texas man was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday evening for the brutal murders of teenage twin sisters, making him the sixth inmate to be put to death in the United States over the past 12 days. Garcia White, 61, was convicted for the 1989 murders of 16-year-old twins Annette and Bernette Edwards and was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas.

In his final moments, White apologized to the victims' family, expressing remorse for the pain he had caused. "I would like to apologize for all the wrong I have done and for the pain I've caused to the Edwards family," White said, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. "I regret, I apologize, and I pray that you can find peace." He was pronounced dead at 6:56 pm local time.

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White’s crime shocked the Houston community in December 1989. According to court records, after an argument with the mother of the twins, Bonita Edwards, at their Houston home, White killed her and then turned on the two sisters, stabbing them to death. Despite confessing to Bonita’s murder, White was not tried for her death nor for two other killings he admitted to committing – one in 1989 and another in 1995.

White was initially convicted in 1996 for the murders of Annette and Bernette Edwards. His lawyers, however, filed a last-minute appeal with the US Supreme Court, seeking a stay of execution. They argued that White was intellectually disabled and, under the law, should not have been eligible for the death penalty. The court ultimately denied the request, paving the way for the execution to proceed.

This marks the fourth execution in Texas this year, with the state continuing to lead the nation in capital punishment cases. Another inmate, Robert Roberson, 57, is set to be executed on October 17, despite lingering questions about his guilt. Roberson was convicted for the 2002 death of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki, after he brought her to the hospital with severe head trauma. The child died the next day, and Roberson was charged with her murder based on a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.

However, Roberson’s case has drawn significant attention from medical experts, advocates, and even best-selling author John Grisham, all of whom are calling for a halt to his execution. In a letter to Texas officials, 34 doctors argued that the original shaken baby syndrome diagnosis was incorrect and that Nikki had actually died from severe pneumonia, which had been worsened by an incorrect prescription.

Roberson, who is autistic, was not diagnosed until 2018, and his lawyers contend that his condition was misinterpreted as indifference during the trial, leading to a harsher verdict. They argue that his autism played a significant role in how his actions and emotions were perceived during the case.

While Texas continues its use of the death penalty, the practice has been increasingly scrutinized across the country. In 2023 alone, 18 inmates have been executed in the United States. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 states, while six others – Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee – have placed moratoriums on its use. 

The growing debate over capital punishment, including issues surrounding intellectual disabilities, wrongful convictions, and the fairness of trials, continues to shape the legal landscape in the US. As Texas prepares for more executions, these concerns are likely to remain at the forefront of public and legal discussions.