A murderer finally apologised for killing a young mum – minutes before he was executed on death row on Wednesday night.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza has spent more than 20 years in a state prison in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, whom he strangled and stabbed. Dental records were used to identify Ms Tolleson, 20, whose body was found beside a stream following the horrific beating in March 2004.
Although Mendoza, 41, repeatedly apologised to family members, watching from an adjoining the room, Ms Tolleson’s mum blasted the killer after the execution, stating nothing could undo the loss of her daughter.
“I am sorry for having robbed you of Rachelle’s life… I’m sorry for that. I know nothing that I could ever say or do would ever make up for that. I want you to know that I am sincere. I apologise,” Mendoza said before he received the lethal injection, and died 19 minutes later.
The killer addressed Ms Tolleson’s parents, one of her brothers, a cousin and an uncle by name in his poignant speech. Ms Tolleson’s saughter, who was just six months old when her mum was killed, was not present.
Mendoza then spoke in Spanish to address his wife, his sister and two friends watching through a window from another witness room. His words provided in a transcript in English translation, Mendoza said: “I love you, I am with you, I am well and at peace. You know that I’m well, and everything is love.”
Mendoza then had the injection and, after two loud gasps and approximately 10 snores, he became lifeless was declared dead at around 6.40pm last night local time (12.40am Wednesday in UK).
Pam O’Neil, the victim’s mother, told reporters after witnessing Mendoza’s execution that it could not undo the loss of her daughter. Reading from a statement, she said of Mendoza: “He’s been on death row 20 years. That ended today. He was put to sleep. He felt no pain. I wish I could say the same about my daughter’s death.”
Prosecutors say Mendoza took Ms Tolleson from her north Texas home, leaving her baby daughter alone. The infant was found cold and wet but safe the next day by Ms Tolleson’s mother. Ms Tolleson’s body was discovered six days later, left in a field near a stream. Evidence in Mendoza’s case showed he also had burned Ms Tolleson’s body to hide his fingerprints.
But the young man was detained after he told a friend about the killing. He told investigators he repeatedly choked Ms Tolleson, sexually assaulted her and dragged her body to a field, where he choked her again and then stabbed her in the throat. He later moved her body to a more remote location and burned it.
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