Billy Gardner was executed by the State of Texas for the murder of Thelma Row
According to court documents Billy Gardner would rob the cafeteria office at a local high school where he would shoot and kill Thelma Row
Billy Gardner would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Billy Gardner would be executed by lethal injection on February 16 1995
Billy Gardner Photos
Billy Gardner Case
A 51-year-old man convicted of killing a cafeteria worker in a robbery was executed by injection early today, the sixth person put to death this year in Texas.
The convict, Billy Conn Gardner, said in a brief final statement, “I forgive all of you, and I hope God forgives all of you all.”
His mother, Nettie Gardner, replied, “I’ve never been more proud of you than I am now.”
Mr. Gardner’s relatives hugged and sobbed. His sister, Betsy Gray, said afterward: “My brother was convicted of a crime he did not commit. Tonight, once again, the State of Texas has committed cold-blooded murder. They are mass-murdering people here almost as bad as if we’re in a war.”
Texas has executed more people this year than any other state, and its 91 executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 also leads the nation.
Mr. Gardner was convicted in 1983 of killing Thelma Row, a cafeteria supervisor at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas.
Mrs. Row, 64, was counting the day’s receipts in a back room when she was confronted by a robber and shot in the chest with a .357-caliber pistol. The robber fled with about $1,600; Mrs. Row died 11 days later.
The husband of another cafeteria worker acknowledged being involved with the robbery, but said Mr. Gardner was the gunman.
Mr. Gardner first went to prison at the age of 19 after he was convicted of larceny and burglary; at the time of his execution, he had 10 other felony convictions.
When he was arrested in the killing of Mrs. Row, he was on parole after having served fewer than six years of a 20-year sentence for forgery, assault, burglary and carrying a prohibited weapon.
That conviction came while he was on parole for burglary and robbery
