James Porter was executed by the State of Texas for a prison murder
According to court documents James Porter was serving a lengthy sentence for murder when he would beat to death fellow prisoner Rudy Delgado. Porter would tell authorities that Delgado was a sex offender who made a pass at him
James Porter was convicted and sentenced to death
James Porter would be executed by lethal injection on January 4 2005
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When Was James Porter Executed
James Porter was executed on January 4 2005
James Porter Case
Condemned inmate James Porter was executed tonight for fatally beating a convicted child molester nearly five years ago while in prison.
Porter, who dropped his appeals and ordered nothing be done to stop the first execution of the year in the nation’s most active capital punishment state, apologized to the relatives of his victims and expressed love to his family. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you,'' he said in a brief final statement.I know it is a great loss and I want to apologize. I am sorry. “And to my family I love you and I will see you all in heaven.”
He closed his eyes and quickly stopped breathing as the lethal drugs took effect and his mother sobbed while watching through a window nearby. Six minutes later, at 6:12 p.m. CST, Porter was pronounced dead.
Porter, 33, from Lake Dallas, was sentenced to die for using a smuggled rock wrapped in a pillowcase to fatally pummel fellow prisoner Rudy Delgado, 40. Porter’s lawyer, Robin Norris, said Porter had been advised that attorneys were ready to help him, even at the last minute.
Porter already was serving a 45-year term for the 1995 shooting death of a transient in Denton County when he attacked Delgado in May 2000 at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Telford Unit near Texarkana. Delgado, who also was stabbed and kicked, was serving a 15-year term for sexually assaulting a child in Dallas County.
I believe he was taken out too easy,'' Anna Acevedo said after watching her brother's killer die.He didn’t feel the same pain my brother did. I would have been happy to see him feel the same pain my brother felt. “His apology wasn’t good enough for me.”
Porter said Delgado was gay and made a pass at him, which the former white supremacist didn’t appreciate. What I done is what I done,'' Porter told The Associated Press in a recent interview.I’d taken a 2-pound rock to somebody’s head and spread them all over the place. I guess at that time, I just lost all my cool and didn’t care anymore.”
He wrote letters to James Elliott, the Bowie County prosecutor handling his capital murder trial, referring to his victim in epithets and said he should be applauded for ridding society of a child molester. Elliott used the letters at Porter’s trial, telling jurors the convicted murderer was boasting and proud of killing Delgado. In a way, I was,'' Porter said from death row.That dude never touched any little boys again.”
In another letter, Porter warned he would murder again and didn’t care if it was another prisoner or a corrections officer. “The letter where he said ‘I’m going to kill again the next chance I get’ was fairly convincing,” Elliott said.
Norris said Porter had a difficult childhood that included being raped. He ran away from home when he was about 14 and linked up with supremacists who shared his hatred of gays, Norris said. In prison, Porter claimed allegiance to white gangs and acquired extensive tattoos, including letters that spell “HATE” on four fingers of his right hand.
I'm over that,'' Porter said.I’ve kind of stepped out. There’s too much ignorance that comes with it.” He said he eventually realized he was wrong to repunish Delgado for something he was already punished for.''I’m just thankful I had the chance to get salvation,” he said, adding that he was convinced he would be going to heaven although I don't deserve it.''I know where I’m going. I know what’s going to happen,” Porter said. “I’m set. I’m secure in that and I’m at a real peace with it. I’ve never felt that kind of peace. And I like it, instead of all the hate, the chaos, the anger and the aggravation I usually feel.”
Porter was one of at least nine men in Texas with execution dates already this year, including four in January. The state carried out 23 executions last year.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2976390
