Roger Vaughn was executed by the State of Texas for the murder of Dora Watkins
According to court documents Roger Vaughn would escape from the Lubbock County Jail and would head to the home of Dora Watkins, she was a friend’s mother, in which he would break in, sexually assault her before murdering her. Vaughn would proceed to steal a number of items from the home before fleeing
Roger Vaughn would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Roger Vaughn would be executed by lethal injection on May 6 2003
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When Was Roger Vaughn Executed
Roger Vaughn was executed on May 6 2003
Roger Vaughn Case
Roger Dale Vaughn, 48, was executed by lethal injection on 6 May 2003 in Huntsville, Texas for the rape and murder of a woman during a burglary of her home.
On 14 October 1991, Vaughn, then 37, fled from the Lubbock County jail, where he was a trusty who was facing charges of forgery and robbery. Vaughn then located a friend, Larry Shaw, and told him he had been paroled. Vaughn got Shaw drunk, stole his car, and beat him severely until he was partially paralyzed. He also stole Shaw’s identification.
The next day, Vaughn attempted to contact a friend by telephone. He ended up speaking with the friend’s mother, Dora Watkins, 66. Vaughn made arrangements to stop by her house in Vernon the next evening.
On the afternoon of 16 October, Vaughn burglarized his aunt and uncle’s house in Vernon, stealing two pairs of boots and two rifles. He pawned the rifles in Wichita Falls, then returned to Vernon. That evening, Vaughn, then 37, broke into Watkins’ house. Vaughn sexually assaulted Watkins, then strangled her to death with a piece of cloth. Vaughn stole some checks and jewelry from the home.
Vaughn was arrested the next day in Wichita Falls after an unsuccessful attempt to cash one of Watkins’ checks. He had Watkins’ identification and checkbooks in his possession. He also had several pawn receipts made out in Larry Shaw’s name, and was driving Shaw’s car. According to the prosecutor, Watkins had a bite mark on her face that matched an impression taken of Vaughn’s teeth.
Vaughn had a previous conviction for burglary of a habitation. He was sentenced in 1977 to 10 years’ probation, but after only two months, his probation was revoked because of an aggravated assault, and he was sent to prison. He was paroled 2½ years later, in 1980. Vaughn was granted clemency in August 1985 and was discharged from parole. However, in 1986 he was convicted in Wyoming of receiving stolen property and put on probation. Later that year, he was convicted of forgery and sent to prison. The date of his release was not reported. He was arrested on fraud and robbery charges in August 1991 and sent to the Lubbock County jail.
Vaughn was also court-martialled by the U.S. Army in 1973 and convicted of being AWOL. He was subsequently discharged for character and behavior disorders.
A jury convicted Vaughn of capital murder in May 1992 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in March 1995. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.
“I’ve never murdered anybody,” Vaughn insisted in an interview from death row the week before his execution. “I just fit the bill.” Vaughn admitted that he visited Dora Watkins the day after he “got stupid and walked off,” from jail, but he said that he didn’t rob her and didn’t kill her. He said that he later picked up a hitchhiker who left a package inside his car. That package contained jewelry, credit cards, and a checkbook belonging to Watkins. “I hocked the rings,” he said. “I needed money. I wrote a couple of checks.”
At his execution, Vaughn smiled, laughed, and mouthed to relatives that he loved them, but he declined to make a last statement. At Vaughn’s request, the prison chaplain read Psalm 103 during the execution procedure. After the warden signaled for the lethal injection to begin, Vaughn turned his head toward his left hand, where a needle was inserted, and said, “My hand is about to pop down here.” He then succumbed to the chemicals. He was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m.
