Texas parole board denies clemency for Corpus Christi death row inmate John Henry Ramirez
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously voted to deny clemency to Corpus Christi death row inmate John Henry Ramirez on Monday.
Ramirez, 37, was sentenced to death by the state for the fatal stabbing of Pablo Castro, a 45-year-old convenience store clerk, during a 2004 robbery in Corpus Christi.
Ramirez and two women confronted Castro outside a Times Market in Corpus Christi in search of money to buy drugs.
According to an earlier Caller-Times article, Ramirez beat and kicked Castro and stabbed him 29 times with a 6-inch serrated knife. The group left with $1.25. He was sentenced in 2008.
Ramirez is scheduled for execution on Wednesday.
Letter of clemency denial to attorney of John Henry Ramirez by callertimes on Scribd
The decision came after Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez filed to call off the execution in April, stating that he believes the death penalty should not be imposed on Ramirez or any other person while he remains in office.
"I'm disappointed but I can't say it was unexpected," Ramirez's attorney, Seth Kretzer, told the Caller-Times on Monday.
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of Ramirez's request that his pastor be permitted to place his hands on him and pray aloud during his execution.
Kretzer said Ramirez's pastor, Dana Moore, of the Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, will travel to be with Ramirez.
"We litigated last year for the right to pray and that has been accomodated to us," Kretzer said. "Every avenue that can be exhausted has been exhausted."
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas parole board denies clemency to John Henry Ramirez
