Execution of Man Convicted of Triple Murder in Texas

A man found guilty of murdering three individuals in their apartment while on the hunt for drugs was executed in Texas on Wednesday evening, just a week after his accomplice faced the same fate for the same murders.

Ker’Sean Ramey, 41, was put to death by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, and he was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. CDT, according to reports.

Inside the execution chamber, a prison chaplain placed a hand on Ramey’s shoulder and led him in a brief prayer. The warden asked if Ramey had any last words, and he took the moment to express gratitude to God, his friends, family, and fellow inmates, whom he referred to as his brothers.

“To the brothers on Texas death row that grew up with me… I greatly appreciate you,” Ramey said before the lethal injection began.

As the pentobarbital took effect, Ramey inhaled deeply, then sputtered slightly before starting to snore. After a series of snores, he became still. He was declared dead 14 minutes after the injection was administered.

With Ramey’s execution, he became the sixth inmate executed in Texas this year, and the state plans to continue with three more executions in the upcoming two months.

The conviction stemmed from the events of August 2005, when Ramey was found guilty of shooting Samuel Roberts, 24, Tiffani Peacock, 18, and Celso Lopez, 38, at their shared home in Edna, a small town roughly 100 miles southwest of Houston.

Ramey’s accomplice, LeJames Norman, who lived just across the street, had believed the people in the home possessed cocaine. On the day of the crime, they approached the residence wearing masks and forced their way inside. When they found no drugs, they shot Lopez and killed Peacock and Roberts upon their arrival. In a gruesome act, Ramey returned to shoot the victims again to confirm their deaths.

Norman was arrested five months later while trying to re-enter the United States from Mexico. During Ramey’s trial in January 2007, Norman testified about their joint involvement in the shootings, while Ramey’s legal team argued that Norman alone should be held responsible.

Hours before Ramey was executed, the Supreme Court denied his final appeal. His lawyers had contended that jurors were not made aware of mitigating circumstances surrounding his childhood, including his experiences of abuse and poverty. On the other hand, state prosecutors described the appeal as lacking merit and pointed out Ramey’s escalating criminal history.

Ramey’s former girlfriend provided testimony, stating that she was with him when he disposed of two handguns in a lake post-crime, and recounted that he confided in her details of his involvement.

Norman received a death sentence after pleading guilty to capital murder in December 2008.