A Texas man was executed on Wednesday for the 2013 stabbing deaths of his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son. Cedric Ricks, 51, who had survived multiple stab wounds himself, expressed deep remorse towards his eldest son, who was present for the execution.
Ricks received a lethal injection of the sedative pentobarbital at the Huntsville state prison and was declared dead at 6:55 p.m. CDT.
Convicted of the murders of 30-year-old Roxanne Sanchez and her son Anthony Figueroa, Ricks committed the crimes during a heated argument at their Bedford apartment.
In a shocking twist, Sanchez’s 12-year-old son, Marcus, endured 25 stab wounds and managed to survive by playing dead.
Before his execution, Ricks repeatedly apologized to the relatives of his victims, particularly to Marcus, who was visibly scarred by the attack.
“I just want to say I’m sorry for taking Roxanne and Anthony away from you,” Ricks said, seemingly addressing the gathered family. He hoped that, one day, they might find it in their hearts to forgive him, even as he acknowledged the pain he caused Marcus. “I can’t even imagine what I did,” he added, his voice breaking with emotion.
Witnesses, including Roxanne’s stepfather and brother, as well as members of Anthony’s family, remained stoic during the execution and declined to speak to reporters afterward.
The night of the incident involved a violent dispute between Ricks and Sanchez, during which her two sons tried to intervene. Ricks reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife and started stabbing Sanchez. After killing Anthony, he turned on Marcus, who attempted to escape to a closet and call for help, ultimately pretending to be dead until Ricks left.
Interestingly, Ricks did not harm a third son, Isaiah, who was just a baby at the time. He fled the scene and was later apprehended in Oklahoma.
During his trial for capital murder, Ricks claimed he was acting in self-defense, alleging that he was provoked by the boys defending their mother. As for his actions, he remarked, “I wish I could bring them back right now,” acknowledging his prior anger issues.
On the day prior to the stabbings, Ricks faced court over a separate assault charge against Sanchez, which adds another layer to his troubling history.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed his appeal without comment, despite his defense team arguing that racial bias affected jury selection during his trial. The Texas Attorney General’s office countered that the jury selection was race-neutral, a point upheld by lower courts.
Earlier this week, Ricks’ request for clemency or a 90-day suspension of his sentence was declined by the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole.
This execution marks the second in Texas this year and the sixth nationally, with the state continuing to lead in executions compared to others. Meanwhile, in Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey recently commuted the death sentence of Charles “Sonny” Burton, a 75-year-old inmate, to life in prison without parole, highlighting the ongoing discussions around capital punishment.
