A Texas man convicted of killing 3 young children, including a 2-month-old baby, inside a Brownsville apartment more than 20 years ago was executed by lethal injection Thursday evening.
John Allen Rubio, 46, was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. on Thursday at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
Rubio was convicted of fatally stabbing and beheading 3 children in 2003. The victims were identified as 3-year-old Julissa Quesada, 14-month-old John E. Rubio and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio.
The children were found inside the apartment Rubio shared with his common-law wife, Angela Camacho, in Brownsville, near the U.S.-Mexico border. Camacho was also charged in the killings and is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty.
During his final statement, Rubio thanked his family and friends for their support and spoke about his religious beliefs. He also apologized to his wife’s family and expressed regret over what happened.
“I can’t change the past,” Rubio said, according to his final statement released by TDCJ. He also said he hoped his family would come to know the love and forgiveness of God.
Rubio’s conviction followed a lengthy legal process. His first capital murder conviction was overturned by an appeals court, which ruled that statements made by Camacho had been improperly admitted as evidence.
At a second trial, Rubio again pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was convicted and sentenced to death.
Defense experts diagnosed Rubio with paranoid schizophrenia and testified that his childhood was marked by violence, drug use and other traumatic experiences. Prosecution experts disputed the diagnosis.
Court records also showed that Rubio had made claims that the children were possessed and that he had been chosen to save the world.
The killings deeply affected the Brownsville community. The apartment building where the children were murdered was later demolished, and the property was turned into a park and community garden.