Facts of the crime:

On October 5, 1973, 53-year-old Devries broke into the Jefferson County home of the Yardley family with intent to commit burglary. During the course of the burglary, he shot parents James and Sara Yardley multiple times. Both parents died from the injuries.

DeVries was convicted of two counts of malice murder and sentenced to death by electrocution. He became the first inmate to receive the death penalty in Texas following the reintroduction of Capital Punishment.

Five months after his conviction, DeVries hanged himself with a bed sheet on July 1, 1974.