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Thread: John Henry Ramirez - Texas Execution - October 5, 2022

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    John Henry Ramirez - Texas Execution - October 5, 2022


    Pablo Castro was stabbed 29 times and robbed of $1.25 in July 2004.




    Summary of Offense:

    Convicted and sentenced to death for stabbing a Corpus Christi convenience store clerk 29 times in a robbery that netted just $1.25. John Henry Ramirez killed 45-year-old Pablo Castro at the Times Market in 2004.

    Ramirez was sentenced to death in Nueces County in February 2009.

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    December 8, 2008

    Jury Gives Ramirez the Death Penalty

    The jury that found John Henry Ramirez guilty of stabbing a convenience store clerk 29 times back in 2004 took a little a less that four hours Monday afternoon to decide on the death penalty for him.

    Ramirez's grandmother, Maria Hinojosa, spoke to 6 News after the death sentence was announced. She blamed an inadequate defense for the capital murder conviction and for the maximum penalty given.

    Hinojosa lamented, "There was no defense. There was an appointed lawyer who just sat there okay, did nothing, rejected nothing." She continued,"If we would have had $75,000 to pay for an attorney like Douglas Tinker, we wouldn't be where we are right now, or Jerry Miller if we could afford it, which no one has that kind of money right anymore."

    During the morning's closing arguments, the defense kept things short and sweet, hoping it would be enough to spare their client's life.

    The prosecution, on the other hand, asked the jury to show no mercy.

    Prosecutor Mark Skurka implored the jury, "Give Pablo Castro justice. Make this road end in justice."

    Castro was working at a Times Market convenience store on July 19th, 2004 when Ramirez walked in with intentions to the rob the store.

    Instead, Ramirez stabbed Castro 29 times and robbed him of $1.25 - which Skurka described as, "the death of one person - an innocent person - for $1.25."

    Skurka reminded jurors of Ramirez's actions after the murder, robbing 2 people at knifepoint. He went on to say that even police consider Ramirez a troublemaker with a lengthy criminal history including drugs and weapons charges.

    Skurka continued, "Who could doubt that John Henry Ramirez has gone down that road toward evil, toward death and destruction?"

    And because of the facts and circumstances of the case, Skurka told jurors it was their responsibility to make sure Ramirez does not hurt anyone else.

    "He needs to be punished for what he did," Skurka emphasized. "Is it a good punishment for the death penalty? In this case, yes, because the facts and circumstances matter. Is there a chance, is there a probability that he could hurt other people in the future and be a danger to our society? The evidence is clearly that he could, clearly that he could."

    The defense, on the other hand, kept its argument very brief. Attorney Grant Jones only read scripture from Psalm 51, verse 3, "... for I know my transgressions in my sin is always before me, Amen."

    Ramirez's grandmother told 6 News it would be up to Ramirez whether to appeal or not.

    (Source: KRIS TV News)

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    After reviewing Ramirez's six points of error, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found them to be without merit. Consequently, they affirmed the trial court’s judgment and sentence of death.

    Today's opinion here

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    Corpus Christi man loses appeal in death row case

    A Corpus Christi man on death row for robbing and killing a store clerk has lost an appeal to the state's highest court for criminal cases.

    John Henry Ramirez, 26, was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2008 for the July 19, 2004, stabbing of Pablo Castro.

    The 45-year-old convenience store clerk was stabbed 29 times and robbed of $1.25 as he was taking out the trash at a convenience store on Baldwin Boulevard.

    The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday denied Ramirez's appeal, which made several claims about his trial, including insufficient evidence, inadmissible evidence and an error with the reading of jury instructions.

    The court struck down the arguments in a 42-page opinion.

    Death penalty cases automatically are appealed directly to the Austin-based court.

    Castro's killing was one of three robberies Ramirez, Angela Rodriguez and Christina Chavez were accused of committing together that night. The two women were caught that night and are in prison. Ramirez eluded authorities until his 2008 capture near Brownsville.

    http://www.caller.com/news/2011/mar/...-in-death-row/

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    Death row inmate wants to drop legal fight in Corpus Christi case

    CORPUS CHRISTI — John Henry Ramirez wants to die.

    The Texas death row inmate was convicted of capital murder in 2008 for the July 19, 2004, stabbing of Pablo Castro. The convenience store clerk was stabbed 29 times and robbed of $1.25 as he was taking out the trash at a convenience store on Baldwin Boulevard.

    Death penalty cases automatically are appealed directly to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

    The Austin-based court denied Ramirez's appeal in March.

    Ramirez's attorney had made other filings but Ramirez has since decided he wants to end the legal fight to appeal his conviction, a move meant to expedite his execution date.

    He will be transported back to Corpus Christi later this month and undergo a mental evaluation in time for a Sept. 2 hearing in 94th District Judge Bobby Galvan's court.

    District Attorney Mark Skurka, who tried the case, said the evaluation will show whether Ramirez is competent to make the decision. It would be up to the judge to decide when to set an execution date.

    Skurka said Ramirez's desire to speed up the process is rare among death row inmates, but typically comes from wanting to avoid spending a longer life behind bars.

    On average, Texas death row inmates spend about a decade on death row before they are executed, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

    Castro's killing was one of three robberies Ramirez, Angela Rodriguez and Christina Chavez were accused of committing together in the same night. The two women were caught that night and are in prison. Ramirez eluded authorities until his 2008 capture near Brownsville.

    Ramirez is one of six inmates from Nueces County on death row. The next inmate set to face lethal injection is Martin Robles, who was sentenced in 2003 for the 2002 killings of John Commisky and Jesus Gonzalez, both 19. His execution date is Wednesday.

    http://www.caller.com/news/2011/aug/...egal-fight-in/

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    Man on death row for Corpus Christi murder not ready to die

    Ramirez changes mind to end his legal fight, appeal will continue

    John Henry Ramirez isn't ready to die after all.

    The Texas death row inmate was convicted of capital murder in 2008 for the July 19, 2004, stabbing of convenience store clerk Pablo Castro.

    Castro was stabbed 29 times and robbed of $1.25 as he was taking out the trash at a convenience store on Baldwin Boulevard.

    Ramirez had decided he wanted to end his legal fight to appeal his conviction because he wanted to expedite his execution date.

    He was brought to 94th District Judge Bobby Galvan's court on Friday for a hearing on the issue.

    But after about a 45 minute wait the hearing was cancelled because Ramirez changed his mind. He told a doctor who interviewed him this month that he had second thoughts about giving up the legal fight after finding out he has a half sister.

    He wants to get to know the newly discovered relative, which means he wants his appeal to continue.

    A new hearing, which will focus on the merits of his latest appeal, will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Galvan's court.

    Castro's killing was one of three robberies Ramirez, Angela Rodriguez and Christina Chavez were accused of committing together in the same night. The two women were caught that night and are in prison. Ramirez eluded authorities until his 2008 capture near Brownsville.

    http://www.caller.com/news/2011/sep/...not-ready-die/

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    I´m sure it would have been better if he hadn´t found out that he had a half-sister. For me it seems that it was a step to get attention. Now he uses his half-sister and she (and maybe her family) will be another victim of his actions. Sad.

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    Corpus Christi convicted killer claims unfair trial

    The jangling of shackles in front of jurors. An ineffective defense team. Violations of the right to a public trial.

    Those were among the claims presented Wednesday to a Corpus Christi judge in a bid to save death row inmate John Henry Ramirez's life.

    Ramirez was convicted of capital murder in 2008 for the July 19, 2004, stabbing of convenience store clerk Pablo Castro.

    Castro was stabbed 29 times and robbed of $1.25 as he was taking out trash at a convenience store on Baldwin Boulevard.

    Ramirez, now 27, had decided months ago that he wanted to expedite his execution by ending his legal fight to appeal his conviction.

    But last week Ramirez changed his mind because he found out he has a paternal half-sister, who he wants to get to know.

    Prosecutors called three witnesses to the stand during the hourlong hearing — Grant Jones, one of Ramirez's trial attorneys, and two sheriff's deputies who helped provide security for the 2008 trial.

    Jones testified that he hadn't remembered Ramirez's shackles ever being a problem in court. He said he also would've asked for a mistrial if he thought any jurors had seen or heard Ramirez's shackles.

    Jones said that at one point Ramirez decided he didn't want his lawyers to present any evidence at trial, which he and fellow attorney Ed Garza honored after an intense meeting with Ramirez and a psychologist.

    "I think his main concern was he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison," Jones said. "In the end, I thought he was making a conscious, intelligent choice. It was not emotional."

    Ramirez challenged Jones' assessment in a courtroom outburst.

    "How could it not be emotional?," Ramirez asked.

    Jones replied that there was no way a person in that position couldn't have emotions but that Ramirez's decision didn't seem clouded by them.

    Ramirez's appellate attorney Michael Gross questioned one of the deputies about the security protocols for the case and whether any member of the public was turned away from watching jury selection.

    Lt. Ashley Isaac said the policy that was followed was to allow members of the public into the central jury room.

    Gross pointed out Garza, one of Ramirez's trial attorneys, signed an affidavit saying he saw people turned away. Gross also brought up that some potential jurors waiting in a common area may have seen Ramirez's shackles when he was brought in for jury selection.

    Ramirez's half-sister, who was among several of Ramirez's family members in court, buried her face in her hands and cried after the hearing.

    Last month, Ramirez told a psychologist that life on death row was boring and tedious but that the discovery of his sibling had given him new hope to stay alive.

    The hearing will resume on Sept. 26 in 94th District Judge Bobby Galvan's court.

    The judge will make recommendations to the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin. That court would then make a ruling on the appeal.

    Castro's killing was one of three robberies Ramirez, Angela Rodriguez and Christina Chavez were accused of committing together in the same night. The two women were caught that night and are serving prison time. Ramirez eluded authorities until his 2008 capture near Brownsville.

    http://www.caller.com/news/2011/sep/...claims-unfair/

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    John Henry Ramirez Appeal Hearing To Continue

    An appeals hearing -- for death row inmate John Henry Ramirez -- is expected to continue tomorrow.

    Ramirez is fighting to overturn his capital murder conviction.

    His lawyer says he didn't get a fair trial the first time around because the tight security in the courtroom -- including shackles on Ramirez's legs -- could've biased the jury.

    Ramirez was on the run for four years after killing and robbing a Times Market employee back in July of 2004.

    http://www.kztv10.com/news/john-henr...g-to-continue/

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    Hearing continues for John Henry Ramirez who changes mind about execution

    Texas Death Row inmate John Henry Ramirez no longer wants to be executed today(Friday) while the hearing as to whether he can change his mind continued.

    His dramatic change of heart could raise all sorts of issues for law enforcement officers in the handling of death penalty cases in Wichita Falls, Texas. If Ramirez is allowed to change his mind, the decision could result in more delays in death penalty case appeals from Wichita Falls as well as all other cities across the Lone Star State.

    As recently as July of 2011 Ramirez told his attorneys he didn't want to appeal his death sentence.

    He was ready to face eternity.

    That's why the hearing was set earlier this week on Monday. The judge was supposed to set the date for his date with the needle.

    Instead, Ramirez surprised everyone by announcing he's changed his mind. He now wants to appeal every technical point his counsel can dredge up from the pages of his trial manuscript.

    So instead of setting a date for an execution, the judge heard testimony Monday from four witnesses who explained why Ramirez should be allowed to change his mind at this late date.

    Prosecutors continued to object to the right of Ramirez to change his mind in the humid Corpus Christi courtroom.

    Does the defendant have a right to appeal his case after he has informed the legal system he wants a speedy execution?

    George Lott, the convicted murderer of prosecutor Chris Marshall, waived his rights to appeal, and may have been executed faster than anyone in modern Texas history, according to Wichita Falls prosecutor John Brasher.

    Lott, who was himself a lawyer, barged into a Tarrant County courtroom and opened fire on Marshall and several judges.

    Lott never changed his mind. Evidently wanting to get it over with, Lott signed all the papers necessary to waive his automatic appeal, and was injected with a lethal dosage of drugs in Huntsville, Texas.

    Ramirez said his change of heart stemmed from his recent discovery that he has a half-sister. This recent realization caused Ramirez to decide he now wants to live so he can get to know his half-sister.

    After hearing all the evidence in this coastal city, the district judge will make recommendations and send them up to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals where Presiding Justice Sharon Keller and colleagues will decide Ramirez ultimate fate.

    A Nueces County, Texas jury found Ramirez guilty in 2008 for stabbing a store clerk 29 times as he emptied the trash in 2004. Pablo Castro died from the stabbing frenzy and Ramirez stole $1.25.

    The jury recommended the death penalty for the senseless murder and Ramirez agreed with them until earlier in September when his half-sister reached out to the condemned man and made him aware of her existence.

    Before changing his mind, the convicted murderer wrote a letter to Judge Bobby Galvan expressing his desire to expedite his execution saying that he "wanted to save the taxpayers money."

    That concern for the taxpayers quickly evaporated last week when his attorneys notified the court of their client's change of heart.

    Psychologist JoAnne Murphy testified in the 94th District Court that Ramirez was suicidal and depressed while in the Marines and also when he initially said he didn't want to appeal his death penalty. She said he witnessed his mother being stabbed as a youth and had a horrific childhood.

    The defense has also called pyschologist Troy Martinez to testify this week on behalf of the convicted capital murderer.

    http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcem...bout-execution

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