Texas man executed for killing 3-month-old son in 2008
Travis Mullis, a 38-year-old man from Texas, was executed on Tuesday evening for the murder of his 3-month-old son more than 16 years ago. Mullis had waived his right to appeal his death sentence and was pronounced dead at 7:01 p.m. CDT following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. While strapped to the death chamber gurney, Mullis thanked those who accepted him for the man he became, expressed regret for his actions, and apologized to his son’s mother and her family. The execution was delayed 20 minutes while technicians worked to find a suitable vein, and Mullis was put to death using the sedative pentobarbital.
Mullis was the fourth inmate to be executed in Texas this year and was one of five executions scheduled within a week’s time in the U.S. Another execution took place in Missouri on the same evening, and additional executions were planned in Oklahoma and Alabama. The execution proceeded after one of Mullis’ attorneys confirmed that no late appeals would be filed in an attempt to spare his life. Mullis had previously taken responsibility for his son’s death and accepted his punishment for the crime, stating that he was a “redeemed man” who acknowledged the awful nature of his actions. Despite facing opposition from various attorneys over the years, Mullis had consistently struggled with the decision of whether to appeal his case.
Authorities reported that Mullis had driven to Galveston with his son after a fight with his girlfriend, where he sexually assaulted the infant and later killed him by stomping on his head. After the incident, Mullis fled the state but was arrested in Philadelphia after surrendering to police. At his trial, prosecutors described Mullis as a manipulative and deceitful individual who refused help for his mental and psychiatric issues. The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits the application of the death penalty for individuals with intellectual disabilities but not for those with serious mental illness.
The scheduled executions in Alabama and Oklahoma, in addition to those already carried out in South Carolina and Missouri, mark the first time in over 20 years that five executions have taken place within a seven-day span. The Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit organization that does not take a stance on capital punishment, has criticized the execution process in various states. The recent executions highlight the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty in the U.S. and the ethical implications of carrying out such sentences. Mullis’ case serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of violent crimes and the complex legal procedures involved in capital punishment cases.
