Execution Report: Douglas Roberts

Douglas Alan Roberts, 42, was executed by lethal injection on 20 April 2005 in Huntsville, Texas for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of a 40-year-old man.

On 18 May 1996, Roberts, then 33, robbed a San Antonio convenience store and stole a customer's car at knifepoint. He drove into an apartment complex parking lot and pulled a knife on Jerry Velez, who was in his car. Roberts got in the vehicle, robbed Velez of his cash, and ordered Velez to drive out of town. When they were on a rural road, Roberts instructed Velez to stop the car and get out. Velez then lunged at Roberts. Roberts stabbed Velez repeatedly. He then ran over Velez with his own car several times.

After the killing, Roberts drove to Austin. He stopped at a pay phone, called 911, and reported that he had killed a man. He waited to be arrested, then gave a videotaped confession. A Bowie knife was recovered from the front seat of Velez's car.

An autopsy determined that Velez was stabbed five times. He also suffered blunt trauma to his brain.

At his trial, Roberts instructed his attorney to call no defense witnesses and to pick a jury that favored the death penalty.

Roberts' only prior conviction as an adult was for credit card fraud in 1983. According to one source, he also had a juvenile conviction for aggravated robbery.

Continued on Page 2