Execution Report: Jermaine Herron

Jermaine Herron, 27, was executed by lethal injection on 17 May 2006 in Huntsville, Texas for murder of a woman and her son during a burglary of their home.

On 25 June 1997, Herron, then 18, and Derrick Frazier, 20, visited a ranch owned by Ron Lucich, ten miles north of Refugio. Herron and his father had lived on the ranch many years earlier, when Herron's father was Lucich's foreman. Mr. and Mrs. Lucich were away, but their three children were home. Herron introduced Derrick Frazier as his cousin, Kevin, and stated that they came to see whether the Lucichs had any work for them. They decided to "hang out" until the Lucichs came home. Mrs. Lucich then came home and became concerned about the two men loitering in her home. She called her husband, who told her to "get them out of there." Mrs. Lucich took the men and her children out for lunch, then dropped the men off at the house of one of Herron's friends. Later that day, Ron Lucich called Herron and told him to never come back to his ranch.

That afternoon, Herron and Frazier made plans to burglarize the ranch. They had observed several guns in the home, and they learned that the Lucichs were planning to be out of town the following day. They drove with another man, Michael Brown, to a roadside park from which the ranch could be viewed, and discussed their plan further. A second trailer home, occupied by Betsy Nutt and her 15-year-old son, Cody, was also on the property. At one point, Herron pointed to Mrs. Nutt's truck and said, "That's my truck."

At about 9:00 p.m., Crystal Mascorro drove Herron, Frazier, and Brown to the entrance of the Lucich ranch. All three men wore bandanas over their faces, and Herron carried a .22-caliber rifle. As they approached the Lucichs' trailer, the porch light came on. Brown turned back and ran. Herron and Frazier subsequently joined him, and they all left the ranch.

A few hours later, in the early morning hours of 26 June, the thee men drove back to the ranch. This time, Brown dropped Herron and Frazier off. They hid and waited for the Lucichs to leave. At about 7:30 a.m., the Lucichs left. Herron and Frazier then entered their trailer and gathered up some guns and other items. They then called Brown and told him to come pick them up. They were still waiting at 2:00 p.m., when Betsy and Cody Nutt came home. They approached Mrs. Nutt, told her that their car had broken down, and asked to use her phone. Once inside Nutt's trailer, they forced the Nutts to their knees, then shot each of them twice in the head with a 9mm pistol. They then drove away in Nutt's truck.

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