Execution Report: Reginald Blanton

Reginald Winthrop Blanton, 28, was executed by lethal injection on 27 October 2009 in Huntsville, Texas for robbing and murdering a man in his apartment.

On 13 April 2000 in San Antonio, Blanton, then 18, his twin brother, Robert, and Robert's girlfriend, LaToya Mayberry, went to the apartment of Carlos Garza, 20, an acquaintance of theirs. While Mayberry waited in the car, the twins kicked in the door of Garza's apartment and went inside. Two shots were fired, one of them hitting Garza in the forehead. After taking some jewelry and cash, and looking for drugs to steal, the twins returned to the car, and the party drove away. Garza was unconscious when emergency workers arrived, but died on the way to the hospital.

Two days later, Mayberry was arrested following an altercation with Robert. She then told the police about the murder. She said when she was sitting in the car, she heard "two booms" from the door being kicked in, then "two more booms" from the gunshots. She said she saw Reginald return to the car with jewelry in his hand, including two necklaces. She said Robert told her Garza confronted them while they were inside the apartment, and Reginald shot him. According to Mayberry, Reginald also stole $100 in cash.

San Antonio police recovered Garza's jewelry from a local pawn shop. Reginald Blanton was recorded on videotape about 20 minutes after the shooting, selling two of Garza's gold necklaces and a religious medal for $79. At the time of arrest, he was wearing a ring and bracelet that had also belonged to Garza.

As a juvenile, Blanton had convictions for burglary, auto theft, and unlawfully carrying a weapon, as well as for lesser charges including shoplifting, possession of marijuana, and trespassing. In May 2001, while awaiting trial for capital murder, he assaulted an inmate for testifying in another inmate's capital murder trial.

Continued on Page 2