Execution Report: Billy Galloway

Billy John Galloway, 41, was executed by lethal injection on 13 May 2010 in Huntsville, Texas for killing a man during a robbery.

Late in the summer of 1998, Galloway, then 29; his girlfriend, Deannee Bayless, 30; his friend, Kevin Varga, 29; and Varga's girlfriend, Venus Anderson, 17 - all of whom were on probation or parole in South Dakota - gathered up their belongings, loaded up Galloway's vehicle, and left South Dakota, intending to travel to Mexico.

After a few days, the group arrived in Wichita, Kansas, and checked into a hotel. They made plans to "roll" someone - i.e., to lure someone back to the hotel to blackmail or rob him. Varga instructed Anderson to choose someone who appeared old and weak, and not too heavy. Varga then stayed in the hotel room, while Galloway, Bayless, and Anderson went to a bar. Anderson and Bayless pretended to be sisters. Anderson picked up David McCoy, while Bayless pretended to pick up Galloway. Bayless talked McCoy into returning to the hotel with them. Once there, Varga emerged from the bathroom with a metal pole and beat McCoy to death. The men then wrapped his body in a blanket and put it in their vehicle. The group then left Witchita, driving both Galloway and McCoy's cars. After Galloway's vehicle broke down, they abandoned it in a parking lot with the body still inside.

On 7 September, the group arrived in Greenville, Texas. They decided to roll another victim. Bayless and Anderson went to a motel, met David Logie in the lounge, and convinced him to go eat with them. With Bayless driving Logie's rental car, they left the parking lot together. Varga and Galloway followed them in McCoy's car. After a short time, Bayless pulled over near a building in a deserted area, ostensibly so that she and Logie could have sex on the hood. Logie exited the car with her. Varga and Galloway then appeared and began attacking Logie. Galloway struck him with his fists and knocked him down. He pleaded for his life for several minutes while Galloway beat him. Varga then handed Galloway an object, and the beating continued until Logie was dead. The group took Logie's wallet and credit cards and dragged his body into the woods. They burned McCoy's car and left Greenville in Logie's car. Police found a ball peen hammer and a tree limb near the body.

The group proceeded to San Antonio. Bayless and Anderson used Logie's credit cards at a shopping mall. Police followed them from the mall, discovered that their car was stolen, and pulled them over in a parking lot. After an officer separated the women, Anderson confessed to the murders, and she and Bayless were arrested. Varga and Galloway were subsequently arrested at a strip club.

According to Anderson's testimony, the original plan the group devised in Wichita was for her to lure a man back to the room and that once his pants were down, Varga would emerge from hiding and blackmail him. However, she did testify that before she left the room, she saw Varga swinging a metal pole and heard him remark that it was "too long." Although she wasn't in the room while Logie was killed, she heard a lot of thumping sounds, then heard Galloway tell Varga, "That's enough."

Anderson further testified that after McCoy's murder, her three co-defendants began "jumping around and hugging each other and kissing each other and coming up to me and hugging me and asking me if I was all right and telling me it was all right ... the first murder was always that way, you know..." When Bayless found only $80 in McCoy's wallet, Galloway started kicking and spitting on McCoy's body and calling him names.

Galloway had prior felony convictions in South Dakota for grand theft and attempted robbery. He was sentenced to 8 years and 6 years, respectively, for those convictions. He met Varga in prison, where they were cellmates. Galloway had been on parole for about three months when he left South Dakota.

In January 1990, after using cocaine, heroin, PCP, and LSD, Galloway struck himself in the face with a hammer, causing the loss of two teeth.

While awaiting trial, Galloway escaped from the county jail. He stabbed an officer numerous times with a shank, but the officer's bulletproof vest prevented serious injury. Galloway was captured about 90 minutes later.

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