In the US state of Texas it is death sentence was executed against a 64-year-old – 15 years after the murder of his wife. Joe Gardner died from a lethal injection. He was sentenced to death in 2006 for killing his fifth wife, who had left him after numerous domestic violence cases and filed for divorce.
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Shortly before the divorce came into effect, Gardner broke into his wife’s new apartment and shot her in the head. She died two days later. Gardner’s execution was the first in the US this year. Last year, 22 people were executed in the United States, nine of them in Texas,
The prosecutor’s office had referred to other cases of domestic violence in Gardner’s past. He shot his second wife when she was pregnant. He kidnapped his third wife and beat her daughter.
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Lawyers in the Gardner case filed an appeal to the Supreme Court in September demanding a new trial because he was not properly defended in his trial. His defenders at the time should have developed a theory of “leaving anger” to explain his actions, they argued. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal on Monday, and no further appeal was filed.
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In his last words, Gardner asked his fifth wife’s relatives for forgiveness. “I hope you find peace, happiness, and tranquility,” said Gardner. He hoped that one day they could forgive him.
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